Operation Madness
by Residentidiot
Summary: A Mass crossover between inFAMOUS, Ratchet and Clank, Uncharted, Harry Potter, Mass Effect, Saints Row, shout outs and anything I can make into a plausible scenario. And it isn't crack fic. Hopefully. Imagine that.
1. Operation Oddysey 1: Awakening

Define irony.

It is neither a lie, a joke, a coincidence, merely anything unexpected or something Alanis Morissette understands. It can overlap with those (Except, maybe the last one) but they aren't ironic by themselves. There are seven types of irony. Socratic, verbal, dramatic, tragic, situational, cosmic and historic.

An example of situational irony. The former president of Mothers against drunk driving was arrested and charged with a DUI. Another case. I was hit on the head by a piece of brick, which caused me to go comatose for a week, as I was walking out the door of the hospital, after getting the all clear after a **head injury.** Only one type of irony, but it is ironic. Of course, I have just woke up from the injury, in a dark hospital room. Head bandaged, I got up and walked around to see what was going on. Wow, hospitals are creepy in the dark.

I guess, since I'll be walking for a while, I should introduce myself. Names Ezio. Ezio Jacuzzi O'Malley (And if you snicker, I will kill you). I'm Irish-Italian, living in Northern Ireland, here in Belfast for a medical check (although you probably realise that), just out of High school, and was going to go into University this year. Well, since I was left in a coma in a hospital, and the only form of time I found said that I was comatose for 4 days, that means that something has happened. Seriously, has there ever been a movie that has a good thing happen in an abandoned hospital?

Well, here I am, all alone, or so I thought. All of a sudden, I hear an explosion. As I turn to face it, I see this guy running straight towards me. "Get down!" was the first thing he said to me. He was being chased by a flying hover ship being piloted by a goldfish… Oh, crap. The sea is invading. Or aliens. Whatever. It had guns, and we needed cover. We both got behind the reception desk as he shot off one of the ship's guns with an assault rifle.

"Can you explain what's going on here?" I asked. He was quite fat, but not obese. Compared to my mother, he was in top health. Was wearing sunglasses, a T-Shirt with a button shirt over it, jeans and boots. He had an injury to his left arm, which was bandaged, but not a severe injury. Waxed hair, beard, something tells me he's not Irish.

"Well, it's a long story." He began. Yep, American, southern states, I would say. Around Alabama, Texas, somewhere near there. "As you can tell, some Drophyd is shooting at us." Drophyd? "From the attire, you probably just woke up, so here's the basics. That is an alien, from god knows where, and from what we know, they do understand English, as well as their leader. We think that it's their first language, which opens up a whole few new questions." He took out a handgun and handed it to me. "You'll need this. Help me take out this asshole and I'll answer all your questions."

Taking the handgun, a sudden headache caught on. "Hey, you okay?" It was sore, but bearable.

"Was in for a head injury." I replied. As it suddenly got worse, I could tell that the Drophyd was getting close. I could also tell that I was glowing. As well as several small items around me. That were flying. "What the…?"

"Wait…" the American said. "This isn't normal for you, is it?" As I shot him a glare, he just chuckled. "Try focusing on one large object and see what you can do?" Large, object, large object… Gurney! Behind the flying fish tank of **DEATH!** (Sorry) I focused on it and managed to make it float. The headache was getting worse, but I had to wait until after to sort that out. As if by instinct, I made it fly straight at the ship, knocking it into a wall. The ship exploded, sending the glass ball that was the space ship straight to the ground, where it broke.

"Nice!" the guy helped me to my feet and we got out from behind the desk. "So, you're a Conduit. That's good."

"A what? Conduit? Seriously, what's going on?"

"Conduit. It means you have powers." He walked away from me and picked up a rucksack and put it on his back. "Name's Zeke, by the way. Zeke Dunbar."

"Okay, Zeke, name's Ezio." As I walked over to him, carrying my gun, and checking the bottom. "By the way, can you give me a clip? The gun? Is empty." I held up the gun to show him that the gun lacked a magazine.

"Oh, sorry about that." As Zeke threw me some ammo, 2 clips and a box of bullets, he sat down and took out a bottle of Pepsi. He offered me some, and god, was I thirsty. Being comatose for 4 days kinda makes you thirsty. "Well, first off, this whole mess started four days ago. Initially it started in China, where the invasion started. Next was Korea, and then the Middle East."

"They're idiots. They missed Tokyo by a few hundred miles." I joked.

"Yeah, but they attacked the countries with Nuclear weapons." He replied as he took the cola off of me. "God, from what I've found, they killed everyone in China with some weird weapon. It was luckily destroyed, but, well, Pandas are the dominant species there."

"You're kidding me."

"Wish I was. It killed humans, but other species gained intelligence." He wasn't lying. He had pictures of Pandas cooking, scavenging with heavy equipment and creating robots. It was so cute, but it made it worse.

"Hang on. What's a redneck doing in Ireland, anyway?"

"That's a good question." He took out a mobile, iPhone 4, and checked it. "The president of Afghanistan was here for peace talks as well as trade with Stormont. There was going to be a huge rally with several hate groups, the British Defence League, violent yobs who wanted a good fight, the BNP, Westboro Baptist Church."

"Were they killed?" As Zeke gave me a dirty look, I was taken back. "I don't condone it, but killing them would do the world a favour."

"Most survived when the Drophyds struck. The ones from Westboro didn't." Hell froze over. "I was there because of my job." Zeke then showed me a badge. Nexus, some UN organisation that worked with Interpol to investigate unusual crimes. It was recently founded 6 months ago. "I work for Nexus, a group who investigate crimes committed by Conduits. Me and my partner found out that a Conduit, known for hate crimes before he got his powers, was going to attend. Could turn anything into an explosive. We were close to arresting him, then the Drophyds came and killed the guy. The protestors got away as soon as possible, trampled civilians, me and Cole got as many to a safe place. They're over in the Odyssey Arena. We should head there too. Cole's a Conduit, by the way."

"Okay, so you don't have powers, huh? Guess that, kind of sucks when you work with people that do."

"Well, I've had my spine broken several times. But we have powerful healers." As he got up, we got ready to leave. First order of business, get some new clothes.

"By the way, how do you know what they're called? The Drophyds."

"Remember how I said that their leader spoke English? He directly referred to them as Drophyds. This small bug called Tachyon."

Once that and the clothes business was settled with, (Surprising how close we were to a store) we headed towards the Arena. I guess I should give a description, then. Shoulder length dark blonde hair, that I have in a ponytail with 2 lengths splitting out (Like that guy from Fullmetal Alchemist), a slight tan, green eyes, and a scar under my right ear (It was for an emergency procedure that I had to go through). In terms of clothing, I'm wearing a dark blue T-shirt, jeans, some sneakers and a hoodie. In terms of build, I'm fairly thin, and somewhere in the middle on height (5 foot, 8).

We got attacked along the way, but I got used to using telekinesis to fight. We managed to get to Victoria Square easily enough, but it was a mess. Taking a break as Zeke made a call, got to ask how he has signal, I don't. Of course, looking around for any Drophyds that would attack, then I discovered a second power. _Dammit Cole, pick up__. _His mouth wasn't moving. _Are you draining power somewhere or did you step in a puddle__. _That was his thought that I was hearing. "Sorry, my friend won't pick up. Might be doing something important." I was gob smacked that I could do that. "What? Can you hear thoughts too?"

_Yes_

"Holy crap!" He jumped about 3 feet at that moment.

"Wait, I can project as well?" I was scared that this was real. I could hear thoughts, now I could feel a person's presence, and that was when I got ready. "Zeke, someone's coming. I can feel a large group are on their way. We have to hide." There was a large group on the way. But it was too late to hide.

We were suddenly surrounded. Drophyds everywhere. We ran into a store, got ready to fight if we had to. Didn't expect to survive, but we have to. Just in case someone comes. _Makes sure to stay behind cover_ Zeke thought. I gave a nod, but we didn't need to stay behind cover, we needed a miracle.

Hey, author here, residentidiot, res20stupid or O. Call me by my real name (if you know it) and I'll beat you to death. I want to say a few things about the fic.

First, it's a Massive Multiplayer Crossover. It will have references or plotlines from various works, and I'll let you guess what's next.

Second, I'll not go into physical descriptions to characters that are not OC, like Ezio.

Third, I'll make changes to pre-existing storylines if I think it will improve the current situation. For example, either inFamous 2 hasn't happened yet, and if it does, I'll kill the Beast quickly, but still leave a lasting effort for the heroes to handle.

Please rate and help me make this a great fic, I only have one editor (Call him... Well, Ezio has a Baccano! reference, so... Firo! Call him Firo.), and another could help soon. But for now, like the preferred translation title for 'Baccano!', this could turn into a 'Stupid Commotion' and not in a good way, if it goes tipsy.

By the way, should I incorperate a drinking game?

**res20stupid**


	2. Operation Oddysey 2: Reunion

Me and Zeke were pinned at HMV, as we were getting blasted by Drophyds from all sides. Luckily, we have been able to get some well aimed shots at the fish bowls that were housing the main fish. It seems that smashing them would instantly cause the main 'body' to stop working, and explode.

Luckily, we were able to get a couple of guns out of it. They actually had the names on the barrel, in English. Why do aliens speak English, anyway? Why not French, or Incan. In fiction, it's used as a safe way to have the aliens to be understandable without creating a new language (Except in Star Trek). It's justified in Star Wars, which had humanity living with aliens for about 100 years, and used translator microbes for those who didn't learn a language. But, this is real life. We've had no prior experience with aliens, unless the theories about Area 51 are true, then, they better not have done anything to spark a war or I'll kill everyone involved.

Shit! Almost got hit there. Guess I should stop thinking and get back to business.

_Yeah, you do that__._

"I was projecting the entire time, wasn't I?" I asked Zeke.

_Yeah, you were_ He replied._Now, if you have to break the fourth wall for your ranting, couldn't you use an Author's Note or something?_

_What?_

_Oh, come on, I know this is a fan story, so discuss what is relevant during the scene and keep ready for fights. Oh, and if I find any more Rule 34 of me with either Cole or Kessler and me, I will shoot you. The reader. Hello, Lisa._

_Okay. But warn me if I do stupid crap, okay? And if you ask me to give you powers, __**I'll**__ make rule 34, or humiliate you._

_Damn. Now, about the weapons?_

_Oh, righti. _First off was a 'GrummelNet™ Combustor', which was a fancy handgun. It had a holographic ammo count, which showed how much ammo it had, and what it could store in a single clip. It had an ammo count of 100, and the gunfire was slow as hell. Luckily, these fiends can't dodge very well, and it packed an incredible punch. It also had a number on the side, 36, which I think might mean the weapon strength, as well as 'V.I' on the side. It also had a gauge that was filling with every kill, but I didn't know what it did. It could also pull in ammo for the gun, which was our saviour, as the Drophyds had plenty. Zeke let me use this, as he still had his rifle, and it could help me because I had no experience with guns.

Next was another model from GrummelNet, the 'Shard Reaper™', which was one hell of a shotgun, and was better up close. Zeke had that. I had powers, so I shouldn't be hogging the weapons of mass destruction. It had a weapon strength of 166, but only held 30 shells, had a slow rate of fire, and a small range. Better to get out of trouble, then. Also had 'V.I', and a gauge on the holographic display.

And, for whatever reason, when we destroy a Drophyd vehicle, they drop golden bolts and crystals. Our guns would pull them in, showing counters for how many we had.

As we were fighting, the headache came back, was getting worse with every time I used my powers, and I felt drained. I could collapse at any time. "Don't use your powers too much, it isn't healthy!" Wow, thanks Zeke, for pointing that out.

_You're welcome._ "DAMMIT!" _Seriously, all Conduits are drained by their power_. That outburst almost cost me my life, as a Drophyd jumped me. It had a gun in my face, and was about to fire, if Zeke hadn't used the Shard Reaper to kill him. As he ran over to help me up, the gun suddenly flashed. We were confused, but we went back to fighting. Luckily, all of the Drophyds were dead. The headache was unbearable, though.

"Hey, Ez, that flash must've been an upgrade." _What makes you say that? _"Because the side changed. '' and the power is at 199." _Well that's good to hear. _"Hey, are you alright?" _No, this headache is killing me, and I can't move from the pain._ "SHIT! You're bleeding. We have to get you out of here." As he began to pick me up, my vision got worse, blurred, darker, suddenly on the floor… Look, stilts… "Oh cra…" Great… fireworks… Must be a circus… Now an ange… an…

… _Where the…?_

_Hey, Ezio, you're projecting again._

_Hey, Zeke, where did the circus go?_

_Circus?_

_There were stilts, fireworks, and an angel._

_Well, nice to see you're projecting well. You must have been delusional from that head wound. We were ambushed by a Drophyd walking around in an Enforcer armor. It was blown to smithereens by a hot chick with an RPG-7._

_That explains a bit, but, shouldn't I be dead?_

_She's a Conduit, healing powers. She fixed you up. We got you into the back of a car, drove over to the Odyssey._

_WAIT, you drove? Zeke, you could've been attacked. You made us an open target._

_Actually, we got out of Drophyd territory just after Victoria Square, straight through Militia territory, and then into Nexus, the Odyssey being our base._

_Militia?_

_Remember how I mentioned a hate rally?_

_Oh. Think I'm waking up now._ Good thing too. When I got up, I saw I was on a foldable bed, usually found in clinics set up during an emergency. But I was in the Odyssey arena. Well, I say the Arena. It was in the reception of the W5 exhibit. Remember it from when I was 10. I feel so freaking old now. Large spinning marble globe, machine for making smoke circles, gift shop, and the broken exhibit that was my favourite that they never fixed in 7 years (Seriously?), the flaming tornado.

As I got up, I was almost knocked over by several kids running around. Between 3 and 12. They're laughing now, but I am sure that when this mess started, they were incredibly scared. How many of them are orphans, missing their parents, and don't even know? What about my folks?

Zeke was nearby, about a couple of feet. Seriously, how powerful are the passive powers? _Enough that several people heard your dreams._ "WHAT?"

"Relax, I'm joking." _Well, I'm not laughing_. "Don't worry, you've only been passed out on the bed for 15 minutes."

"So, how many other Conduits are here?"

"Well, there's you now, hopefully, Cole, over there," pointing at a guy wearing yellow bike gear and a rucksack, talking to the woman, "That girl is Elena, some journalist who got big by proving that a war criminal was still alive. She's normal, like me, but good with a gun." She was wearing a light green tank top and a cream buttoned shirt over it. The shirt had a few blood stains, and she had a holster for a handgun. As he finished, some guys with boxes came in, wearing PSNI uniforms. "Jack and Finn, there, helped set this place up. Jack's a Pyro, Finn's a Cryo."

"So, fire and ice?" Cool. When this mess is over with, they could be the basis of a crappy buddy cop show. Zeke started chuckling, most of the kids fell over laughing as well as Cole and Elena… "You all heard that, didn't you?"

"Crystal." The two cops said as they walked past. Elena and Cole walked over to me, probably to say hello.

"Relax, it took me about 10 days to get used to my powers." Cole stuck out his hands to shake them. Good thing about telepathy, however, is that you can tell what people are about to do.

"You shock me, and I scar you for life." He apparently caught on. Elena laughed.

"So, Zeke mentioned our names, huh?" the woman said as she gave me a hand shake. Cole, I expected to be an American, but he was mostly north west, probably New York state. Elena was similar. "That's Cole McGrath. I'm Elena Fisher."

"And I'm Ezio O'Malley."

"And that there behind you, is the girl who saved you." As I tried to turn around, I was suddenly jumped, caught in a hug.

"Oh, my God, you're safe." Wait, I know that voice. As she released me, I was right to recognise it. Brunette hair, blonde dye streak in her jet black hair, large green eyes, and a very athletic build. It was my girlfriend, after all. She was also wearing what appeared to be… medical scrubs?

"Lizzie? You're alive?" I returned the hug in pure joy, having someone that I recognized there made it feel better.

"Ezio, where have you been all this time? I've been so worried."

"Well, I've been unconscious in a hospital for 4 days." At that moment, some paramedics came in with an injured man. She ran over to help, carrying supplies like tinfoil and blankets.

"Sorry, I have to help." As I ran over to see what I could do, I saw how bad the injuries were. Most of his lower right arm was gone, and he was badly burned, with cuts all over his body. Must've been a bomb.

"What can I do?" As I was next to Liz, she handed me a cloth.

"Clean around the wounds." As I was about to start, she pulled me back. "Around. If you disturb any open wounds, they can't heal, and he could become sick."

_Somebody, help._ Dammit, the guy must be awake. _It hurts. What's going on?_ "Damn, he's awake." Liz was giving me weird looks. "Whatever happened, I have psychic powers. I can hear him. He's conscious, and asking for help."

_Can you tell me where I am?_ I turned down to look at him, to try and let him understand what's going on. "Hey, if you can hear me, tell me you're name." _Seamus. Seamus Finnegan._ "Seamus, listen. You're at the Odyssey Ice Hockey arena. Do you know where that is?" _Yeah, near the river in Belfast._ "Okay, my name's Ezio. You've probably been given drugs to keep you stable, null the pain, but probably not enough." I was starting to clean his wounds, when I saw what Liz was doing.

So, that's her healing power. She was holding her hands over Seamus' wounds in order to try and save his life. Wonder what limitations they ha- _Oh shit, that hurts!_ "Hey, Seamus, I know this must be unbearable, if that sudden grasping of his own head by Ezio in any indication." Lizzie said, trying to reassure him. "Listen, this is painful. I'm re-growing your arm, you skin, blood vessels, bones… Nerve endings. Can someone get me some more anaesthetics over here, please!" At that, the paramedics came over to us. They ran out of some earlier, and didn't have enough to keep him properly under. Liz was about to tear him a new one about how they should've waited, and that they couldn't give him anything to help, but luckily for them, she was busy.

As I was cleaning his burn wounds with this gel, it had Aloe Vera in it or something, I could delve deeper into his mind. Liz was re-growing the fingers now, but I could subconsciously see some of his memories. Of school, his childhood, but I could also see his secrets. Including a very big one.

Seamus was a wizard, at home for summer holiday after a very miserable end of school year. A student was murdered, another claimed that it was a supposedly dead evil wizard. He couldn't tell anyone at home, except him mother, because he would be expelled from school otherwise. A big burden. Might as well help him. _Seamus, I'm using telepathy to say this. I accidentally saw your memories. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your magic, or Hogwarts._

As Liz moved onto his burn wounds, he began to shake. Not very pleasurable, is it? _Thank you._ She managed to heal his burn wounds and moved to smaller cuts. I cleaned more wounds as she healed.

_**Can you really hear thoughts?**_

_That, and I can also sense a person's location, if I focus. Maybe emotions. Like your fear. How many wounds does he have left?_

_**Not that many left. I can tell what wounds a person has, because when I hold my hands over them, I can feel their pain.**_

_Kind of stupid to give them painkillers, isn't it?_

"Oh, shut up." She said. She never liked my teasing. "There's no more wounds. Seamus, you need to rest. Don't try and move until I come back." He was sort of brave. When I broke my leg when I was 14, when I tried to move, she would hit me with a frying pan. He tilted his head over towards us and smiled.

"Thanks." He then fell asleep, as me and Lizzie walked away.

"So, where's everyone else? How many…" I didn't want to say, but I knew I had to.

"Jamie, Kevin, Joe, and Liam managed to get out of the city. Went looking around for survivors in the local towns. They're normal. Rory and Lorraine are over in Newry, held up in the Buttercrane. Holly, Laura, Michelle and Tierna are down in Dublin." She then walked over to me and told me to sit down. All that's left is my brother Raphael…

"Oh, god."

"See most of those kids running around?" Please, no. "Raphael saved most of them." What did that idiot do? "Told them to get on a bus being driven by Elena." She then paused, as she saw my reaction. She sat next to me, and looked to the ground. "He's not dead, luckily. Comatose, but not dead. I did the most that I could. Still am."

"Wait, you have more control over your powers, right? Couldn't you keep trying?"

"That's what I've been trying. But, I feel other people's physical pain. I mend him a little until I can't bear it and have to be pulled away from him, unconscious. But, hey, he was brain dead. Now, he's merely comatose."

"B-b-u-but why did he stay behind? Couldn't he get onto a bus?"

"He lead the Drophyds away. Shot at them to get them to follow him, lead them straight to the Militia. He was hit by shell fire, but the Paramedics got to him in time."

As I heard this, I walked over to a nearby window. Looking out, I thought about his cocky attitude, how he wanted to be a hero, a fireman, save as many people as he could. Looks like he did that.

I punched the wall next to me, did some damage. As I felt Lizzie come closer, I looked at her. "Where is he? I-" I tried to keep as calm as I could, but I knew that I would crack at any time. "I want to see him."

Liz lead me to a locked door, where only employees were allowed. As we walked down the corridor she lead me into a room, and stood by the door. "I can't go in. I'll pass out." As I walked inside, I saw him, lying there, limp. It was sad, in a way. Seeing him, usually full of energy, being a cocky bastard, and he was… Just there. I could feel his thoughts, but not see them. I had to make sure that this was… Real. I touched his head, and then, a flash.

I saw his last memory from before he was turned into a vegetable. He was running behind the kids, carrying a hatchet. "Just keep going!" There was a bus, Elena at the front seat. He helped all of the children onto the bus. I also saw Lizzie comforting the younger children. One was on his back that he handed over to some guy that was with her. Then there was an explosion. Raph saw the Drophyds, and realised that they followed Elena.

"Head back to the Arena! I'll buy time!" He yelled at Elena. She tried to stop him, but it was too late. He picked up a gun, shot a Drophyd straight in the middle of the eyes, and lead them to the Castlecourt shopping centre. Then, a huge battle erupted between guys in white and orange, and the Drophyds. Raph was shot in the leg, and he tried to crawl away, shot in the ass next. As he was turned over, he saw the bastard who did this. A human. Covered in head to toe, except for a single tear in his mask, which showed a scar, a diagonal cross with another scar underneath.

As the memory faded, I lashed out again. Threw a couple of chairs across the room, and stormed out. As I got out the door, I just fell, punching the ground. I let out all of my rage , before I completely broke down. I began crying, as Liz came over and comforted me. She wanted to help, but she couldn't. I was the only person that could feel this. But all I did was let my sorrow take over me. My sorrow and hatred. Whoever that bastard was, I'll make him pay. I promise, Raph, I'll make him pay.


	3. Operation Oddysey 3: Training

After I saw what those bastards in the Militia did to Raphael, I helped Lizzie move Seamus and other patients up to the top floor of W5, which had been converted into a large sleeping area. Normally, we could use the elevator, but apparently, Cole had an 'accident' when he tried to ride up in it once, and the thing was broken, so we had to use the stairs. I got a work out for my powers, but I was really drained after 10 patients got up, so Liz got me to take a rest for the night, and got someone else to help her get up.

**Day 5 of the fighting.**

When I woke up in the morning, I headed down to the first floor. I knew that there would be some vending machines, thought that I could maybe steal something. Kind of shocked to see that there was food being served in the canteen. Some guy came out from a door, old, had a moustache, and an unlit cigar in his pocket. How did I know that last one?

"So, you're that Psychic kid that Elena was talking about?" As he put down the food into the bench, he offered me a handshake. "Victor Sullivan. Call me Sully." Another American?

"Nice to meet you Sully. Ezio O'Malley." I returned the offer of a handshake, and looked at what they had. Chips, beans, sausages, sweet corn, broccoli, bacon, pasta, potatoes, hotdogs and burgers. "What are you doing about food, anyway? Do we need to get more soon?"

"Yeah, know what you mean. Grab what you want. We stole the food from a warehouse being controlled by the NIRA." _Wait, the NIRA?_ I projected at him. "Right, you were unconscious. You've seen the Drophyds, and we're Nexus. There are three more fractions." He took out an iPad and opened up the photos app. The first picture was a picture of a smoking hot Asian lady, that had the signature 'Ada Wong' next to it. "Oops, should really delete that photo." Then he showed me a picture of guys wearing hockey masks and white clothing with orange streaks over them.

"This is the Militia. With the NIRA, they share borders with area captured by us. But they are actively trying to push on towards us. They don't like Conduits, saying that we're part of an alien invasion, and working with the Drophyds. That, or we're of the devil. No Conduits allowed, and we are their biggest target." Next were men wearing balaclavas, camouflage jackets and Jeans. Their clothes had a large Irish flag on the back as well. "The Neo Irish Republican Army. They are the most chaotic faction, and the largest. They're leaders are pro-republic, but they are looser than a condom turned inside-"

"Dude, I need to eat, not puke!" I was about to gag, before the smell of beans filled my nostrils again. And bacon. Sweet, succulent bacon…

"Sorry, but they only really care about attacking the UVF." I saw the standard clothing of the UVF, but they had red gloves and a Union Jack on their arms. "These guys are mostly the original UVF, but like the NIRA, they have Conduit members. They fight constantly, so a viable strategy is to lead the Militia into a war zone with both of these jackasses."

"Hey, Sully, I want to ask. Why are you and Elena in Ireland, anyway?"

"Good question, see- Look out!" As I turned around to see a Frisbee fly towards me, I instinctively stopped it with my powers. I held it there for a few seconds, until a young child, about 7-8, ran up the stairs. As she saw that the Frisbee was floating there, I just smiled at her and sent the Frisbee towards her. She managed to catch it, and smiled at me. Then, in a flash of golden butterflies, she teleported down to the ground floor and continued playing.

"She and her sister are Conduits, too. The other one can fly." As I turned to Sully, after finishing selecting food, he handed me some cutlery. "Me and Elena came here to meet some friends. Nathan Drake, who, like me, is a treasure hunter, and Chloe Frazer, an acquaintance. Nate asked us to meet here, I don't know why. As we met up, Day 0 happened. Nate and Elena helped a bunch of kids get here, Chloe and I fought the goldfish, and that's where I met Zeke. Nate and Chloe are trying to get the phone network hacked so we can communicate over phone. By the way, you're Raphael's brother, right? Elena said that he saved most of those kids. Must be proud of him."

"I'd feel better if he wakes up."

"Well, we have to wait and see." Liz said as she came up towards- SHE STOLE MY BACON! "I tried to heal him some more. I didn't completely pass out, and he's twitching his fingers. That's a good sign."

"So, this is where to get the food, right?" Seamus was next to her. _You haven't told anyone, right?_ He thought.

_Relax._ As I sat down, we managed to get to talk about a few things, before I asked, "Hey, Liz, you need people to look for supplies, right?"

"Yeah, go talk to either Cole or Zeke. They're over in the Pizza Hut." I decided to head on over. It was only a few metres away, as I saw that there were more people in the main shopping centre. Mostly cops, paramedics and a few people messing around with some computer equipment. Also a few civilians who were helping when they were told. Saw Finn help an injured cop. The surrounding area had more beds, as well as large amounts of bottled water. The bowling alley was being used, probably as a way to boost morale. The cinema didn't appear open, but there were people up there in case of an attack. Someone was using the Cool FM radio booth to make a broadcast. Couldn't tell what.

As I got to the restaurant, I saw that Cole and Elena were talking, while Zeke was playing with a radio. It was converted into a control room, with TV's acting as monitors for several cameras, some around the arena and some around the city. Some were being used to watch TV channels that were still airing, and some showed static (Northern Ireland doesn't get Digital TV until 2012) and some had BBC News 24, Sky News, CNN, Fox News, France 24, and USTV (Wasn't the last under fire for fabricating stories about some disaster in the US?) "But if we got a truck and toppled it there, we could set it up as a barricade, slow down the Militia." said Cole, pointing towards a bridge.

"Too risky, and we could use the truck to move more supplies, anyway." Elena retorted. "If we wanted to set up a barricade, we could use smaller cars, and then, we could have holes to fire through."

"But they could easily blow it apart with a rocket."

"Then get some welding equipment, and set it up to go when the Militia are fighting the Drophyds." I interjected.

"So, you want to help?" Cole asked. _Why else would I be here? To ask Zeke if he wanted a drink?_

"Hey, that's not a bad idea, but-" Zeke was abruptly cut off by his radio.

"Hello, is anyone there? This is the SS Euphemia looking for any survivors. Over." It was an English accent.

"Hey, there Euphemia. This is Zeke Dunbar, we have a bunch of survivors in the Odyssey Arena complex. Over."

"An American?" He paused for a second, but immediately started talking again. "Never mind, this is Admiral Graham Lamperough. We've been sent as aid, as well as to fight the Drophyds. But we need you to stop attacking and let us dock."

"Wait, that's not us. What are they wearing?"

"I can't specify, but it consists of white and orange." Why are the Militia attacking the Navy? They have the same basic enemy. What about an 'Enemy Mine'? 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'?

"We'll stop the attackers if you help us. Deal?"

"Okay. Euphoria over and out."

"Over and out, brother." Zeke turned to look at us and said, "Who'll do it?"

"I'll go. Give me a gun, and I'm good." Before Cole could protest, I stopped him. "I can tell where people are, that will help me avoid them. And I can make a bomb out of household cleaning products." Everyone looked at me with a weird look on their faces. "Relax, I haven't done it personally, I know the recipe from chemistry class, and the teacher was less than sane. Of course, teaching first years about how to properly kill themselves is also less than sane." [A/N this really happened in my school] "But the bomb, It's simple."

"Okay, but I'm coming too." Cole said. "Better to have someone with experience fighting. Also, we should either take Finn or Jack."

"Jack's over by the footbridge fighting off NIRA." Elena came over towards me. "You don't know the fractions, do you?" _Sully told me about them._ "Well, that's good to hear."

"How can I help?" Seamus asked as he came in. He was eager to do something, like me. I tried projecting to him. [_Are you okay with doing anything? You know, with…]i_

_Relax, I can do things other than magic._ "I can do anything you tell me to."

"Well," Zeke started. "You can do me a favor and help me set up this fancy radio receiver". It was a satellite dish that Zeke must've tampered with, but it would have to suffice, I guess. "By the way, Ezio, I took the liberty of taking your phone and hacking it. It will work with any network. And it has a headset, and these nifty glasses." Putting the wires under my clothes, he handed one to Seamus. "The glasses have Augmented Reality interfaces and cameras. They're like heads up displays in video games. We can see what you see on one of these TV's here," As he demonstrated, "And we can use them to show you specific targets and how far you are from them using GPS. Called it the ARI."

With that, he pressed a button and I had a marker facing which way to go, how far, and a Mission Name. 'Land Vs Sea'. "By the way, Zeke, that gun we found?"

"See your right wrist?" As I looked down, I saw that I was wearing some sort of bracelet, with some holographic display that read 'GrummelNet'. "Flick it". When I did, the Combustor appeared, right there. Still level 1, but would level up in a while. "When you passed out in that music store, the gun turned into a bracelet. I got one too."

"Wait." Cole looked at Zeke. "You can summon a handgun that might not be from this world, and you think that's okay?"

"Of course not, Cole. One, Ezio has a hand gun, I have a shotgun. And 2, they explode if Drophyds use them."

"When did that happen?" Seamus interrupted.

"On TV, last night." At that, he pointed over to the TV, which showed a Drophyd trying to shoot at Militia with a Combustor, probably had it's own suit's built in gun destroyed. However, the static on the other TV's was replaced by a weird logo. In fact, all of the TV's, even if they had a channel on, were showing it. "Hey, Tachyon's jamming the airwaves again." Zeke said in an oddly excited voice. "He's a psycho, but these are so funny to watch." Then, all of a sudden, a bizarre cross between a slug and an ant appeared, wearing impressive red clothing. No wonder he was excited.

"Well, Drophyd forces, I hope that the search is going well." What? "Although, I should point out that some of our forces have been falling behind in one city. I believe the locals call it 'Belfast'?" That voice was so high, you couldn't help but snicker.

"It hurts when I breathe." I replied in a mock version of his voice.

"Hey, he gave us a shout out." Elena said. "Does he do requests?"

"Now, what have I told you about drinking the local beverages?"

"Drinking on the job?" Cole replied. "Well, that's good to here."

"Liquor and grog have different names, but both contain alcohol. Let alone the ones that drink that dreaded 'Coca-Cola'."

"Caffeine makes them stoners and gives them the munchies." Zeke interjected.

"Caffeine." Seamus started. "Ruining alien fish lives since… 1980-something."

"Do you drink to deal with stress or depression?"

"NO! They drink to get your voice out of their little heads!" I screamed.

"Now, stop getting drunk and keep searching!" What? "The human who took the device was there during our initial invasion, and this world is so far behind that he couldn't have gotten off world." He shouted. "First squadron to find it, however, gets all of their salaries raised. Or do I have to bring in Kerchu contractors to finish the job." He said in a threatening voice. "Well that's all for now, keep busy." The broadcast ended as we got up from the floor, while still laughing.

"That guy is so weird, it's amazing." Seamus observed.

"How tall is he anyway?"

"Three feet, at best." Elena said. "You all have work to do. I'm going to go see if I can break into the cinema camera rooms upstairs." As we left, we got onto business. I told Liz about what we were going to do, and she wished me luck, as she was healing some cops. We got Finn to come with us, and we headed straight outside.

**Mission Start: Basic Training.**

"Hey, Ezio." Finn called over at the entrance, as we got outside. "Look, I know you want to help, but try and get some practice with your powers, get better control." _Well, you have a point, there._

"He's right, kid." Cole said. "If you can't get control of your powers, then it would be best if you headed back and tried to get better control."

"Sure, tell me what to do, boss." I replied, putting away the Combustor.

"Okay, try and lift something nearby." Nearby, nearby… Bin. I focused my attention on a nearby bin, and tried to lift it up. Of course, lifting stuff that's bolted to the ground is difficult, so it blew up. "Maybe, try the garbage?" As I did what I was told, I focused on all of the rubbish around the destroyed bin.

Giving off the signature glow, it began to levitate, and I pulled the debris into itself to make it take up less space. Then, I guided it towards another bin and deposited the pile inside. "Impressive, try it with something larger." As I headed towards the car park, I focused on a car, and began to lift it. It was heavy, and it began to tire me. However, it was only because I initially lifted it with my powers. Keeping it there indefinitely was fine. I was able to run a good while with the car floating behind me, before I tried to see how far I could throw it. It flew a good distance, about 75 metres.

"Hey, kid," Finn said to me. "Try and see if you can use your powers to fight without lifting something." Okay, without lifting something. I remember that, when I saw Raphael, I lashed out and it sent some chairs flying. I tried to see if I could do it again. I went back over to the car I threw and pushed it with my powers. I also tried to see what else I could do, but I could only use what I had already shown.

"Hey, you sure you want to come with us?" Cole said. Of course, I was drinking some diet coke to get my energy back.

"Cole, I know that you're concerned, but I have telekinesis, so I can focus on picking up small objects, and I can force push." I tried to see if I could do it in reverse, and pulled the car towards me. "And pull." _Also, I have demonstrated my telepathy before, so you know about that. _"And although I can't focus my powers on just attacking just yet, I can use what powers I do have to my advantage. And I have a space gun." I pulled out my Combustor and threw the bottle in the bin. "I'm ready, so when you want to head out, let's go."

_Would you stop pushing your thoughts into my head, it's kinda creepy_, Cole thought.

_**Hey, Ezio, stop projecting like that, it's rude!**_ was Finn's thought.

_No, Cole, I won't invade your mind and memories unless you're in critical condition, and Finn, I can pass orders back and forth between you and Cole, so if I don't read your minds, it could be a disadvantage in an ambush._

**Mission Complete. Awarded 500XP.**

As we set out, we got into a couple of fights with some Drophyds, and Militia. Finn fought with both his rifle and his powers. Cole apparently can't use guns because he causes them to explode on touch. I was able to upgrade the Combustor to , and the weapon damage increased from 36 to 43, and the max ammo increased. It also refilled itself, which I fought was kind of nice of GrummelNet. We were able to avoid most fights, however, due to me detecting some nearby goons.

As we got to the dock, we saw that the Militia had made quite a few obstacles.

**Mission Start: Land Vs Sea.**

"Well, we have quite a few obstacles here." Finn said. No shit. "Ezio, you said that you could make a bomb?"

"Yeah, but do you want a regular explosive, or do you want to spread mustard gas?"

"Wait, you can make mustard gas?" Cole asked. "Isn't that used by war criminals?"

"It's easy to make, but we need some things, like a few pipes, a hose, a glass bottle, and a Bunsen burner."

"How easy is it to make?" Cole asked.

"Piss and bleach, actually." Was my answer. "When I lived in New York for a couple of years, our apartment was evacuated because some 20-something died from it. Turned out that he was drunk, had a big dump, pissed in the bowl too, and then poured bleach in it to clean out the toilet." They were giving me weird looks. "Bleach contains-"

"I don't want to know the specifics!" Finn replied.

"Okay, regular it is then. I'll need PVC pipes to keep the explosive in, some adhesive to stick it somewhere, and a radio receiver to remote detonate."

**Mission Abandoned**

As we made our way to a nearby hardware store, I told Cole to find some supplies, while Finn went grocery shopping. I was stuck there making a couple of bomb casings, and I got a bit bored.

"So, how'd you end up in the hospital bed in the first place?" Cole asked.

"Got hit by a car after being drugged." He began to wince when he heard that. "Lizzie still won't talk to her dad after that."

"So, you're Catholic, like your parents? Rough in a region where being either a Catholic or Protestant could get you killed."

"Actually, my Dad, Irish, was a Protestant. Mum's Italian American, and a Roman Catholic. Raised Catholic. Used to live in Derry, or Londonderry, the only people who care are killing each other outside. Bad rioting when I was 9, mum and dad decided to move to the US, came back at the age of 14, moved to a rural area, went to school, met some friends, still had contact with my old friends over in the US, thank god for Skype, facebook and webcams."

"How rural?"

"Quite a few shops, a local High School and 2 Primary schools, can walk to 4 nearby towns if you wanted to, and two of those towns had a park, one had a lake. Lots of fields, too. Not really big, but good to walk around, clear your head."

"Wait, you lived in the US?"

"About 5 years, from 4th grade up to 8th. Traffic was horrendous though. New York City, by the way. It's close to Empire City, you know, the one that was quarantined about 5 years ago?"

"That's where I'm from." I looked him straight in the face. I must've been beaming, but I was ecstatic.

"Holy crap, you mean that the US really locked down a town to stop supers getting out?"

"Yeah, and I lost everything. Girlfriend killed, home destroyed. Almost completely fell out with Zeke."

"How come?" Cole gave a deep sigh, as it was probably pretty deep.

"There was this guy, called Kessler, leader of the First Sons, responsible for the whole mess. Had me activate the Ray Sphere, which killed anyone in a 6-block radius and gave anyone who was an unawakened Conduit powers. Bastard sent it by messenger to the site of the blast, with specific orders for me to deliver it."

"Shit."

"When I was revealed to be the one who activated it, everyone in the district turned on me, my girlfriend left me, and I was the most hated man there. The government locked down 3 of the 18 districts to keep it under wraps and spread stories of a plague, how they were working on a plague, when they weren't. They wanted the Ray Sphere to create Conduits."

"And, while USTV, the Government's mouth were spreading lies, a journalist for the BBC got the real story, got it all on film, and got it out through the quarantine thanks to someone in the CDC who hated their superiors." I interjected. "It was aired on BBC world news and USTV were exposed as a shill news organisation. Hell, the Onion has more integrity."

"The government said that they fired the people who gave the false information to their official nation's news network-"

"Which was bull!" I interrupted. "It was the President's spin doctors who ordered the fake news stories. The people they did fire weren't even involved, and were vocal against the government's actions." He looked at me in shock. "My aunt was a casualty of the firing."

"They gave all of the credit, for work done by me and the cops who stayed in the city to fight the gangs that took over, to the CDC and the 'brave men and women protecting the country from disaster'." You could feel the sarcasm. "They even bad mouthed a local TV hacker who was forced by Kessler to frame me. Killed him in the end. USTV said that the CDC killed 'a dissident who was causing fear among the public' when he was executed."

He paused for a minute. "When me and Zeke got our hands on the Ray Sphere, Zeke accidentally activated it." He was lying, I could tell. Zeke felt insecure with his best friend having powers, so he activated the Sphere to get a cut of the action. "Luckily, it didn't do anything. But Kessler showed up, and played on his insecurities about not having powers, saying that he could fix that. Zeke sided with him, where Kessler kept him locked up."

He paused to calm himself down. "Zeke's betrayal lead to Kessler taking my girlfriend, and giving me a choice. Save her, and let 6 doctors die, or sacrifice her, and save people who could save lives. I had to let her go."

Cole got up and walked towards a local cash till. "It didn't matter whatever I did. There were two bombs on Trish." Is that her name? "One would go off if I saved the doctors. The other, and the one that would kill the doctors when it was activated, was a nail bomb, on her back." That… Wow. "I saved the doctors, but I still regret it."

"Wow, could it get any worse after that?" I asked.

"How about Kessler being me from an alternate timeline?"

"What? He killed his own girlfriend?"

"No." He said, as he took out a wallet and looked at a photo. I didn't see the photo, but something tells me it was from the alternate timeline. _He killed his own wife, huh?_

_Yeah, he did_. God, that must've been hard on Cole to find out. "You forgave Zeke, though, right?"

"The amount of crap he did to earn my forgiveness. Saved my life when I couldn't look at him without wanting to fry him, got me medical aid. Of course, he was sorry. Although there was one thing I had him do before I would say I forgave him." Cole looked at me from the counter. "If Zeke ever pisses you off, just mention that I showed you the 'Miss Gladys' video." _Okay._ I replied with a chuckle.

"Hey, I got the stuff for the explosives." Finn said as he came in with a few bottles of cleaning products.

"Okay, might as well get it over with."

After a short while, the bombs were ready. We had 10 of them, could be easily stuck onto walls, or under cars, so one of us would sneak in and turn on the receivers and then get to someplace safe. We decided that Cole would do it, as he had the most experience.

**Mission Start: Land Vs Sea.**

Cole decided to try and sneak in, past the Militia, and plant the bombs where they could do the most damage. I was stuck with Finn as we waited for Cole to give the signal to detonate.

"So," I started. The tension was far too suppressing. "How'd you join the PSNI."

"As a kid, my dad was killed by a nail bomb planted by the IRA. Mum would constantly blame the British Government, the Army, and the PSNI as being responsible for the whole mess. But she would never actually blame his murderers, saying that they were 'heroes of the Republic'."

"So, you joined the PSNI to piss her off?"

"Actually, that's one reason. Did a computer course at Queen's. Wanted to do forensic IT work, but the PSNI weren't hiring."

"How badly did your mother take it when she found out?"

"She called me a disgrace, we had an argument in the street. I pointed out that she blamed the people who were trying to find dad's killers, and she was praising the men that made her a widow, took away dad." He then leaned his head down, probably in respect to his father.

Suddenly, a message appeared on the ARI. 'Ready to set off the fireworks? Cole.' "Game time." With that, Finn detonated the bombs. The explosions were quite big. "Jesus, Ezio, that was a big blast!"

"I haven't done this before, I didn't know that it would be that large." With that, we readied our guns, and got out of our cover. The Militia were pretty startled by the explosion, so we were able to take out fifteen of the Militia in less than a minute. Finn got behind a concrete road block, I got behind a large rubbish dumpster.

There were ten men left. Five went over to try and take on Finn, and he covered the ground in ice and caused them to slip down. Finn took out three of them before the other two could get back up and behind cover.

The 5 that were left to me were spraying the dumpster with gunfire. I couldn't lean out or over without getting a shot to the face. So I got to the ground to try and shoot them from that angle. They were only 3 metres away from me, two on their knees, two standing up. I couldn't tell where the last one was.

I got back up, readied my ability to telekinetically push things, and threw the dumpster straight at them. Got three of them, but one managed to dodge. He was trying to get back up, but I ran straight at him, grabbed one of their rifles and hit him in the face with the butt. Then, when I turned around, I discovered where the last one was. And he had a gun in my face.

"Drop the gun!" He shouted. I complied, before using my left hand to knock the handgun out of the way, grabbed it with the right to keep it there and hit him in the face with my left elbow. He lost the grip of his gun, which I used to shoot him in the leg, before hitting him with the butt of it to knock him out.

As I turned around to see how Finn was doing, I saw him run over to me. "Well, that was impressive." He complemented me. "What action movie did you see that in?"

"Cereal Killer. Video on YouTube." As I looked over to see how he handled the last two goons. "How… Did you get those two in a frozen neck brace together?"

.com/watch?v=mzhVAJOHgQo if anyone wants to check it out.

"You don't want to know." Was his reply. _Yes, I do._ "Well, I'll try and do it again, then."

"Good. Let's go meet up with Cole." As we thought through more goons, Finn had a gun in the face as well this time. Before I could help him, he was able to pull the trick that I did a few minutes ago. He also showed me how he did that brace thing. He tripped a few goons up, and then threw some water over them. This time however, he busted up a fire hydrant to spray water over them. As three goons tried to use each other to get back up, Finn was able to freeze them together without killing them. I, however, discovered that my TK actually worked on more than one target, at most, five. As well as living people, so I grabbed a few goons and threw them at their comrades. Then one grabbed me. I managed to get away, but, I could normally read anyone. That guy must be immune.

"Look out!" As Cole shouted this at me, I pushed the goon away as the boss threw a small bolt of white light at him. Then, the bolt of lightning exploded, with the poor bastard. _Where did you get a Plasma grenade?_ At that, I walked over to the goon when I noticed that there was no blood. "One of my powers is to create small balls of lightning to stick onto foes and stun them. Never really thought of it like a plasma grenade, though." It was then that I noticed that the goon wasn't exactly normal.

"Hey, Cole, this guy's a robot!" Cole was sceptical, until I held up a large chunk of the android.

"Well, that's good." Cole said.

"How is fighting robots good?" Finn asked.

"I have to absorb energy to use my powers, so I can drain these guys."

"Does that drain thing only work with electricity?" I asked.

"Actually, I can drain living things, and resuscitate them." Cole replied.

"That's the price of your powers, huh?" I said. Finn gave me an odd look, before I faced Cole again. "You need to drain electricity before you use your powers, which ties into your main power basis, right? I'm a mentalist, so I'm drained when I use my powers. My brain is using more energy, so I need to drink things to stimulate brain activity." I then pointed to Finn. "And I bet, since you have Ice powers, you need to cool yourself down. Bet Finn needs to warm himself up."

"Yeah, and Elizabeth gets drained of energy by her powers." Finn said. "Good thing that's all, because I would hate to see her powers kill her."

"Well, they can." Cole interjected. "I can't get into large bodies of water without it killing me."

"Then how do you stay clean?" I asked.

"Sponge baths." Cole replied.

"Me and Jack can't touch water, too," Finn replied. "I freeze it and he evaporates it."

"Am I the only one who thinks that we should find an anti-Conduit?" I asked. _What?__ Bare with me, Cole._ "Someone who can neutralise other Conduits' powers?"

"Well, we should keep an eye out for one." Cole replied.

"Okay, let's head out." I said, and we got ready and continued on.

As I was fighting, I noticed that, compared to Finn and I, Cole had way more fighting techniques. He could shoot lightning bolts, use a push power, trap people to the ground, resuscitate people, use a more powerful charged bolt, create lightning blades on his arms, throw large floating orbs that could cause anyone caught in the blast radius to float, perform a precision shot bolt, and he was able to momentarily fly (Akin to Rayman).

I had telepathy, obviously, I could pull, push, and hold things in air. Finn could create fields of ice, freeze any nearby water, and, as I just discovered, could crystallise any water vapour to create a sort of blast like we could do, or use it to create a sudden shield.

As we got to the end, we discovered that there were four hostages, two men and two women, chained together, being guarded by seven guards. Ten, actually, there are three snipers out of site. "So, how do we take them out, the seven on the bottom?" Asked Finn.

"Not until we find a way of taking out the snipers on the roof." I said. "I can tell three, but there could be androids, which I can't detect."

"I'll handle the guys on the roof." Cole ordered. "Finn, Ezio, find a way of saving the civvies without killing them. I'll text you when I'm through." With that, he sneaked away.

"I have an idea." I said. "Finn, you can crystallise water in the air, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So, we can use a diamond dust attack." He must've been confused, so I decided to explain it. "Let me try something." I noticed some sawdust nearby, and tried to see if I could create a small tornado using only the air. It worked. "Okay, listen. I'll create an air current around the hostages, then you freeze the air. The small ice crystals should be small enough to be extremely light, but also act like a small sand blaster-"

"Which will cut into the Militia and hopefully make them easy pickings." [_You got it.]i_ With that, we waited for Cole's signal. I could feel the snipers get taken out, and the others didn't notice. Then, the ARI had a notice from Cole. 'You were right about the androids, there were 6 up here. Ready to go?' "Ready?"

"Hold on." I decided to sneak over to an area where I could get a better view. As I got into a good spot, I started to spin the air around. I managed to get it really fast, so that it would be used as a standard attack. So I can cause a round about, huh. I was able to focus it around the hostages, so that it wouldn't hurt them. I gave the signal to Finn, who used his powers to freeze the air. Then, the combined moves began to cut into the Militia, and hurt them severely. About 5 were taken out, the last two were still awake. Finn took one out, Cole took the last one out (He jumped off a building on top of the man).

As I went over to the hostages, I looked for the locks. "Please, don't kill us!" screamed a young woman who looked like she was an employee of the port.

"Relax, I'm here to help." I reassured her. "Where's the lock, I'm going to see if I can open it."

"Over here," said a man. "But you need a key." As I saw it, I tried to see if I could use what I could do and force the lock. It worked too well, the lock exploded. Cole melted another lock, and Finn shot one open with a shotgun.

"How did you do that?" Asked the older woman.

"We're superhuman." Finn butted in. "Don't ask how."

"Hey, why were 13 guards protecting you four?" Cole asked.

"We changed the access codes, so they can't get past the security gate." Said another man. It looked like he was the local port's boss. "The gate to the port is protected by an electric current. It runs on it's own separate generator. We helped some kids get onto a ferry and we closed the gate. This was six hours ago. The Militia chained us up until one of their men could torture us for the code."

"Can you give us the code?" Finn asked. "The Navy are trying to dock, and the Militia are stopping them. They have aid, and they can help the kids."

"How can we trust you?" Screamed the first woman. Guess it must've been nerves.

"We saved your lives, didn't we?" I asked. "We want to help, so let us help."

At that, we suddenly heard a truck pull up. More Militia arrived, and they were driving the truck straight at us, probably to ram the gate. "They're trying to ram the gate!" screamed the older, now hysterical woman. _I Noticed._ "How did you do that?"

"Superhuman." I replied, with some mild annoyance. Cole suddenly ran over towards the truck, but stopped for a second. _Get inside. The ground is covered in metal grating._

_Okay_, I replied, and signalled for everyone to get into the nearby building. "The door's locked!" Screamed the younger man. I just ran towards the door and, focused on it, and pushed on it, blowing it open.

"Get in, now!" I ordered.

"But- The gate-" The older woman screamed, as I pulled her inside. Being a Conduit must have made me stronger too.

"Cole has lightning powers! He's going to blow up the truck, but if we stay out here, we'll be killed by the grounded lightning." When she realised that she was right on the metal grating, she followed me inside. I was able to get a glimpse of Cole tensing up, then when I got inside, I heard a roar of thunder, then an explosion. So, Cole can also call forth the wraths of the gods? Well, he was a Conduit for longer, so it's justified.

After the thunder stopped, I ran outside to find Cole. He was still standing, but he was about to fall over before I caught him. I then carried him inside where he recovered. "Huh, guess that was stupid." Cole joked.

"No shit!" Finn said. "I just checked your bag. You still had 3 more pipe bombs." He held up the bombs.

"You have the detonator." He said.

"Well, I have to thank you, I guess." Said the port boss. "I'll go open up the gate. Let the Navy through." With that, he left, and I got some coffee, Cole drained the electricity from the mains, and Finn got some icepacks to cool himself off.

Afterwards, the Navy docked, and some soldiers came out and secured the area. It was after they gave the clear that the kids were allowed off of the boat. Of course, they managed to use the port to take the area from the ill-prepared Militia, so that was good.

**Mission Complete. Awarded 500XP. Enemies Defeated: 60. Awarded 3 X 60 = 180XP. Skills performed: Enviro-Takedown (30 X 10XP), Diamond Dust (7 X 15 XP). Total Award: 1625XP.**

As we were getting ready to leave, "Hey, you're the ones that secured the port, right?" called a man in uniform. We all nodded. "Admiral Graham Lamperough. I spoke to Zeke earlier. Thanks for helping us." We all shook his hand.

"I'm Ezio, this is Finn-" I said to the Admiral before he cut me off.

"And you're Cole McGrath."

"You know me?" Cole asked the Admiral.

"During the Empire City incident, a friend of mine was appointed by the President to keep it secure, and disguise the Navy troops as CDC. He wasn't happy with it, but he would be arrested if he tried to stop it. So, he helped leak the real story, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to show it in the US-"

"So you were the one who gave the tapes to the BBC!" I butted it.

"Yes, that was me." He confirmed.

"Well, I have to thank you." Cole said. "But, we have to get the area around the Hockey rink secure." With that, my ARI had an alert on it, saying that Elena was calling. "Hold on, we have a call." I hit a button on my phone, and then, our ARI had a sort of webcam video of Elena.

"Hey, guys." Elena greeted us. "See you have the pier secured. Head back to the Arena. We have a problem."

"How bad is it?" Finn said. "Is there an attack?"

"Sort of, Zeke and Seamus were attacked." She replied. "Ezio, you knew that Seamus was a wizard, didn't you?" Ah, shit.

"He had to tell, huh?" I asked, slightly nervous.

"Yeah, after another wizard almost killed Zeke and Seamus fought him off."

"What?" Cole asked. "We'll be there soon."


	4. Operation Oddysey 4: Revival

The Navy managed to secure a good area around the port up to the Odyssey, and Cole, Finn and I headed back. I hadn't noticed, due to the fighting, that the Combustor was at Level IV, and was halfway to Level V. Well, the fighting, and my arguing with Cole.

"Why didn't you say that Seamus was a wizard?" Cole shouted.

"It's a big secret!" I shouted back. "He couldn't have told anyone himself!"

"Why not!"

"Because telling anyone, or using magic would get him expelled from the only magic school in the UK and Ireland, if not a sentence to jail."

"They would put a kid in jail for defending himself?" Finn said.

"Hey," I said, panting. "If you kill an unarmed man who's choking someone, and you have a weapon, then that's manslaughter and overkill."

"Why is there only one school, anyway?" Cole asked.

"I don't fucking know!" I shouted, running past a floating metallic egg, then down the… what the fuck? As I turned around, Cole came back.

"What are you doing?" He asked. The egg had a holographic display, which said 'GrummelNet Vendor'. So, this could let me buy new guns, huh? "What is that?"

"Let's find out." As I headed over, it reacted to the bracelet I had, and changed to a menu interface. It also showed the number of golden bolts I had collected, as well as these crystals. 15, 248 bolts and 350 crystals. On the display were three options. One was an ammo option, to buy more ammunition for the guns (duh). Next was an option to buy guns, followed by an upgrade option. "I guess that it's a weapon vendor."

"You're right at that." HOLY CRAP IT TALKED! "Name's Grummel 1. See you found one of the Combustors that I left around the city."

"Wait." I said. "You left guns around a city, for business, and you think that's a good idea? Why?"

"Hey, I made sure that the Drophyds couldn't use them." Well, that was good. "I thought that it would be good advertising. Well, stick out your arm for a second. The one with the bracelet." When I did, some balls of light went towards the bracelet, and then, a wheel appeared around my right arm.

"Here. That wheel acts as a weapon select. Flick around the wheel until the gun that you want to use is in the highlighted part, then flick your wrist." I tried it, first option was the Combustor, then some 'Fusion Grenades', followed by a Shard Reaper. I took out the Shard Reaper to look at it, then put it away.

"Two more free weapons, and your Combustor was reloaded. Also, your guns, and any more you buy, will have two more free upgrades."

"Well, that's good and all," butted in Cole, "but we're in a hurry."

"Okay, pal, but take these." The vendor then dispensed three tokens. "Set these on the ground at where it would be good for you. One is for a weapon vendor, the other for armor, and the last for devices."

"Cool, let's go." With that, we headed back to the Odyssey, which, luckily, wasn't far. As we got in, we all headed straight to the Café. Zeke was standing outside, waiting for us.

"Hey guys, come on in." He greeted us.

"Zeke, Elena told us what happened. Are you okay?"

"I'm alright." Zeke assured Cole. "Seamus has been pretty nervous. Everyone knows his secret though. The Death Eater attacked us in the car park. Seamus knocked the guy's wand out of his hand, then I shot him. He's scared that he could get into deep trouble from the main governing body of the UK wizarding community, the Ministry of Magic."

"Death eater?" Cole asked.

"Don't ask me. Seamus only said that was the group's name." As we got in, we saw Elena talking with a guy with dark hair, plain shirt and jeans. I recognised him instantly, from my brother's memory.

"Hey guys." Elena said. "Good news and bad news. By the way, Ezio, this is my fiancé, Nathan Drake."

"I saw Raphael's memory of when he distracted the Drophyds." I said. "I recognise him from it."

"Telepathy?" He asked. _Yeah, and Telekinesis. You?_ "Gravity manipulation and immortality."

"How did you find out you were immortal?" I asked.

"When a Militia sniper shot me in the face and I healed in less than 20 seconds."

"Can we get back on track?" Elena asked. "Look, good news is, the NIRA and UVF have wiped each other out. They had a huge fight, here," She pointed at the map, "and what was left were easy pickings. We've expended our range by half a mile."

"But the area they had was 10 miles in total." Cole butted in. "Does that mean that the Militia and Drophyds have taken over the rest?"

"Well, the bad news is, no." She then showed us. "Drophyds have expanded by 1 mile. Militia by 2. The rest, we don't know. There's a new fraction there, and it wasn't anywhere before. Because of the attack on Zeke and Seamus earlier, we think it could be Death Eaters."

"Who are the death eaters, Elena?" Cole asked.

"Wizards." Seamus butted in. "Pure blood extremists. They think, that since their bloodlines have no 'filthy Mudbloods' in it, then they have the sole right to use and learn magic." _Seamus, what's a 'Mud blood'?_ "By Mudblood, I mean someone who is descended from non magical blood, or Muggles. If a wizard or witch is born from Muggle parents, they're called 'Muggle-born'. Or, to pure blood supremacists, Mudbloods. Wizards born of one Wizard parent, or a Muggle-born, is considered a Half-Blood, like me. Any one of pure blood who marries either a half-blood, Muggle-born or Muggle is considered by them as 'Blood Traitors'."

"So, they're magic racists?" Joked Finn. "We should really get them to meet the Militia."

"What do you know about them, Seamus?" Cole asked.

"14 years ago, they launched a serious hate campaign against the Muggle community. Unexplained murders were common. Mostly in Britain, though. In the main Wizard community, there was a serious war. The Ministry against the Death Eaters, and their leader, some powerful Wizard called Lord Voldemort. He's supposedly dead, killed when a curse he tried to cast on a baby rebounded and seriously harmed him. That kid later became a student at the same school as me. Guy named Harry Potter. Don't know why the Death Eaters are suddenly active again."

"Yes you do, Seamus." I butted in. "I saw the memory of the Triwizard Cup. Harry, after he arrived back at the beginning of the maze test by port key, with the body of a fellow student, said that Voldemort was back."

"Yeah, but the Ministry denied it. The Daily Prophet, the bestselling newspaper in wizarding Britain, denied it."

"Because they didn't investigate it, I bet." I said.

"Seamus, I want to ask two questions." Elena said. "One, as the Daily Prophet is the 'Bestselling' paper in magic Britain, does that mean that it's the **only** paper?"

"No, there's the Quibbler, but it talks about crazy stuff, and Witch Weekly is mostly like OK magazine. Both are weekly."

"So, yes, it is the only daily paper." Elena said. "Second, how close is it to the Ministry of Magic."

"It's their biggest shareholder."

"Then it's not a reliable paper." Elena said. "As the governing body uses it as a mouth piece, then integrity of truth was thrown out the window."

"Give me one example." Seamus demanded.

"USTV!" All of us shouted.

"What?" Seamus asked.

"We'll explain later." Zeke said. "How do we make sure that it really is the Death Eaters?"

"Well, we could sneak in, take photos, or capture one." Nate said.

"Okay, let's do it." The admiral said as he came in. "Pretty well organised, might as well work with rather you than take over."

"Okay, Seamus, get ready to head out." I said. "Who wants to come?"

"I will." Nate said. "I can cover you with a sniper rifle, hide on the side of a building."

"Okay, I have something to do, first. Zeke, you need to come with me." Zeke followed me outside, and I took out the three tokens. I put them somewhere out of the way, and then, three vendors appeared.

"Hey, kid, what's your poison?"

"Zeke, hold out your arm."

"Okay." He said, slightly nervous. When he learned that he got some free guns and upgrades, he was like a kid at Christmas. This is usually a bad thing. "Well, might as well see what I can do. By the way, how come the guns upgrade when you use them?"

"Good question." Grummel 1 replied. "The guns have nanites that travel with the bullets. When you score a kill, the nanites are released, carrying materials that can be used to improve the gun. By the way, at V.V, the guns can upgrade two ways, which the individual chooses. For example, with the Combustor, you either get two guns, or a heavy duty machine gun. Check back soon, I'll have more guns soon."

"Cool." Cole said as he came up behind us. "By the way, are the guns protected from large amounts of electricity?"

"Yeah, I saw that lightning bolt you called." The vendor chuckled. "Relax, the guns actually depend on electricity to fire. You'll be fine."

"Okay." Suddenly, he held out his arm, and had a bracelet for himself.

"Hey, by the way, the Drophyds, where are they from?" I asked.

"They're from the Polaris galaxy, same as me." He said. "By the way, the 'Emperor', Percival Tachyon, is a Cragmite."

"Percival?" Zeke snickered.

"Yeah. Everyone was shocked when he showed up. Most of the Cragmites were banished to another dimension by scientists of the Lombax race. They were considered heroes… Until Tachyon started a genocide against them and forced them to flee from this dimension."

"Whoa. That sucks." Cole said.

"Yeah, the ungrateful bastard. The Lombaxes raised him, after all. How does he repay them? Stealing their technology and starting a war with them!"

"WHAT!" Was the only thing we could say.

"They found his egg, and raised him. Although, when he took over, for the more dangerous inventions that they couldn't take or destroy, they hid them all over the universe, on mostly backwater worlds."

"How backwater is Earth, our world?" Asked Zeke.

"There's a galactic committee in your galaxy, and you're not a part of it."

"Well, bet that Tachyon attacked planets in our galaxy for the Lombax tech."

"Actually, he attacked several galaxies. Solana and Bogon after he traced two Lombaxes to those Galaxies."

"So, there are still Lombaxes in this dimension?" I asked.

"Yeah, but they were probably left behind."

"Hey, what are Kerchu, anyway?"

"Second most unpleasant race from Polaris. Behind the Cragmites, of course. If one sees you, get ready to fight, or run."

At that, I upgraded the guns, and checked out the other vendors.

After buying a new cheap armour (Blackstar Armour), and got some combat devices called Groovitrons (These would be helpful for some distractions, or can be used to leave enemies open, and can be loaded with different songs. They cause anyone to dance. **ANYONE!**). After I helped Seamus and Nate with load out, we headed out.

**Mission Start: Magic Recon.**

As we headed out, we decided to use stealth for this, and to keep the gunfire to a minimum. Seamus said that he had a guess as to where to go, as the wizards may be based in the magic streets that are hidden from the Muggle perspective. As we got there, I noticed that there were thoughts moving around us, but weren't aware of us.

"Hey, Seamus, I can feel people moving fast around us. They don't see us. How?"

"Well, they could be Apperating. That's using magic to teleport."

"Great, this will be easy." Nate said. "So, how do we get in?"

"Hold on." Seamus told us, as he took off his glasses and put them on his shirt. "Stay here, I'll sneak in, see how normal it is. I'll text about how the situation is." With that, he went in.

"So, what do you think the Drophyds are looking for." I asked Nate.

"Long golden tube, embedded with glowing jewels, like a puzzle." He said. "Sorry." W_ait, did you take it here?_

_Yeah, I did. Stole it from some guy in the US. Some guy from this group called the First Sons, thinking that it helped open the potential of a person.]_

_Why Belfast?_

_Ever seen Torchwood?_

"You took an artefact that some insane little alien wants, to Ireland, thinking that people would think of more mainstream areas?" I asked.

"Didn't know he could isolate some signals to Europe."

"Wait, the First Sons, Cole said that they were responsible for the incident in Empire City."

"Yeah, too bad the Militia has the damn thing. One of their members stole it during the initial attack." He suddenly went and looked around the area. "Just hope I'm wrong about it."

"About what?"

"It could be similar to the Ray Sphere." Suddenly, we got a message from Seamus. 'Place is mostly abandoned. Got the photos. Let's head out.' We got ready, when Seamus came out. He nodded at us to leave, when suddenly, I felt someone Apperating. They were going to Apperate next to us, and they were going to attack. I was certain of it. I suddenly pushed when they began to appear. The result was gruesome. "Whoa, whoa, what the hell?" I felt more.

"They're coming!" I shouted. We all began running, and they were attacking. I was able to disarm a few of them. But they were casting anything to stop us. Seamus was using spells to trip them up, get their wands away, paralyse some. Nate somehow floated through air, and turned around to get a better shot.

I could tell what spells they were using. 'Wingardium Leviosa.' They were throwing stuff around them at us, getting it to float before throwing. 'Expelliarmus.' Trying to disarm us. Seamus hit one in the face with a paralysing spell, 'Petrificus Totalus.'

When Nate was floating, I suddenly heard one voice scream, "Avada Kevadra!" Seamus instantly screamed, "Nathan, look out!" It hit him straight on, but didn't do anything. He shot the caster, though. Suddenly, Militia started shooting at our attackers, and we used that to get into an alleyway and catch our breaths.

"So, what was that last one meant to do, Seamus?" I asked. "Avada Kedavra?"

"'Let the thing be destroyed'." Said Nate. "In Arabic texts, it was said to be used by healers to treat illnesses, where this thing that would be destroyed was whatever was afflicting the patient. It's where 'Abracadabra' originates from. However, from Seamus' reaction, I would say that it was slightly different?"

"Healing? It was used for healing?" Guess it was different. "That was a killing curse! And you brushed it off."

"Guess you actually are an immortal." I said.

"What?" was the expected reaction from Seamus.

"Immortality, I can't die, and gravity manipulation."

"Well, we have the pictures, right?" I said.

"Better. Pictures, and an arm from that poor bastard at the entrance." Seamus held out the severed arm, which showed a tattoo of a skull with a snake coming out of the mouth.

"Why are you carrying it?" I asked.

"Well, we need to show proof to Elena." We decided to head back to the Odyssey, and show our evidence to the boss. Hell, I need to use the weapon vendor, the Combustor is Level V and I need to see how to get dual wields.

**Mission Complete. Awarded 500XP. 15 Enemies Defeated. Awarded 3 X 15= 45XP. Skills Performed: Enviro-Takedown (2 X 10XP) Total Award: 565XP.**

"Hey, guys," Elena said, "I'm going to scan the phone for the pictures that Seamus took and- IS THAT AN ARM!" She shrieked.

"Yeah, Elena, but it's proof." Seamus said. "See the tattoo?"

"Yeah, hold on, I'm taking a picture through the ARI's camera." With that, there was a sudden flash from Seamus' glasses. "Alright. Good news for all, and great news for Ezio. First off, the port workers came over, said that they set up a few ferries as shelters, so that the Navy could protect some of our civvies. One of the Navy officers is a healing Conduit, so we have a clinic, and Liz can rest for a while, but they also delivered something that you all should see. Ezio, you have to get here."

"How come?" I asked.

"Liz revived Raphael, he's awake, and asking for you." I literally bolted when I heard this.

When I got in, Liz stopped me. "Hey, Ezio, Raph's over at the top floor in W5."

"Okay." I ran over to the elevator and ran back over to Liz, and kissed her straight on the cheeks. "Thank you." I then went up to the top floor, and looked for Raph. As I got up, I looked all over for him, but I couldn't see him.

"Looking for someone?" I heard from someone behind me. Then I turned around. Cocky grin, cocky comment, that was Raphael O'Malley, alright.

"Raph!" I went over and hugged him, but he winced in pain.

"Hey, watch it." He said. "I'm not immortal." He was dressed in loose clothing, probably to reduce the strain of his injuries. He was quite heavy set, mostly from playing rugby as a hobby, and his hobby of power lifting, however, he appeared to be quite larger since before the attacks. He had dirty blonde hair, like me, however, he preferred to have it cut short, and he had brown eyes. And if anyone is concerned, he's 21.

"What are you doing out of bed, anyway?" I helped him over to where his stuff was. "You know Liz would give you a beating if she saw you moving like this."

"Had to take a leak." As he laid down, I tried to read him mind. He was scared, wondering how bad his injuries were. Wondering if the kids were safe.

"Don't worry, Elena and Nate got all of the kids you saved to safety. And your injuries have improved."

"So, which of the two lovebirds told you what I did?"

"Neither."

"So, the kids wanted to thank the brother of the guy who almost died saving them?"

"What do you mean, almost? You were brain dead when you were brought here." I said. "And, the kids didn't say anything either."

"Wait, how was I brain dead, then conscious a few days later?" _The same way that I read your mind when you were comatose. Super powers._ That last one definitely startled him. "Dude, how'd you do that? Are you Psychic?"

"Yeah, I am. And if it wasn't for Liz's healing powers, you would be a vegetable. Hell, she saved most of the people here, even me."

"Whoa. What else can you do?" With that, I caused him to float in the air for a while. "Hey, put me down, this isn't funny!" I put him back on his bed, then got ready to leave. [_Rest up, Liz will be here later to use her healing powers on you. Be nice to her.]1_

_Okay._ he replied. _Can you get me something to drink, though? I'm thirsty._

_Water okay?_

_I'll drink anything._

As I headed down, I stopped by the weapon vendor to see Seamus talking with the Armour Grummel.

"So, why do you use bolts as currency, anyway? Couldn't con artists just paint regular bolts gold?"

"Actually, no. All technology that deals with currency in the Polaris, Andromeda, Solana or Bogon galaxies can tell the fakes from the real deal. Real currency bolts are larger than the commonly used machine bolts, and are actually heavier due to the way that they are made. Also, real bolts have a small chip in them that, if removed, would stop working."

"What about the main committee here?"

"They primarily use electronic funds transfers for all purchases."

"So, how do I get bolts?"

"I don't know, blow the shit out of the Drophyds or something." That was funny, considering that that Grummel had a posh British accent.

"Hey, kid, see your combustor is maxed out." the weapons vendor said. "Which upgrade will it be? Dual, or heavy?"

"Dual, how much?"

"Nothing." That's good. "It's standard in four galaxies, that maxing out the nanites makes the gun into a more powerful version. Of course, GrummelNet has being able to choose which as a standard feature." With that, he upgraded the Combustor, into a pair of Duo Combustors. "Have fun." I headed over to the Café to speak to the others.

"Hey, how's your brother?" Zeke asked.

"Thirsty. Going to get him some water." I looked over at table, which had some weird glowing, purple crystalss on it. "What are these?"

"They're called Blast Cores. They can give you some more powers."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, they're different for each person. When you go to turn in for the night, let me know. We want to use one on you, and rest of the Conduits. Except Cole, but he's pretty powerful already. He wants others to get stronger. They'll knock you out, so you need someone to supervise."

"Thanks, I'm gonna get something to eat, first, though." I saw the time. 10:30. Late. I was starving. "You want anything?"

"I'm cool." He replied. "By the way, I just rigged the arcade games in the bowling alley. If you have some free time, go ahead and use them. At most, you get three goes per session."

"Thanks." I headed up to see that a few Navy men were using the canteen. Must be resting up from patrols. Saw this black haired woman working there with Sully, very tanned.

"Hey, Sully." I greeted. "Who's the hot chick."

"Chloe Frazer." She introduced herself. Australian. "Time manipulator. You?"

"That's the psychic I was telling you about." Sully said. _You do know that he's staring down your top, right?_

_I noticed._ She then asked me what I wanted. I got two plates, one for me, and one for my brother. "So, time control?" I asked. "Pretty big deal, when you think about it."

"Not actually." She said. "I can only go back by at most 6 minutes, some future sight and I can pause time." She then handed me my food, before she stopped me from going away. "Hey, can I ask you to do something for me?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Well, Sully and I have a job to do tomorrow, and I can't find anyone else but a Navy chef to do the canteen. You only have to serve food."

"Sure. When do you need me?"

"ASAP?" I gave a nod, then delivered the food up to Raph. We got talking for a while, talked about my powers, how the UVF and IRA killed each other, how aliens are searching for some relic, and how racist wizards are invading the city. He didn't believe me. Then Seamus showed up, with a big envelope.

"What you got there?" Asked Raph.

"An owl just delivered this parcel." Seamus replied. B_y the way, Raph, Seamus is a wizard. Just for reference, as they lack logic._

"What's in it?" I asked.

"Well, the Daily Prophet, letter from a friend, letter from Hogwarts, notice from the Ministry… Peruvian instant darkness powder?" He then took out a small parcel, which had a fuse. I'll ask later. He was shocked by a red letter, though. He had a face that screamed, 'Oh, Crap!'

"What?" Raph asked.

"This is a Howler." Seamus replied.

"A howler?"

"It's a magic letter used… to express anger at someone." Seamus said. "It's from my mam." He replied after a pause.

"Hope it isn't that bad." I said.

"SEAMUS FINNEGAN!" It shouted, in a woman's voice with a thick south Irish accent. So, that's why they're called Howlers. The letter suddenly folded itself, origami style, into a mouth. "WHY ARE YOU BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC! THEY SAID THAT YOU USED MAGIC IN FRONT OF A MUGGLE! YOU WERE ONLY MEANT TO GO TO BELFAST TO VISIT YOUR GRANDMOTHER!" Where is the volume on this thing? "I SWEAR, THAT IF YOU DO ONE MORE THING TO SHAME ME, I WILL COME UP THERE AND SMACK THE FRECKLES OFF YOUR ARSE!" Suddenly the envelope tore itself up, after teasing Seamus.

"…Whoa." was all that Raph could say.

"Write her back." I said.

"But she'll kill me!" Seamus said, close to tears.

"Listen." I said calmly. "Just point out that what you did was an act of self defence, that you and the Muggle were almost killed by a rogue dark wizard, and that THIS IS A WARZONE AGAINST ALIENS, DEATH EATERS, AND MUGGLES WITH SUPER POWERS!" That last bit must've shocked him. "You scared that she'll kill you? Go ahead and write it. I'll kill her when she shows up, or hopefully, she'll be a casualty, because someone who hides behind a magic letter on max volume while they're too scared to show their face is nothing more than some pathetic bitch who thinks they're a big dog." I stormed out. Then went back in. "Why'd you open it anyway, man?"

"If I left it, then it would've opened itself, and would've been louder."

"Whoa." Raph said. I just got out my phone and called Zeke.

"Hey, Zeke, ready to use the Core."

"Okay, by the way, someone is complaining of shouting. What's going on up there?"

"Tell you tomorrow."

FILES:

**Daily Prophet Headline:**

HARRY POTTER MISSING

Report by Rita Skeeter

Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, has apparently went missing after the Ministry of Magic reported that his claims that 'He Who Must Not Be Named' had returned were false and vicious lies.

Potter had gone missing from the house that he was staying with his Muggle relatives in Surrey. Although there are no signs that there was any form of foul play, the Aurors are investigating.

[I can't read the rest of this garbage, it's nothing but vicious libel. This 'Skeeter' woman should be fired, or working as a fictional author].

**Letter From Dean Thomas:**

Seamus,

Can you believe it? Aliens are attacking! I told you that they were real.

Anyway, there's a problem. Where the hell are you? All of the students were evacuated to Hogwarts, even that git Malfoy and his crew.

By the way, do you know where Ron and Hermione are? Apparently, Harry ran off to Ireland and they went to find him. If you're nearby, please find them. They're in danger, and Harry is less than fragile, since Cedric's death. And with the Daily Prophet spreading lies about him, he could be extremely pissed if you say you or your mum believe it.

I've included a packet of Peruvian puff powder with this letter. Carry it with you, in case of an emergency. And please write back to let me know you're alive.

Lots of concern,

Dean

**Letter From Hogwarts:**

[The letter is a list of materials that Seamus needs for the next school year. I've hardly heard of most of these. It's hand written and signed by the Headmaster, a man named Albus Dumbledore.]

**Ministry Notice:**

Mr Seamus Finnegan,

We have been made aware that you used magic in front of a large group of Muggles. We are currently investigating the incident. If we call upon you to give evidence, we expect you to give evidence.

[The rest of the letter includes a list of laws that were broken by Seamus. It also appears to be signed by a woman called, Amelia Bones, the head of the 'Auror's Office' which I believe is a position in the Ministry of Magic.]


	5. Operation Oddysey 5: Assassination

Zeke met me at the sleeping area, carrying a Blast Core and a car battery. I was sitting on the bed when he ran in.

"You ready?" He asked.

"What are you doing with the car battery?" I asked nervously.

"A Blast Core only works if you run electricity through it. Just hold it in your hands as I connect the battery and presto! New power."

"Huh?" Oh, right, Raphael was out of it longer than me. "That will give him a new power?"

"It's a one off thing," Zeke began, "It will unlock one power instantly, and will render any Conduit that uses it unconscious."

"Screw it, throw it here." He told me that all I had to do was hold it, then when he connected the battery, it would send some energy into my body and-

**Day 6 of the fighting.**

Wow, that knocked me right out cold. I looked at a nearby clock. 7:30. Well, at least it's morning. "Hey, you're up!" _Hey, Raph, how'd it go?_ "Last night? The blast core? You were held in the air!"

"So, what, one of my powers is flying?" I joked.

"I don't know. Although your eyes are purple. And they have slits."

"Slits?"

"Cat eyes." I looked around, and saw that I could see boxes round people, items, basically, I could tell that the latest Psychic power was analysis. I could also see more details like this, but the range of vision was only about 20 metres. I managed to turn it off, then got up. "Now they're back to normal."

"Have a scan power now, can turn it off and on again." I'm calling them Shadow Eyes. I then turned to face him again. "Mind if I check your injuries?" He nodded and let me see him. I used my new power, for practice. Couple of broken ribs still needed healing, some bruising… Wow, bruised lungs. "Well, Elizabeth should have you fixed up soon. By the way, if I'm right, you could be a Conduit."

"Really, what powers?"

"Can't specify. You need to unlock them first."

"So, you're up, huh?" Liz said. "I'm going to heal Raph now."

"Sure, give me my meds." He joked. "Thanks for saving my life, Liz, I owe you one."

"Okay. By the way, last night, some woman was shouting. Who was that?" Liz asked.

"Seamus got a letter from his mum, she'd charmed it to scream at him." Raph said.

"Well, I'd wish that he had waited until he was somewhere quiet."

"Actually," I said. "If he had left it, the letter would open itself, and would've been louder." I looked over to Seamus, to see that the Analysis showed his nightmares next to him. Being chase by a giant hand with nails, which was going to smack his inflated ass. Hmm, I wonder if Catherine will still get released. Although I did see that he wrote a letter to his mum, explaining the incident with the Death Eater in detail. "Hey, Ezio, why are your eyes purple?"

"Oh, sorry. New power." I explained it to her in detail as she healed Raphael, before all of us went down to the canteen.

"Hey, Ezio." Greeted Chloe. "Just in time. Sully and I are about to head out. Just grab the food from the kitchen and take it out here."

"Sure."

"I didn't know you wanted to be a cook." Raph joked.

"It's just for today. Be nice or you're not getting any." I got started moving the food, noticed my telekinesis was stronger, as I could carry a greater load. I just stood behind the counter and served whoever came over. Liz and Raph sat at the same table, and watched the news channels that were on the TV's there. They practically insulted the USTV anchorwoman. Seamus joined them, after practically overflowing his plate.

Mostly Navy, police and paramedics came over throughout the day, order all kinds of food. It's good what they're doing. They deserve it.

Cole, Zeke and Elena took a break to eat as well. Zeke and Cole wanted to know what power I got. I explained it to them, by pointing out that Cole and Zeke was recently drinking cheap beer, cola and Rum, Captain Morgan I think. Elena did thank me about that 'Welding cars' idea. They recently set up a barricade and use that idea to add support. Although, I was surprised that, when I analysed Zeke, it said that he was a 'Biotic'. Wonder what that means.

Nate showed up later, said that he got a high score on one of the arcade games and that I could try and beat him. Jack and Finn showed up too, got something hot and cold respectively.

Afterwards, Chloe walked up, covered in blood. "You better get cleaned up before you get behind the counter, Chloe."

"Heading down, now." She looked at the clock. "It's 11:10. You can head on, Sully will be up in a minute." At that, I headed on. Chloe stopped me before I could get far though.

"What happened to your eyes?" She asked.

"Oh, forgot I was still doing that." With that, I returned my eyes to normal. "By the way, there's a wire stuck inside your skin. Get it removed."

"How do you know?" She asked. _I'm a psychic. I just got an analysis power._ "That's pretty cool." With that, I headed out, as Raph headed in. I just gave a quick nod as I headed down.

I just went towards the arcade, see what I could play. Gave Time Crisis a go, managed to get to stage 6 before I lost my last life. Got a text from Elena to head to the Hut. When I got in, I saw Elena talking with Seamus and the Admiral, and… what the…?

"Where did you get a holographic display?" I said. There was a large layout of the city, with lines to show the borders. There were four holographic symbols, one showing Nexus, the other was Tachyon's emblem, the Militia logo and the last was the Death Eaters skull and snake.

"The same place that we got a laser grid defence network." The Admiral said. "The weapons vendor."

"How'd you afford it?"

"That's the thing." Elena started. "We can't, but Grummel 1 is willing to write it off if we do something on our end."

"Who do we need to kill?" I joked.

"This guy." The Admiral replied. Suddenly, a hologram of a robot appeared where the map was. "His name is Core. He's leading the search for some artefact that Nathan brought to Ireland. There are two advantages here."

"One, GrummelNet will give us discounts for guns, weapons, and devices." Nice, Elena. Are you a business woman? "Second, it will slow down the Drophyds, disorientate them, allowing us to take their territory. And I'm a journalist."

"I thought I was finished with that accidental projection."

"Well, anyway," The Admiral began again. "We may need you for this. You'll be part of a five-man team. Jack will go with you, as well will Seamus, Chloe and Zeke, so make sure that all of you work together."

"Kay." I replied and got ready, by putting on my armour and getting an explosive off of Cole. I might need it.

**Mission Start: Boom goes the Dynamite**

We decided that Chloe and I would get close to him and kill Core with a bomb, while Seamus and Jack recruited some Navy men to act as a distraction and Zeke acted as a sniper.

We were able to get in without being spotted. However, we soon spotted a problem.

"Elena, you there?" I whispered into the microphone.

"Yeah, I'm here. What's the problem."

"Core is held up in a metallic bunker, like a portable base." Chloe said. "He's reluctant to come out."

"Well, I'll give the order for Seamus and Jack to attack." Elena said. "Be careful."

We managed to sneak around, with Chloe pausing time to attack whoever she needed or freezing enemies in place, and I used telepathy and my 'Shadow Eyes' to detect patrol routes.

When we were almost discovered, we ran into a nearby bunker. We found some records in there, so we took some pictures and sent them to HQ. One was of some cat-like guy and a small robot, and the other was of a girl, who appeared to be of the same species.

Their names were next to them, Ratchet, Clank and Angela Croft. They were 'Lombaxes'. There were rings around them, and the words, 'top priority'. Another photo showed a woman, a Cazar, named Sasha Phyronix. She had a connection with Ratchet. There was also two more photos, but they were scorched.

"Who do you think they are?" Chloe said. I had no clue, but I could guess. Looking through more records, I could tell why GrummelNet wanted Core dead. Seems that they had an agreement about supplying guns and ammo, however, Core was using cheap knockoffs of the guns' ammo, and was trying to take GrummelNet's licence to operate in Polaris due to the built in mechanism that rendered the gun useless. He tried removing it, but it blew up the guns.

"Hey, read this." As Chloe read them, I asked, "How do you know Nate, Sully and Elena."

"Well, I met Nate when we pulled a heist in Turkey to get a clue to find the location of Marco Polo's lost fleet, where we were betrayed by our partner and Nate ended up in prison." _Did it help?_ "Yeah, it did. Met Sully when we bailed Nate out of jail, and I met Elena when me and Nate raced against my ex-boyfriend and a war criminal called Lazaravic for the Cintamani Stone."

"Cintamani Stone?"

"It was said to be a large sapphire. It wasn't though, and Lazaravic was after some tree sap that would make him immortal. Nate managed to kill him, though."

"Well, that's good."

"Come on, we have a robot to blow up." With that, we stole some files, snuck back out, and saw that the fighting was getting really bad. We were winning, but you almost feel bad for the fishes. **Almost.**

We finally got over to the bunker, where I thought of how to do this, while Chloe said, "Screw it!", paused time, and destroyed the power cable with a chainsaw. That did the trick, and we quickly got behind cover.

"Chloe, I have an idea. Have him chase you, and I'll stick the bomb to his back, then I'll detonate." Showing a nod of approval, she then paused time and left.

"Who in this HELL of a backwater planet cut off the power and interrupted MY SOAP OPERA! Now I'll never know what happens on 'Lance and Janice'." The robot bellowed as it came out. As he saw the damage to the cable, he saw Chloe trip and drop the chainsaw. "I'll make you pay for that."

Chloe let out a curse, got back up and ran around the corner. As he began to chase her, I switched on the receiver and slapped the bomb onto his back. He didn't even register it. As Chloe came back, I held out the remote. "You want to do it, or should I?" She took the remote, and pressed the big red button that I have labelled, 'Doom'. With a large blast, the robot's head landed in the broken power cable, and me and Chloe got some paper, and held up two '10's.

**Mission Complete. Awarded 500XP. Leader defeated: 100XP + Enviro-Takedown Bonus (15XP) Total Award: 615XP.**

"Whoo-hoo-hoo!" The Grummel had gotten onto our line. "That was amazing! Elena let me onto your frequency so that I could show where there are weapon vendors. But I had to watch."

"So, that deal you have with Elena and the Admiral?" Chloe asked.

"Done. You all have discounts. 25% off for life. That includes armour and gadgets, too."

"Good." I butted in. "If it helps us in the long run, I'll do it." Me and Chloe went inside and found a couple of files, which we put in a bag and took with us.

With that, we hung up, and we met back up with the others.

"Hey, Ezio, can you and Zeke meet with Cole over at Victoria Square?" Elena said. "He needs help."

"Sure." We headed over and met Cole.

**Mission Start: Satellite Uplinks**

"Hey, the Admiral asked me to try and link up to the satellite network, see if we can use it to use the connection to help re-establish the fibre optic cables. We need someone over in the states to help on their end, so by re-establishing the phone connection, we should be able to get someone. Problem?: The roof is crawling with Drophyds, so we have to fight them."

"Why not use the rest of the explosives?" Zeke asked.

"Because then the uplink would be destroyed." I said.

"Come on, let's kick some ass!" Cole complained.

"Good," Zeke said. "Cause, I got a flamethrower, and I've been itching to try it out." I have got to get one, too.

After reaching the top roof, first by getting to the top floor by elevator, then using the last of the stairs to get out. The plan was basic, blow up their forces, then Cole would reset the Uplink. We decided to just get out and use all of our weapons to demolish them.

I stuck to using the grenades and the Shard Reaper. The grenades I used when they were close together, and I managed to get them to level III, close to Level IV before I ran out, on that round. I stuck to the Shard Reaper, and managed to get that to the beginning of Level III before they were gone.

Cole stuck to his Lightning powers and his Combustor, and managed to get to Level 3, and Zeke burned the fish with the flamethrower, which got to Level 2. It was powerful.

When I was injured, I noticed that these nearby lights floating around in a ball would suddenly come over to me and heal me up. It was a minor heal, but it was helpful.

When it was over, Cole went over, and drained the uplink. "You can head on now, this is the only protected one. I'll handle the rest." With that, Zeke and me headed out.

However, as we were leaving, I felt a presence, just… there. When I turned around, however, it was gone. "Is there a problem?" Zeke asked.

"Nothing." We continued on.

**Mission Complete. 500XP Awarded. 75 Enemies defeated. 3 X 75 = 225XP. No Bonuses. Total Award = 725XP.**

When we got back, I headed over to Liz to get healed up. She healed me instantly, but she said that I suffered a really bad injury recently. I explained the lights, and we guessed it must be first aid.

When I got into the Hut, I saw Zeke, Cole, Elena, Chloe, Nate and the Admiral arguing. _What's wrong?]_

"We're trying to figure out who to call," said Zeke. "the connection job needs someone in New York, and none of us know anyone there."

As I walked over, I stole the phone and called an old friend's number. "If Jimmy's ass is smeared on the pavement, I don't know what the hell we're going to do." At that, the tone dial changed, to show that someone picked up the phone.

"Hello?" It was definitely Jimmy.

"Hey, Jimmy, what's up man?"

"EZO! How you doing, thought you were dead, man!"

"Almost was, man." Elena started giving me looks. The phone's on speaker. "Hey, Jimmy, are you still in New York City?"

"Yeah, man. I don't know what's going on over on your side of the Atlantic, but all hell just broke loose, man, it's like a train wreck of comic book fantasy."

"Drophyds on your side, too?"

"Those fish aliens? Yeah, that, and Metas, wizards, there's a couple of dragons here, man."

"Same, here, dude… except the dragons. Hopefully." Everyone just looked at me. "Meta means super."

"Look, some guys began rioting, I'm stuck in this building here, used for connecting the States and Europe via internet, man, I am one scared dude."

"The internet building? That is perfect, man. You are soon to be my lord and saviour."

"How?"

"I don't know the specifics, I'm gonna let this hot chick explain it."

"OK, dawg." With that, Elena came over to the phone to talk to him.

"Hey, Jimmy, my name's Elena."

"What's up?"

"We need to set up a connection, see if we can get internet here. If you need us to walk you through it, then we'll do it."

"Well, miss Elena, you are in luck, because I work here." Elena was definitely happy to hear that. "Graduated from MIT in the fields of computer engineering and security at the top of the class at 18. If I can brag."

"What can you do on your side?"

"Hold on, and let me check…" There was a bit of a pause as we heard him at his computer. "Hang on, there's a big problem, there is a full connection."

"Jimmy, how can there be a full connection if there is no way to access US web pages?" I interrupted.

"Someone set up a filter on your end." Oh. "I can disable it from here, maybe make them think that it's still up and running if I spend time analysing their code."

"Just knock it off line, keep it off, and we're happy. Okay, bro?"

"We're happy in about 2 hours. By the way, get a computer with Skype, and we'll stay connected." With that, we heard furious tapping. "By the way, EZ?"

"Yeah, man?"

"Lamar's in Belfast." Shit. "I was talking to him before the uplink was cut. I'm gonna use the internet line to send you a tracing program, can you find him for me?"

"Sure man, I owe you that much. Later."

"Later, bro."

FILES:

**Letter To Seamus' Mum:**

Mam,

Although you are angry at me for using magic in front of a Muggle, let me explain.

I'm currently being held up in the Odyssey arena, where there are mainly Muggles around. As such, everyone here was able to see me defend myself with magic. The key word here is 'defend'.

Me and a Muggle called Zeke were attacked outside the entrance by a Death Eater. He almost used a killing curse on us. I used a stunning charm on him and Zeke shot him with a gun. And yes, it was a Death Eater, I checked his arm and it had a Dark Mark. I've included a photo.

You really could've helped, however, by sending a letter, not a Howler. I have been getting crap for that the entire night. You could've been a little discrete on your end.

By the way, Grandma's dead. She was killed in the rioting. I was taken here after I was almost killed by a bomb.

Lots of love,

Seamus.

[Seamus included a photo of a dead man's arm, which had a tattoo on it.]

**Solana Lombax:**

Emperor, we have located a Lombax in the Solana galaxy, going by the name, Ratchet. No known last name. Age 19 intergalactic standard. Currently living in the city of Metropolis on planet Kerwan, he worked formerly as a mechanic, now as a hobby, and a former commando for Megacorp and currently as both the spokesperson for Gadgetron and a high ranking member of the local Military, the Galactic Rangers, as the captain of a fleet of 15 Starships. His flagship is the Starship 'Phoenix'.

He also is confirmed to have a relationship with his predecessor of the command of the Phoenix, a Cazar named Sasha Phyronix. She is currently the Mayor of Metropolis, and her father is the Solana Galactic President. A photo of her is included.

Emperor, I must really question the worth of our intelligence agencies, and their lack of co-operation. It really would've been easier to find him if they checked the news in other galaxies.

He's stopped an evil corporation from destroying planets to create a new world, stopped a madman from releasing a living weapon as a pet, single handily won a war, destroyed a death match running media corporation from the inside, and has prevented the Technomites from destroying all technology in the Universe (Yes, sir, there is proof that they are real. It is included). He has made galactic news several times. And the agencies couldn't find HIM? Let alone the one that we SUSPECT in the Polaris Galaxy who is actually hiding.

He does have a connection with another Lombax, Angela Croft, but it appears that they have drifted apart, and rarely contact each other. Ratchet is considered heavily armed and extremely dangerous.

Sir, although we can tell that he grew up on a planet called Veldin, I beg of you, please don't attack it to make him come to you! The last time someone did that, he sent them hurtling into dark space on a meteorite, with no way to come back. And HE WAS BEING CONSIDERATE! If he finds out what you did to the other Lombaxes… I have no idea.

Photos of the individuals included, contains a small robot that he owns, dubbed, 'Clank', serial number XJ-0461.

[There are several pictures of a cat-like male with blonde fur and slightly darker stripes over his body. That was probably Ratchet. Also included are photos of a small robot, some showing it riding on the bigger guy's back. I guess, Clank? There is one photo of a woman, not of the same species, but having a cat-like appearance as well. That must be Sasha]

**Bogon Lombax:**

Emperor, a Lombax is confirmed to be living in the Bogon Galaxy, on planet Greblin. Her name is Angela Croft, currently living in Megapolis, employed as a genetic engineer with Megacorp, and is also a believed member of former local mercenary group, 'Thugs-4-less'. Addendum: Further investigations shows that, while she did hire Thugs-4-Less in the past, she was not a member. She has become a member of Megacorp's Private Commando Unit, however.

Again, I must question our intelligence agencies. She not only worked at Megacorp, but, after more research, her adoptive mother was a board member, and she graduated at the top of her class from Megapolis University at the age of 13 intergalactic standard. Currently aged 21, she has created several biological weapons and pets, and has a large income from royalties.

Shown to have a connection with Ratchet, a Lombax that was raised in the Solana galaxy. However, it was temporary, and they haven't had any contact since. Suspected connection with a Lombax observed in the Polaris galaxy*.

Recently trained as a commando, highly skilled with handguns, shotguns, bombs, machineguns, rifles, and some martial arts, as well as first aid, several forms of dance and making origami.

Sir, all things aside, if you do anything to her, Megacorp will mess you up. Albercrombie Fizzwidget, the founder and CEO, treats her as his own daughter, and when someone attacked her with a knife… Like I said before, Megacorp's Private. Commando. Unit! He is also a fan of a movie from Earth called, 'Reservoir Dogs'. Watch it and you will know why I say that attacking her is a bad idea.

Included is a photo of the individual, taken from a Bogon news site from after she stopped an incident that would have destroyed it.

* Sir, from DNA we have collected from her, we can determine [Blacked out]. She also had no official records in the Bogon galaxy before she was adopted, so my guess is that 'Angela Croft' isn't her real name.

[Photo showing a Lombax, female, same colour as Ratchet, and an older guy, quite old. Wonder who he is.]

**Polaris Lombax:**

[The record is too damaged to read, although you can tell that the Lombax is around 40 Intergalactic standard. The photo was also heavily damaged.]

**Lombax technology found on Earth, Sol Sector, Milky Way.**

Sir, we have located a piece of Lombax technology on a backwater world in the Milky Way galaxy, called 'Earth' by the Local population. The local species there, while not part of the local galaxy's 'Citadel Council', does speak galactic, as well as several other dialects and refer to themselves as 'Homo Sapiens', or, more commonly, 'Humans'.

The device, which initially appears to be a device made from reversed engineered Lombax technology, appears to be an original piece of technology, which shares some design to blueprints created 100 years ago (While they use the time for their world to revolve around their sun, it is a perfect match to Intergalactic standard years) by a Lombax scientist on Fastoon. The device was made by a group called the 'First Sons', a group that believed that humanity could evolve further, and develop unique powers that would allow them to perform all kinds of actions by brain power alone. Initially, I considered this nonsense, but I was disproven by their actions.

One of their members created a device that would allow certain nearby people to suddenly 'reach a higher level of evolution', as they called it. This is basically a way of saying that any human near the device with the right DNA structure would become a 'Conduit' and develop unique powers. For example, teleportation, becoming much stronger, controlling electricity and being able to communicate via thoughts are some of the abilities that the Conduits have used that I have seen here, unassisted by any technological means. It's just them.

However, Conduits don't need the device to acquire their powers. The strand of DNA is a safeguard in case the total population of the world suddenly died, or bottlenecked into a smaller total amount of living creatures. The device only activates this process without the bottleneck occurring. It appears that using that new weapon was less than a good idea in hindsight.

However, there are downsides. Anyone who is exposed who can not become a Conduit will die. Also, if the amount of electricity flowing passes a threshold, the device will destroy anything and anyone in a mile-long radius (I believe this is about 10 cubits).

When a man named Kessler took over the First Sons in Anno Domini 1958 (53 years ago, that's the local calendar, 'Anno Domini' is translated from Latin, a local dead dialect, to 'In the year of the Lord', and is rooted in Earth's largest religion. It's commonly abbreviated as AD), and had a scientist named Sebastian Wolfe create the device. The new device was called a 'Ray Sphere', and ignited the powers of anyone like the original, except for one feature. It could be set past it's threshold by squeezing it in together, which would kill 10,000 individuals in range and give powers to any nearby Conduits.

Sir, what surprises me is that there are components that were used in the Ray Sphere that, if they did make them here on this planet, they would be extremely rare. Some of which were only produced by the Lombaxes, due to their expertise with the components needed. The head engineer most likely had help in creating the Ray Sphere from a Lombax.

When the Ray Sphere was activated in a local town called 'Empire City', where a bottleneck of the population occurred due to a quarantine to keep a plague under control, and Conduits were both awakened by the Ray Sphere's initial blast or to cope with the loss of numbers in the local population. However, a Conduit's awakening is permanent, as both the Ray sphere exposed and natural Conduits kept their powers afterwards.

Also, there are examples of Conduits in basic nature, and not just on Earth, the Human home world, either. During a series of planet cracking attacks done by Chairman Drek of the Blarg Race (Incident was first known sighting of Ratchet), survivors of where he had performed genocide had been shown to develop Conduit abilities. I believe that, if the Cragmites are rescued, then they should have members of their population that have become Conduits, as well. Also, while the Conduit gene can occur randomly, if the father has the gene, any children are guaranteed to become Conduits, while the mother has about a 25% chance of passing the gene on.

After the Empire City incident, the First Sons fell, the Ray sphere was destroyed and the creator went missing, however, due to Blast Cores, expended Ray Spheres that are able to give Conduits new powers, that were leaked into the public, Conduits appeared everywhere. The main group that deals with international crises, the 'United Nations' have set up an international police force to prevent and investigate crimes committed by Conduits, called 'Nexus'.

Sir, a new version of the device has appeared, which I dub the Ray Tunnel, to an island nation called Ireland, more specifically, to the large town named Belfast. However, the one who stole it from the First Sons has had it stolen from him, but it is in the town. Also, a Conduit from Empire City, a Human called Cole McGrath, has been sited, as well as his partner from Nexus, a fellow individual from Empire City, called Zeke Dunbar, have been after a Conduit in the city. I hope that it is soon that this mission will be over.

**Andromeda Lombax:**

While there are no existing records of this Lombax, I can confirm that he is male, about 23, and quite heavily built. Former home world was the planet Lunapolis in the Andromeda galaxy. Planet was left abandoned after a disaster reduced the native population to 20%. It is still a tropical planet, but was quarantined and given aid after a virus affected most of the indigenous race.

Sir, if you saw my report into the device that we found on Earth, you may remember how I explained that a 'bottleneck', or mass death of an area's population may result in individuals developing powers and becoming Conduits. This occurred on E, Andromeda b, the world Lunapolis.

The Lombax in the photo, while he looks like a normal Lombax, is both extremely strong, fast and durable, and is also able to travel from point A to B over a long distance (Confirmed to have travelled from Lunapolis to Earth) by teleportation. Sir, this Lombax is a Conduit. As such, there is not enough records on how to deal with him, so we are postponing such operations. We also believe him to be a 'Slider', someone who can slip into separate dimensions (My agents, when we located a stronghold of his, discovered a recently written note from a high title in Lombax hierarchy, validity cannot be confirmed, as well as a freshly killed Cragmite).

Has been shown to be able to use guns, but not very well. Mainly focuses on staying away from opponents, but when he feels that he has to fight, has devastating Martial Art prowess, with a large variety of weapons. He avoids fights, however, unless he feels that he has to save others (One of my agents tried to use this to capture him. TRIED being the word to consider).

No known connection but [The rest of this note is unreadable. Photo included shows a grey haired Lombax with white stripes, as well as a copy of the letter, and a photo of the hideout, with a giant dead bug inside. It sort of looks like Tachyon]

**Subject ****ß**

Subject is, after my own observations, to be considered a Conduit until such theory is disproved. First observation is that he is a powerful telepath and telekinetic individual, with power that is well beyond our control. Second is the time of capture. Well over 12 years ago, and developed his powers after he was captured, 6 years ago. Has escaped twice before.

ß is to be constantly kept in a large metallic box, with a bed, toilet, shower and wash basin, and to be provided food and drink by robot **only.** Any attempts to get near him except for either medical grounds or for interrogation are to be strictly denied, and if anyone tries to get near him, they are to be executed on the spot. ß is highly dangerous, and can kill anyone near him instantly with a thought. When a group of Kerchu tried to bust out and accidentally released him, he took out half the entire **Military by himself** before he was recaptured.

Also, the box is an improvement on his previous containment. He was previously kept in a metallic coffin under heavy sedation via IV before he developed a tolerance to the drug. When he was barely conscious, he broke out, and went on a rampage. That's how he developed his powers.

Mostly keeps himself busy via exercise, as well as self teaching himself how to control his powers. Usually sleeps a lot, however, is able to tell when certain events have happened. One of the observers believes that he may have astral projection powers, as well, but there is no way to verify. However, he was able to tell where the cameras were, and covered them with spit to obscure them while he cleaned, saying that it was rude to watch someone who's naked and was also able to confuse the guards with a reference to what I have just discovered was a book for children on Earth called 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' ('When is a raven like a writing desk', which I should point out does not have an actual answer). He also hides under the bed when he wants privacy. Other Earth materials he has referenced are to be recorded and listed.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: ß asked, 'When is a raven like a writing desk?'

Pulp Fiction: Numerous

ß, during his first breakout, Screamed, "Any of you pricks move and I'll ****ing shoot every last one of you".

Single handed re-enactment of the 'Bonnie Situation' scene, from the car up to the car disposal.

When he killed a guard who had been taunting him, said that he'll 'Go medieval on [The guard's] ***'.

Repeated a joke made by Uma Thurman's character.

Transaction of a recording from his first escape attempt:

ß**:** What country are you from?

Guard: What?

ß: 'What' ain't no country I've ever heard off! Do they speak English in What?

G: …What?

ß: English, mother****er, do you speak it?

G: Yes.

ß: Then you understand what I'm saying to you?

G: Yes!

ß: What is the pass code?

G: …What?

ß: Say 'what' again! SAY 'WHAT' AGAIN! I dare you! I double dare you, mother****er! Say 'what' one more god damn time!

3. Sings several earth songs, including 'Funhouse' and 'Stupid girls' by P!nk, 'Misery business' by Paramore, and 'I Believe in a Thing Called Love' by the Darkness, as well as several Arias.

4. Pirates of the Caribbean: when he introduces himself as 'Captain Jack Sparrow'.

5. Kill Bill: Said that he 'Should've been Black Motherfucking Mamba'.

6. The Shining: At the beginning of second escape attempt, said, "Here's Johnny." before killing everyone present.

7. Final Fantasy 8 (VIII) (Suspected) and 9 (IX): Has once referred to himself as Zidane, the protagonist of FF9, and is suspected of being the freedom fighter 'Laguna'.

Is only to be interrogated by the Emperor himself, under his orders. Also, the interrogation is to be done via audio feed, with the Emperor having access to the security cameras inside the box. Likes to taunt the Emperor, and is able to tell when he has nightmares, and claims responsibility. Also likes to try and teach the crew a dance called the 'Waltz' which also originates from Earth.

For security purposes, no photo is included.

**Lombax Notes:**

[Records about the Lombaxes, including biology, native home world, skills, mating… What the…?]


	6. Operation Oddysey 6: Power

As we waited for Jimmy to establish the internet connection, because he would send us a program that would let us find Lamar, we all waited around the Hut. The Admiral was talking with his aides to discuss strategy, Elena went off with Nate to get something to eat, and Chloe and I read the files we stole.

"Says here that this one guy from Andromeda might have teleportation. Through galaxies. Dimensions, too." She was somehow quite impressed. "And he's a martial artist."

"Cool, but these aren't for a dating service." I replied. I was reading the file on Subject ß. This is one mad mother, I tell you. "Hey, Chloe, check this out, a psychic that Tachyon has prisoner makes references about movies from here. He's a Pulp Fiction fan." When she saw it, she couldn't help but laugh. Then Cole came over.

"What are you reading?" He asked as he picked up a file.

"We stole these during the hit." I said. "Records about several Lombaxes that Tachyon was going after." He was reading the fact's file, and he was just as squicked as I was. "You saw their sex file, didn't you?"

"What's wrong with it?" Chloe asked.

"Lombaxes can apparently have kids with any other species." I started. "It says that their sperm and eggs can adapt to DNA from a mate of another species, thus allowing, for example, a male Lombax to have human kids, or a male human to have Lombax kids. Also, there is a visual clue about heritage, but it doesn't say."

"How?" Chloe and Cole asked.

"Don't ask me, I failed my biology GCSE."

"Does that mean that they got a lot of bike jokes?" Cole said. _Hah, Hah._

"Read this, it's good for a laugh." I handed Cole the ß file, and he looked at it, then started snickering, before erupting into laughter. I grabbed another file, 'Lombax technology found on Earth, Sol Sector, Milky Way', and started reading it. I handed it to Cole when I saw what it had to say about the Ray Sphere.

"That means we definitely have to get the Ray Tunnel." Cole said. "When we get the first opportunity, we'll steal it back."

"Okay!" We all agreed.

"Hey, Jim managed to get the internet back up." The Admiral said. "By the way, how do you use Skype?" With that, I went over to the computer, signed in and asked Jimmy if he's free to talk. After getting a confirmation, I set up a webcam and we called each other.

"Hey, EZ, my man, how are you? Man, who's the smoking chick? Is that Elena?"

"No, my name is Chloe." With that, Elena came over from the canteen, and Chloe stepped aside. "That is Elena."

"Oh, man, I recognize her from TV."

"So, you've seen my investigative show?" Elena asked.

"No, Girls Gone Wild, I even have it recorded on my TiVo." We all looked over at Elena, mostly to think of a way of asking it without offending her.

"Okay, it was back in College, I was in Florida for Spring Break and they paid me $500,000!"

"Don't apologize." Not helping, Jimmy! "Well, the internet should be back up, I sent the software by email, so download it and go find Lamar."

"I'll go with Cole and Seamus and do that," Elena said, "Ezio, can you, Jack and Finn head over to Belfast Zoo?"

"I'm not cleaning up elephant crap if that's what you're asking." I replied.

"The Militia already killed all of the animals for fun when they took over." The dirty, evil, inbred bastards. "Look, we believe that they were doing experiments there."

"They were." Jimmy butted in. "That firewall was set up by the Militia to keep the internet to themselves. Using it to communicate with other branches, mostly in the South. Sent files from Dublin Zoo marked as 'Experiment Logs', can't tell what they were doing, though. Weren't received, however."

"Okay, we'll head out." I went and bought a new gun, or should I say glove, it should allow me to use slime monsters (Plasma Beasts) to fight, and used a few upgrades. Also bought a new Device, some gas balls (Confuzzler Gas) that would cause a Confusion status effect when breathed in. I met up with the two and headed out.

**Mission Start: Investigation**

There was no way we could walk it, so I stopped and asked Jack and Finn, "Any problems with driving?" They showed no objections, so I broke into a car, jacked it, and we drove. I turned on the radio to kill the boredom.

"Ezio, there's no stations broadcasting." Jack tried to correct me.

"Yeah, but what if a survivor got into a station, they could be broadcasting, asking for help, right?" With that, I found a station that was still on air, I think that the voice was Jim-Jim, a local DJ who does a breakfast show called the 'Strawberry Alarm Clock'. He was trying to lift spirits, airing all kinds of music, insulting Tachyon, and being a right laugh in the Apocalypse. Quite fitting that the first song was REM's 'End of the World (And I Feel Fine)'.

When we got there, we parked the car, and instantly saw an elephant corpse. It was bloody, and from what I can tell, it was killed with explosives. You don't want to know where.

We all entered through the smashed open gate, and noticed the bodies of both Militia and animals. The animals were shot, all of them, but the Militia… I couldn't explain it. It looked like they had been pulverised.

"What do you think could've done this?" Finn asked. "It looks like they were trampled."

"Could've been the elephant." Jack said. "Maybe there are still survivors, so be careful."

"No, my telepathy has gotten stronger, about a mile radius." I said. "There's no one else in the zoo that I feel, other than us." However, I was lying. I felt another person, sort of like earlier with Zeke. There was a teleporter nearby.

With that, I switched on my Shadow Eyes, and looked around. Blood, beer (The cheap bottle shit), potcheen (or, for the American readers, moonshine), and… a syringe with hormones? "They were killing the animals to extract hormones, probably testosterone." I then noticed that a large number of exercise weights decorated the zoo's roads. "Definitely testosterone. Rednecks were going through 'Roid Rage. Trying to use the animals to get ripped."

"So, no one else here then?" Jack asked. _No, there isn't. _"Well, might as well get investigating." With that, we looked around.

We made it into the gift shop, found it a mess, but I found a computer that was left unlocked. I opened it up and looked at the files. "Seems that they were tasked by the leaders over in the US with testing some new compound. I have the recipe for making it, might as well send it back. Zeke, you there?"

"Sorry, EZ." Jimmy? "He's at a meeting on the Euphemia with the Admiral. Elena asked me to act as mission support. What do you need?"

"Why would they let Zeke onto a ship, wouldn't he better off in a plane?" It was then that I got back on track. "Never mind, can you copy these files and send them to the Odyssey?"

"Sure, connect your phone via USB, and I will take any files, decrypt them and forward them to Elena's computer, as well as delete the original."

"What can't you do with a computer?" I asked as I connected the phone.

"You know me EZ, when it comes to computers, your wish is my :/command." With that, Jimmy did his magic, and we headed deeper into the park.

When we got into the middle of the park, we found that the Militia had set up a load of trailers in the zoo. They were probably going to use it as a stronghold if it came to that. That won't be possible now. "Well, you know what they say," Finn said. "There's no place like home."

"Yeah," Jack said. "But we're not in Kansas, anymore." Jack went over to another computer, and opened some files. Damn, don't these idiots know never to leave a laptop logged on and leave it there? Wait, there's that presence again. It's close. I can tell, whoever it was, they were watching me. Only me. They're ignoring Finn and Jack. "Seems that the drug they were testing? Were using anything they could as a test subject. Animals, Drophyds, the last test subject was a 75 year old who was a relative of one of the Militia men… 'Macht?'"

"Wait, as in, 'Der Wille zur Macht'? 'The Will To Power'?" I asked. _I think so, kindly explain?_ "'The Will To Power' is a book made up of notes written by Frederic Nietzsche, a famous philosopher, which were rewritten into Nazi propaganda by his sister after his death."

"So, was Nietzsche a Nazi as well?" I had to restrain myself from throwing something in anger. I hated how Nietzsche's work was bastardised by Neo-Nazis.

"No, he was not, and from what I know, he hated anyone with anti-Semitic views. He didn't go to his sister's wedding due to the fact that she was marrying a Nazi. As such, the Will To Power is usually not considered part of his philosophy, and most Neo-Nazis also misinterpret his theory of an 'Ubermensch', or 'Superman' to refer to their 'Master Race' theory, when Nietzsche was referring to an individual."

"So, who would be considered an 'Superman'?" Finn asked.

"Jesus, Mohammed, Moses all count, someone who abandons social norms and creates a new set of social rules that revolve around their views." With that, we sent the files to Jimmy and were ready to head out, but I stopped everyone.

"What's wrong, need the toilet?" Finn asked. I just turned around and looked at a trailer that was stacked over another.

"I know you're up there." That startled him, alright, because he panicked and fell from the roof. He was using some cloaking device, but all of us heard him scream and land, and he broke his cloaking device when he landed. Although that wasn't what surprised me.

He was a Lombax, grey hair, with white stripes. He was one of the Lombaxes from the files Chloe and I stole from Core. "How did you know?" he asked.

"You're not that sneaky." I said. As he got up and I told the other two to put away their guns, "Why are you spying on me?"

"I'm not spying on you." He replied. _You're lying._ "What?" That caught him of guard.

"I felt you warp near me earlier, and you've been watching me since we got here. Only me." He then leaned down his head to think, _Shit, he's a telepath? Azimuth is going to kill me for getting caught_. He seemed slightly scared, but was now serious.

"You stole some files from Core." So, that's what he wants? "Hand them over."

"Don't have them." I thought I could use this to my advantage. "I'll trade you." I then discretely sent a thought to Finn to get Sully to copy those files.

"Okay, name it."

"Several guns, weapons, bombs, I don't give a shit. Anything that could help us fight."

"How about 60 blast cores?"

"Deal." With that, he teleported out. Finn and Jack were confused. "Earlier, me and Chloe stole some documents from this guy that GrummelNet needed out of the way. They had records about several Lombaxes, that guy included, this piece of Lombax tech that Nate found and some Conduit that Tachyon had captured. Really powerful, that last one, and that grey one is a Conduit, too."

"How powerful are they?" Finn asked. _By the way, I sent the message to Sully._

"Well, that guy can teleport between dimensions. The other, well, during his first escape attempt, took out half of Tachyon's military." _Thanks, by the way._ We all decided to head on.

When we got to a vet's lab, we found a bottle of 'Macht'. It was a reddish colour, extremely thick. We determined that this must've been where they've been making the drug. I looked at the recipe, and determined that it was definitely the place. "Well, it matches, shows when to continue onto the next step, has the right equipment."

Finn looked through the computer, and read some notes. "Hey, guys, if this is real, that is one hell of an steroid."

"How bad is it?" Jack said.

"Says that, after giving the drug to a pensioner, the individual grew to 8 foot, 6 inches and was well over 700 pounds (2.59m and 318kg). Originally 5 foot, 3 inches and very malnourished, only 90 pounds (1.6m 41kg). Must've been cared for in a home. Also says that he was in indescribable pain from the effects, he was killed afterwards to stop him trying to escape. Says that the drug has a maximum total dosage, going over kills the patient via brain aneurysm, and the victim, if given that dosage in a single go, would be paralyzed and left in pain, must've found that out earlier."

"When?" Jack asked.

"This morning, 9 o'clock. Hold on, there's a video." We couldn't believe what we saw. It showed an old wrinkled man who was chained inside some large room. A Militia member injected him with a syringe with what we assume to be Macht. It was a three hour video, so I changed the setting to run through it in a couple of minutes. It showed him getting bigger, larger, and pulling at the chains. After two hours, he was I guess 7 foot, and near the end, was larger than any Militia member. It also showed how he died. The Militia took an industrial drill to his temple. That is no way that any decent human should die.

"Damn, man!"

"Jimmy, you saw that?" Damn, that was brutal.

"Yeah, got some more files, hacked from their bosses. Sending them over to Elena. She's back, found Lamar, got three other people. One of them was arguing with the others." With that, he copied the videos and files. "Where do you think that is, anyway?"

"My guess is, some large animal enclosure, either elephant or rhino." Jack said, "Wait, there's a trunk there, so probably elephant." We headed over to the elephant enclosure and found that the place were littered with more bodies, animals and humans. It was here that they were doing the experiments. There were animals that were larger than they should've been. Seriously, should a penguin be the size of a horse? All of us had to puke when we arrived, the bodies were here for days, and they were beginning to rot.

When we got in, we were all shocked due to how large he was. The guy was big, he was like the Juggernaut, Bitch! (Sorry) And his skin was rock hard, too. There was another computer, and I went over to copy the files. I didn't want to read them, so I didn't. "Yo, EZ, bad news."

"What is it?"

"I read that file, said that the 'Macht' drug, after it was done being tested, was to be given to all of the Militia. Also, they tried to test it on some guy and managed to perfect the technique of applying it to humans, but the guy ran off and was found dead. He killed himself by ripping his own head off."

"So, we would have to fight Hulks here?" _Yes, Jack_. "Hope they didn't get the files."

"They didn't." Good, Jimmy. "And not just here. They were going to hand this to Militia. They are trying to set up a Neo-Confederation. They would easily win if they had this."

"Does that mean you and Lamar will become slaves?" Finn said.

"Don't you say it, EZ."

"Jimmy will be cracking corn, and I do care."

"Get out of there!" Jimmy screamed at us. "The Militia are on their way! Now!"

With that, we noticed that there were several trucks coming in, trying to block the way. Luckily, we discovered an easy way to get out. We got into position, as we knew that the Militia would know that we were here. I stole the bottle of Macht, and they were here to collect. "Good thing I deleted those files." Jimmy reassured us.

As the Militia came closer, they readied their rifles, and were about to attack. We were slightly nervous. Suddenly, they pulled open the door and opened fire, sending bullets everywhere. We were surprised when they fired at us with a shotgun.

They were more surprised to discover that we came out the door, ripping off their hinges, as we drove out in their tricked out tank.

It was a standard tank, but the front had a couple of flamethrowers, a movable digger component that could be used to dig up barricades and move anything that blocked us, and a large adjustable metallic booth that had a very big machine gun.

We blasted through their defences, their barricades, and decimated their forces. There were well over 200 there, all dead. And we drove down the highway, in a tank, when we discovered the surround sound system. The CD they had in was country music. We threw the CD onto the curb, then headed home.

**Mission Complete: 500XP Awarded. 200 Enemies Defeated. 3 X 200 = 600XP. Bonus: Tank Kill (200 X 2XP). Total Award: 1500XP.**

When we drove up to the border into Navy and Nexus territory, they got ready to attack. The Militia hardly noticed us, until we threw out their CD and blared out 50 Cent. Anyway, as we pulled over, Jack stuck out of the hole in the top to show that it was him. They had to call it through, but Jimmy verified that we had, indeed, stolen a tank. Of course, we could've parked it better.

As in, not through the door into the Odyssey's main outlet. "Ezio, what are you doing?" Elena screamed at us.

"Don't blame me, I'm on the top gun." Finn then came out after me and Jack, and took the blame for the incident.

"Well, we got those files, and Jimmy told us about that deal you made. You should've waited!"

"Hey, I got Sully to scan the files. He did do it, didn't he?" With that, Sully walked out and showed the originals.

"Hey, kid, if that Lombax finds out about the copies, we're screwed." He then handed the files to me. "If you meet that guy again, however, hand these over. Tell him that we'll pick up the Blast Cores wherever he wants." I handed the bottle of Macht to Elena.

"So, Elena, you got Lamar here okay?"

"Yeah, he's safe. He's helping Lizzie any way he can."

"That's cool. Hey, Jimmy said that he wasn't the only person you picked up. Three others, and one was arguing with the others. They're still going at it, in the Chinese restaurant upstairs. By the way, they're wizards too. Same class as Seamus."

When we were done, Elena went to look over the files we got, and I went over to the canteen, upstairs. "Yo, EZO!" Or so I thought. Lamar ran over to greet me. "Hey, man, how you doing?"

"Fine, man, what are you doing in Ireland?" Lamar was wearing standard police riot gear. For a 17 year old, he didn't appear to be affected by it. Hell, he was lanky, so it should be twice his weight. He was very dark skinned, and had dark brown eyes, with his black hair braided, and both ears pierced.

"I came here because I got tickets to Glastonbury. Belfast was the last stop before Heathrow. Guess I've missed it, huh?"

"Yeah, you did." That was a no brainer. "Did you talk to Jimmy?"

"Yeah, man, I spoke with him." He then walked with me to the W5 canteen, talking. "Man, can you believe all this? Wizards, aliens, and superheroes. You can bet that, in one out of 5 guesses, you can spot someone with powers." _Like me?_ "Dude, are you a psychic, too? I can hear thoughts too." I doubt it. _Really, now?_ That wasn't me reading his mind, Lamar projected. "Man, you dating a girl with healing powers, and you can hear thoughts as well?"

"I can also lift things with my mind." We got up to the canteen. "What can you tell me about the three you were rescued with?"

"I met them today, they were attacked by other wizards, who I shot with a rifle I found. The girl, by the way, is related to the Admiral that's leading the Navy, here. Don't know how. One guy, named Harry, was pissed as hell."

"What did they do?"

"No, it's what they didn't do." We got something to eat, and sat down as far away as Sully as we could. "I read their minds, and dropped the bombshell that I knew they were wizards. Apparently, one of the guys I came here with, Harry, witnessed this other guy, Voldemort, long thought to be dead, kill another student from their school that was competing during this tournament. Told everyone when he used a magic trophy to teleport back. Here's the thing. The Ministry of Magic is leading a hate campaign to get him expelled for spreading lies, the Minister is trying to badmouth the Headmaster, and get this, his friends never wrote him a single letter, because the aforementioned headmaster told them not to."

"That's really fucking low. Witnessed a murder, slandered by the government, and kept from his friends?"

"Well get this. The headmaster, called Dumbledore, also took his pet owl, which is the only way to send letters in Magic society. Also, he was once again abandoned with his abusive relatives in Surrey."

"Wait, did his friends know about the abuse?"

"After I told them. I also told the guy that someone else was invading his mind. Not telepathy, though, I don't know what."

"Why didn't they write to him, aren't they friends?"

"Well, the red headed guy, called Ron, grew up in Wizard society. His parents have joined this group that were getting ready to fight Voldemort when the time was needed, which is lead…" _By Dumbledore?_ "He couldn't have tried, he would've gotten into deep trouble. The girl, Hermione, however, is a bookworm, Miss Goody Two-Shoes, she wouldn't dare try anything to piss off her teachers. They're here, after getting dropped off by Ron's brothers, after Harry ran off."

"Well, I would have to guess how pissed off he was."

"Well, before he left his school, Hogwarts, he got a House Elf, some magical creature, to work for him, found out that Dumbledore was keeping him in the dark, not letting him know about the slander, and also had the elf find his parent's will."

"What pissed him off?"

"First off, not letting him know that Harry was the main shareholder in several companies, magic and Muggle. Including the paper that was being used by the Ministry, the Daily Prophet, to slander him."

"It's printed, so it's libel." _Well, they're also using radio, so it's still slander._

_It's slander AND libel._

"Also, it mentioned that Harry was dumped with the last two people that his parents wanted to care for him, his aunt and uncle. Get this. The first intended guardian was Sirius Black, wrongfully convicted of selling Harry's parents out to Voldemort 14 years ago and killing 12 Muggles and a man named Peter Pettigrew, the third choice. He was the one who committed the crimes that Sirius was charged with, hid as a rat, Ron's pet rat, and killed the student and helped Voldemort get his powers back. The second one was Remus Lupin, but he was denied because he's a werewolf. The fourth one was…"

"No wonder he's pissed."

"Harry got Dobby, an elf, to deliver very nasty letters to his friends. Ron apparently was close to using a powerful curse on the old man. Actually managed to throw a plate right in his face. Ron found Dobby after the Drophyds striked, learned he was in Belfast, got Hermione and headed out here to make sure he didn't get killed. I met them at the Europa bus station, and they've been going at it since."

"Well, no use getting involved just yet, I'm turning in. See ya."

"Night, man." With that, I got a good night's sleep. Or I would, if Harry hadn't used a squeaking charm on Ron. Rest, then kill them tomorrow.

FILES:**Letter to Irish Based Militia**

Contained are some instructions on how to create a new compound which will hopefully allow us to fight the alien scum on terms more suited for us, and help us take over the world and have the lesser races forced to bow down before the Militia.

[A document is attached which shows instructions on how to create the compound, as well as several charts which show the compound on a molecular level.]

**Record on Macht 1**

We have performed initial tests on non human subjects, including apes which we are assured are extremely close to humanity, chimpanzees which have a DNA match of 99%, as well as several breeds of cats, dogs, snake, penguin and whatnot.

Initial tests with animals are promising, as they all show increased muscle tissue, as well as strength and speed, as well as tougher skin, and stamina. However, this is both a blessing and a curse.

A blessing, because this means, that if the drug, called 'Macht' shows the same effect on us, then the battle will be easier to win. A curse, because, when we have to dispose of the animals, we need something tough enough to kill them. We have used all of our ammo reserves killing three animals, and we requested a tank to perform the rest.

**Record on Macht 2:**

The test subject, the father of one of the men stationed here, is 75 years old, is 5 foot, 3 inches long, weighing 90 pounds, is wheelchair bound and suffers from senile dementia. We were ordered to test Macht on him, in the hopes that we can recruit more men to our cause. I realise that, while it did answer a few questions, it was a mistake.

In the first hour, the subject appeared to be doing fine, regaining his youth, growing to 6 foot, 3 inches, and was now over twice his body weight, around 230 pounds. He was physically 40 years old, had a build that would put a professional bodybuilder to shame, and was in top health. No signs of dementia afterwards. In fact, IQ measurements show his intelligence has skyrocketed to 210, meaning that Macht also makes the individual gain genius level intelligence.

In the second hour, the subject complained of an intense pain, inflamed skin, and lack of movement. Subject is now 7 foot 4 inches, and weighing 490 pounds. Build of Subject changes to focus more on strength, losing speed.

In the third hour, the subject is now unable to move from both pain and due to the fact that his skin is much too hard to move. He is now 8 foot, 6 inches, and is 700 pounds. However, as far as it is concerned, the test is a failure. The subject begged for death, and we had to comply. Due to the toughness of the subject's skin, we had to use an industrial drill on the back of the subject's head.

God Dammit, we have to stop just injecting Macht into anything the boss wants, just to see the effects. A good man died today, a death that shouldn't have occurred it we did this carefully.

**Record on Macht 3:**

After a further test, we have perfected the way that a subject is to receive Macht. We were already performing the tests before we performed the test that killed the last patient. The test subject was able to show definitive increased strength, speed, stamina and durability, on a much larger scale than the previous one. The subject also showed greater growth, both taller and heavier. The subject was also much older. Initially 5 foot 2 inches and 100 pounds (1.57m, 45kg), at the end, he was 9 foot 11 inches and over 1080 pounds (3.02m, 490kg). However, the subject escaped, killed all of the Militia and the zoo, and killed himself after running to the city park.

The safest way to give someone Macht is to give them 50ml in 10 separate doses over a period of 10 days. Each 5ml dosage is to be diluted by water so that the total amount is 250ml. The dosage is to be provided via IV, NOT INJECTION!

If the subject start complaining of irritation, then the IV is to be immediately stopped and the subject is to be given some pure water via either IV or by oral ingestion. All dosages are to be stopped until 1 full week. If, when dosages continue, the subject keeps complaining of irritation, dosages are to stop. The subject has reached the maximum that Macht will allow them to grow, and any more dosages will cause severe side effects, if not death.

I will

[The file was saved, but never finished. A video file on the computer shows the man writing the file tried to create a video file, but he was attacked by an unseen assailant. While his death is not shown, he tried to scream before his neck was snapped. The viewer can see a tail, like a lion's.]


	7. Operation Oddysey 7: Catastrophe

**Day 7 of the crisis**

It was nearly impossible to sleep last night, due to the fighting of the three wizards that arrived yesterday, and Hermione bitching out Seamus about spilling about them being wizards. Luckily, Cole showed off this power that would keep them all held down, even gave them gags so they would be quiet, so people could sleep. Then, by morning, they learn that the binds wore off, and were bitching each other again.

Apart from them, everything was quiet. We had took more territory belonging to Militia and Death Eaters, but the Drophyds have expanded their area, and I was told that I had a job to do against the Death Eaters, which would take more of their territory. I got ready and headed down to meet Elena.

"Hey, Ezio, did you read these files you got yesterday?" She greeted me.

"Only one, I couldn't read the rest."

"Well, you're lucky, because this is horrific." With that, Elena wiped the hair out of her face. "Dear god, what they did do to these people."

"Messed up shit." Shouting. Well, the Witches' Coven is going again. "Great, they're going at it again. Want me to try and shut them up?"

"Would you?"

"What do you want me to do, anyway?"

"Seamus said that there is a nearby high ranking Death Eater." She then gave me a pack of C4. "Blow the shit out of him."

"Where?" Suddenly, a notice was on my ARI, on where to go to perform the deed.

"On my way." As I left, I got closer to the arguing.

"No, you don't know, Hermione!" A black haired boy screamed at the red headed girl. Must be Harry. "You don't know how it feels!"

"Well, if you just talk to me-" The girl began. I already know that's Hermione.

"Why? Why should I talk to you? I don't know if I can trust you anymore!"

"You can still trust us, Harry!" Ron yelled.

"No, I can't! I can't trust either of you! You ignored me, didn't bother to write, because Dumbledore asked you to! You don't know what it's like!"

"Harry!" Ron yelled. "I couldn't write you! My parents were staying with Sirius! I was constantly under surveillance! And then, when Dobby gave me your letter, I threw a plate in his face!"

"How is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"WE CAME HERE! WE KNEW THAT THIS WAS A HELLHOLE AND WE CAME HERE TO BOTH SAVE YOU AND APOLOGIZE! AND I ACTUALLY HIT DUMBLEDORE IN THE FACE!"

"Hermione, why didn't you write to me! You could've used Muggle Mail, you knew my address, and you didn't write!"

"Dumbledore said that it wasn't safe to contact you!"

"Death Eaters have no concept of Muggle mail! How could they intercept your letters?" This is when I got tired. I just used a push attack and knocked them over.

"WOULD! YOU! SHUT! THE! HELL! UP!" I screamed. "There are people here who are fighting a war, and if you can't help, don't cause problems!" That seems to have done the trick. "So have a nice, calm chat, and sort it out, or I will kill all of you!" I was about to leave when I heard Ron think, _Frigid Git._ "I'm a psychic, Ron, I heard that!" I really need to kill someone.

**Mission Start: Boom**

"So, what do I need to do, Elena?"

"You have to stick the C4 into this hideout." The ARI then showed the target. "When the leader shows up, take him out and cause some chaos for the Death Eaters."

"Okay." As I was about to get started, the hideout exploded. "What the hell?" Suddenly, a flag was flown, showing a picture of, what I think is, a phoenix. "Fucking Snatcher! I had

him."

**Mission Complete: 500XP Awarded**

Suddenly a presence appeared behind me. I knew it was the Lombax, when wizards Apperate, you can feel them before hand.

"Well, thought I might as well help." I turned around, to see the Lombax smirking, tossing a Blast Core in one hand. "The guy was in there, paralyzed. I just put the bomb underneath him, and, boom." He then threw a letter over to me, which had the Death Eater insignia on it. So, they're interested in the Ray Tunnel, huh? With that, he teleported some crates in front of him. "Here are the Cores. Got the files?" I took the bag and threw them on top of the crate. "Well, that means our business is over."

As I opened the crate, I used the Shadow Eyes to analyse the Cores. "There's only 59."

"You copied the files!" He then threw the last core he had at me. Hit me right in the face. Strong bastard, he broke my nose. Now I'm bleeding. "You shouldn't be getting that last one!" He then teleported out, and I called Elena to tell her to get a vehicle over here.

"You shouldn't have done that!" Lizzie berated me. I had to get healed when I got back, and I explained everything to her. "Next time you're planning on double crossing someone, don't." She was deliberately taking her time, she knew this hurt.

"He wanted the files, if he didn't want me to copy them, he should've asked."

"Not the point." After Lizzie was done, we headed up to the canteen to get something to eat. "By the way, don't use push attacks on people you don't want to kill. Those three wizards all needed healing afterwards. You even broke an arm."

"Hey, you were sick of it, too." She tried to hide it. _You were, your thoughts said it all_. "Besides, it worked, they're over there, and they're having a civil conversation." They were actually laughing now, although they could go back to fighting at any time.

The peace would be short lived, however, as somebody sounded the alarm (This building has an alarm?). Chloe came up from the Hut, carrying a rifle. "Death Eaters are launching an all out attack! Ezio, head to the second floor, protect the kids!"

"I'll head up with you!" Hermione said, taking out a wand. "I can cast a charm to keep them protected. However, if both of us die, the charm will fail."

"How can I help?" Ron and Harry said in tandem.

"There are injured people on the top floor!" Chloe said, throwing two rifles at them. "Keep them safe. I'll have to head to the ground. There's a Death Eater in our supply area, and we're going to keep him there."

"The supply area?" I answered.

"The hockey arena." With that, Hermione handed Ron a notebook, and we headed to protect our targets, Hermione and me to the second floor, and Ron and Harry to the fourth floor.

When Hermione and I arrived, we got all of the kids to stay in the room while Hermione cast a shield charm. When she did, a group of white lines came around our wrists. "They're safe, no one can get in or out unless we want them too." At that, the window shattered, and several Death Eaters tried to Apperate into the room, but were rebounded off of the charm, and almost appeared near us, and were obliterated by a few pushes, before they started Apperating a good distance from us. "Well, you've scared them off."

"Just hope that we can keep them away." A few Death Eaters came over to us, as me and Hermione readied our guns. We were able to kill a good number of them before they started throwing killing curses. I, however, learned that I could catch spells, and that they become spread attacks when I hold them. I took out ten of them in a single go.

When the Death Eaters retreated, we began heading up to the top floor to meet Harry and Ron, who were coming back down. "Hey, Hermione, where'd you learn a spell like this?"

"Made it, stole some books from the restricted section about creating spells. Like a Fidelius charm, but it works on either a building or a room, and keeps anything in it invisible to the ones not protecting it."

"Ezio, you there?" Zeke said over the ARI. "Head over to the hockey rink. Get Lamperough out of there."

"Why, is there a problem?" I asked.

"Chloe was found with a bullet hole in her chest. She's fine now, under anaesthetics, but the Admiral went in with her, and he hasn't come out."

"Okay, I'll head over there." The others were giving me a weird look. "There's a Death Eater in the Hockey rink, a Navy admiral is MIA."

"Let's go!" Harry shouted before we headed out. When we got there, we noticed that there was a trail of blood. Shadow Eyes shows that it belongs to Chloe. She lost a lot of blood. We decided to split up, with me and Harry using one of the Teams' entrances, and Ron and Hermione using one of the higher boxes for cover. I also gave them inner-ear radios, as they didn't have ARIs.

When Harry and I got onto the ice, we found the Admiral, slumped over, dead, with a broken wand next to him. "Oh, no." Hermione said over the radio. "G-Grandpa?"

"You know him?" I asked.

"He's my maternal grandfather." She almost wept. She was trying to keep herself steady, and Harry went over and looked at the corpse.

"There's no wounds, must've been a killing curse." He said.

"So, there should be a wizard, here, but I only feel you, and the others."

"You can feel us?" _I'm a psychic, I can feel others thoughts, and hear them if I focus._ "Oh". At that, I felt someone Apperate in, faster than I expected. And there was a laser aimed at Harry. _Get down!_ With that, Harry and I both jumped out of the way as we saw the man who almost killed Harry.

He was a rat faced man, hunched over, and was brandishing a sniper rifle. I saw in my Shadow Eyes that he was an 'Animagus', or whatever that means. One of his arms was cut off and replaced with an animated metallic prosthetic. "Well, you certainly took your sweet time." He said.

"Pettigrew!" Harry screamed at him. _That the guy who betrayed your parents, huh?_

_How do you know?_

_Lamar is a much more powerful telepath. He told me._

"The Dark Lord will be pleased when I have both the artefact and you."

"So," I began. Shadow Eyes showed that there were three bullets left. I think I can get him to waste the rest. "You must be one of Voldemort's lower ranking officers to be stuck in a backwater place like this."

"OH, REALLY!" He screamed as he fired a shot in the air. Two left. "I am one of the Dark Lord's most trusted servants."

"You're nothing more than a liar and a coward!" Harry screamed at him. "You only helped the Dark Lord because you were proven to be still alive. You ran off to help Voldemort because he could offer you protection."

"SHUT UP!" He fired another bullet into the air. Harry looked over to me and smiled. He caught what I was up to, and he was helping. _Harry, when I give the signal, cast a spell at me, I can catch it and make it more powerful._ He nodded, and took out his wand. _Hermione, when I tell you, you and Ron shoot at Pettigrew._ She replied over radio.

"By the way, what's your name?" Hermione asked. _Ezio._ "Okay, Ezio, Pettigrew is an animagus, a wizard who can turn into an animal. He can turn into a rat." _No wonder I couldn't feel him._

"I was always going to betray your parents, Potter." Pettigrew sneered. "It was only a matter of opportunity." _Stay calm, Harry, we'll kill him soon._ "When James and Lily went into hiding and were going to use the Fidelius charm to protect themselves, they wanted Sirius to act as secret keeper. I still can't believe that I managed to fool those two. They made me secret keeper, Sirius went into hiding, and I told Voldemort where they were. It was perfect." _He's turned, now!_ With that, Harry cast a spell at me, I caught it, and it became an area spell. I was getting ready to throw it.

"So," I began. "How bad a wizard are you that you have to get up close to use a killing curse? I mean, he broke your wand and everything. Are you honestly stupid enough not to use explosives?" That one broke the camel's back, he screamed at me, Apperated to get a better shot, and- Missed me!

"NOW!" With that, Ron and Hermione began shooting at him, Harry cast a spell to stun him, and I threw the spell I was carrying straight at him. He flew across the hockey rink, and landed in the stalls. When me and Harry got over there, however, he was gone, with only the sniper rifle left.

"He turned into a rat and scurried off." Ron said over the radio. As I sensed him afterwards, we got back behind cover. How he was brandishing an Uzi. "Oh no, Hermione's taken her gun and is trying to get to the walkway up there."

"That's good, Ron, I'll keep him distracted." Suddenly, I lost Harry. I don't know where he went. I just picked up a couple of random items and started throwing them at Pettigrew. "Hey, come on, you really a pathetic pile of crap that you can't fight me fair and square?" Almost got hit there, but he was almost out of ammo. I managed to throw a can of beans at his ankle, and knocked him over.

When he got back up, he started shooting at where I threw the last one from, to pin me there. Suddenly, he was knocked off of what he was standing on, and was now on the ice. Suddenly I felt where Harry was, after he returned to normal. When I saw him with Shadow Eyes, I realised that he could now turn invisible at will, as well as control light. Harry was a Conduit.

Well, we ran over to get Pettigrew, but he Apperated away before we could get to him. "How did I do that?" Harry asked himself.

"Well, you're a Conduit, so I think the rules don't apply." Either way, we almost shit himself when Pettigrew Apperated with a rocket launcher. "RUN!" However, Hermione managed to shoot him in the chest. Pettigrew fell back, and fired the rocket straight at the walkway. It started to come loose, and Hermione began to fall.

"Hermione!" Ron and Harry screamed. Hermione had dropped her wand, which landed on the ice. Hermione screamed in panic as she tried to get a grip of the metal bars.

"Hermione, let go." I said.

"ARE YOU MAD?" Harry yelled in my face.

"Hermione, I'm telekinetic, I can catch you." To reassure her, I used my powers to reduce the strain she had and then, when she let go, I floated her down to the ground. "I'm not mad, Harry."

"That was bloody amazi-AAGH!" Ron screamed. He was coming down to meet us, and he was impatient enough that he jumped out of the box he was in.

"Ha… hahaha." Dear god, doesn't that bastard die? "You are all here, you idiots. And I still have a few tricks up my sleeve."

"You're close to dead, what have you got?" I asked the pathetic blood covered wreck.

"Well, I have- THIS!" With that, he whipped out a handgun, which we all didn't expect. Luckily, Lamar, Seamus and Lizzie were behind him, and shot his ankles. "AAAGH!"

"Give up." Harry said. However, Pettigrew only took out some card and held it up.

"Told you I only had a few tricks up my sleeves. Adveni." With that, some glyphs, a magic circle covered the ground, the supplies were thrown into the stand, and the ice suddenly animated itself. Pettigrew was killed when the ice skewered him in the face.

"What's going on?" Screamed Lamar.

"Whatever it is, it's going to be big." Hermione said.

"Liz, you're on healing duty. Lamar, Ron, Hermione, you stay away and use guns to fight. Seamus, there are explosives somewhere, use them. Harry, you and me get ready to do more of those combo spells." Everyone nodded as a large amount of ice formed into a large diamond shape. Suddenly, the ice formation shattered as a large, thin, slender, blue woman appeared from inside.

"Who dares summon me?" The woman bellowed at us. All of us simultaneously pointed to Pettigrew's impaled body. "You will pay for disturbing my rest." It was getting ready to attack us, as two flying ice diamonds appeared.

"Is this a Final Fantasy game?" Lamar screamed as we all opened fire. _Well, since my Shadow Eyes say that her name is Shiva, then yes, this is a Final Fantasy game._ "Wait, you can use Shadow Eyes, too?" _Yes, I can._ "I can do it too. It is called Shiva. It's diamonds are protecting it. Destroy those first. They're all weak to fire!"

"How did you see that? I could only tell it's name." _My telepathy must be stronger as it's my only power._ "Do what he says." I handed one of my Combustors to Harry and told him to shoot a crystal as I took out my Shard Reaper, and waited. I also used the Combustor I had left to shoot the other crystal. The crystals were using ice magic to defend themselves, while Shiva created a barrier to protect herself. Harry, Ron, Seamus and Hermione also used fire spells to deal more damage. When one of the crystals was cracked enough, I would shoot it with the Reaper to take down Shiva's barrier, and then we would aim for the main body.

Our opportunity came earlier than expected, because when the barrier was lifted, it caused her to fall over, overwhelmed due to the fact that her guardians were destroyed (Bet that was because they were eating up her magic). This was the opportunity we were hoping for. "Alright, how about some good old fashioned Belfast Rioting?" Couldn't have put it better myself, Seamus. We all grabbed the nearest item that could be used for a melee attack. Picking up an axe (I was wondering where this had gone), I held it up, pointing it at Shiva.

"Let's kick some ass." We all charged at her, attacking with our weapons and dealing a large amount of damage. Harry was throwing balls of light. Shiva was upright afterwards, but she couldn't hide the fact that she was injured. "Someone cast a fire spell at me! I have an idea!" All of the wizards complied, but I discovered that if I catch more than one spell, they combine, as well as received my bonus boost. I threw the gargantuan fireball at the ice lady and dealt a large amount of damage. However, something else happened, as the fireball became a fire tornado (YEEESS! 7 YEARS!) and she was limping heavily afterwards. It almost knocked me out, but it was perfect.

"She's down!" Lamar shouted. "This should take her out!"

"Let's skewer that bitch!"

"Damn, Lizzie, it's a good thing you're in charge of patients, you little bloodthirsty psycho!" Where did she get a spear, anyway? Shiva was trying to get back up. "Let's go!"

"Yeah!" Seriously, this is why I haven't broken up with her. That, and she's actually very attractive, and nice… The pros outweigh the cons.

As we charged her again, she hardly fought back. When we separated after the all-out attack, she just stood there, before she began to shatter, as another crystal appeared. "It must be her heart." Hermione said. Suddenly the crystal shattered, and the shards floated in the air.

**Mission Complete: 500XP. Leader Defeated: 100XP. ? Defeated: 250XP. Total Award: 850XP.**

"Well, this isn't Heaven." a familiar voice replied. We all turned around. There was a glowing blue ball of light there, with a sort of smiley face used for expressions. The voice was…

"Lamperough?" Lizzie asked.

"Grandpa?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, it's me." We were all shocked by this.

"B-But how are you a ghost?" Hermione asked, confused. "Only wizards can become ghosts."

"You broke Pettigrew's wand." Harry asked. "Did he use the killing curse at the same time? Because then, the reaction of the spell could've changed."

"Yes, I did. Wait, where is he?" The ball of light then swung around, in order to look around. "Who killed him?"

"The monster that he summoned to kill us." Lamar said, pointing at the shattered heart. The ball then went over to the heart to look at it.

"Well, this is strange." However, this did something. The crystal shards flashed and then flew around Lamperough's soul. "What the?" The crystal began to reform around the ball, absorbing it into the reformed crystal. Suddenly, another large crystal appeared.

"Don't tell me we have to fight that thing again." Ron complained. He was right, we were out of ammo, we couldn't fight it again. However, that wasn't happening. Because the thing that appeared was Lamperough.

"What the hell?" All of us said. Even the new ice giant that was Lamperough.

"I think, because we killed it," Lizzie began. "the power had to be inherited by someone else. It must've been because you were a ghost, that it was passed on to you." However afterward, Lamperough faded, and the circle that was on the ground suddenly lifted, and flew towards Hermione. We were all confused, but Hermione fainted. "Hold on, I might need to heal her."

"I'm alright… Just tired." Hermione said. She tried to get up, but kept slipping on the ice.

"Hermione, wait." Ron said. "We'll pull you out of here, if we have to, but just rest." He then got back up, helping Hermione to stand. I saw that there was a letter in Pettigrew's pocket, and took it. "Of course, how do we get back out? All of the exits are blocked off. Why is this place covered in ice anyway?"

"There was a hockey match on a few days before Day 0, so the ice was left uncovered." Lizzie replied. "They cover it whenever there's another event, like boxing or a concert."

With that, we heard a large shattering noise as a piece of ice flew overhead. Suddenly Raph came running in from a first floor spectator entrance.

"Raph, how did you do that?" I shouted.

"I just unlocked my Conduit powers. I have super strength." At that, we headed out, with Ron and Harry carrying Hermione. "Hey, how'd the ice get so bad, anyway? And why was that guy skewered?"

"That guy summoned an ice spirit to kill us." Seamus said. "It only killed him." When we got outside, we were greeted by Elena.

"Hey, are you guys okay?" She greeted us.

"Harry's a Conduit, he has light powers, Raphael has super strength, Lamperough's dead, Hermione was his granddaughter, we killed the wizard and a large ice goddess, Lamperough became a ghost, then inherited the ice goddess's power, became Hrímþursar, an ice giant and Hermione absorbed a magic circle." Whoa, I can't believe I said that in a single breath.

"And I can hear my grandfather in my head." Hermione said. "I've read about this magic. An Aeon. An embodiment of the basic magic elements. An Aeon can only be called by it's master. It must've killed Peter in rage that he summoned her, as he wasn't it's master."

As she was now able to stand up, she began pulling up the back of her clothes, and faced her back to Ron. "Ron, tell me, honestly… Is the incantation on my back?" Ron was silent, as he didn't know what to say.

"…Yeah, the symbol is there…" She then put her clothes back down, ran and hugged Ron. "What the bloody hell?"

"Ron, this is perfect!" She had confused Ron, alright. "An Aeon is the strongest form of magic imaginable. This will be brilliant for fighting Voldemort."

"Not just Voldemort." Chloe said. Lizzie was really good at healing. "The Drophyds too. And the Militia."

"Well, we won't have to worry about the Militia or Death Eaters, anymore." Zeke said. "The last of the Militia just got on a plane and left. They just took the Ray Tunnel. Destroyed the runways at both airports." Shit. "However, they arrived in the US, where they were arrested. Lamperough, before the attack, called the Prime Minister and got him to call the US president."

"So, Cameron called Obama?" Elena asked.

"Yeah, got Obama to guarantee the Ray Tunnel wouldn't be misused, now it's being kept by the CIA."

"Well, that's good." Ron said.

"I hope so." Zeke said. "When the US government discovered the Ray Sphere was in Empire city, they did horrible things."

"That was Bush's administration, wasn't it?" I asked. "He started the Iraq war, because he thought there were WMDs in there. What do you think he would do if there was confirmation that there was a WMD in the USA?"

"Yeah, hope they don't use the Ray Tunnel." With that, Zeke turned to leave before an owl crashed into his face. "Holy crap, what the hell?"

"Pig?" Ron said. "That's my owl, Pigwidgeon." The owl flew over to Ron, and appeared to hug him. "Okay, Pig, what have you got for me?" At that, Pig flew to the ground and let Ron get a parcel from the owl's leg. He then noticed that there were items inside there. He read the first letter on top. "My brothers sent me some stuff that would help me. Weaponised versions of their pranks. Does anyone have a 'glock'? Also, something about disabling a tracer on this other… shit." The other letter was…

"A Howler?" At that, I took the letter. "Might as well get it over with."

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Dear god, why was it louder? We opened it sooner. "I KNOW THAT YOU WANT TO HELP HARRY, BUT THIS WAS A STUPID ACT! YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A WAR GOING ON OVER THERE, SO I HAVE A TRACER ON THIS HOWLER!" Well, that was good for Ron's brothers to do. "I know you want to make it up to Harry, but I am a concerned mother." Now the guilt trip. "Please, keep safe." At that the letter tore itself up, and we took the box inside and got everything back in order.

FILES:

**Letter to Carrow:**

Carrow,

Our spies have informed us of an artefact that unlocks the true potential of humanity. We are already at our true potential, but we need to keep it out of the hands of those filthy Muggles and others of impure blood.

The artefact is currently in the possession of a group called the Militia, a group of Muggles. Retrieve it at once.

Voldemort.

**Letter to Wormtail:**

Wormtail,

A spy in Belfast has spotted Harry Potter and his friends in Belfast.

I want you to kill his friends, the blood traitor and the filthy mud-blood and bring him to me. ALIVE.

Voldemort

**Letter to Ron from 'Gred and Forge':**

Ronald,

We know you don't want us to get involved, but we are concerned about you and Hermione. So, we decided to help the best way we can. You know us. Included are weaponised versions of some of our future products, including:

A selection of potions based on our products from our skiving sweetboxes, minus the cures. DO NOT DRINK! (Various Poison effects)

Specially made fireworks, that hone in on any target that you are thinking of, to burn your targets. If a wizard tries to put these out by magic, then they will multiply by ten, and have greater effects. Can be fired in any direction, and always hit their target. (Fire damage)

Magic ice cubes, that will cause a small blizzard to form around a target that these are thrown out. If a wizard tries to melt them, the effects will be worse as well as multiply. If you miss, they will bounce to their target. (Ice damage)

A spinning top that creates a small tornado, to throw an opponent into the air. Again, the effects will be worse, and they will multiply if someone tries to destroy them. (Wind damage)

A small battery that will call down a bolt of lightning to zap an opponent. Will roll to the target if you miss. Multiplication and increased damage as standard. (Thunder damage).

A water balloon that will hit a target with the force of a large tidal wave. Must be filled, first. Etc. (Water damage)

A needle that, when held to the ground, will hit the target that you are thinking off from below with a pillar of rock. We haven't found a way to duplicate this one, yet, but we're working on it. (Earth damage)

One that we haven't come up with, these small holy talismans are imported from Japan. These are used for banishing evil spirits. Basically, if a dementor attacks you, use these to kill them. They're basically physical Patronus charms. They don't multiply, and you cannot make them stronger. Also, they explode in a flash of light to blind anything nearby. (Holy Damage and Flash effect)

Some Peruvian instant darkness powder, which we modified that can blind anyone for up to 24 hours, as well as able to kill specific creatures in one hit, if they can be classified as light creatures (Ask Hadrid, or Lupin). These only work on one target, however. (Blind effect and Dark damage).

Squeezers that are used to attack by altering the force of gravity in a small area, forcing the target to freeze. Weaker targets are killed instantly. (Gravity Crush damage and effect)

A dart that can be flown that releases a potion that makes the target weaker. These hone in as well, as well as multiply. (Demi effect)

Some healing potions that have a variety of effects, including healing wounds (Cure), removing all venoms and poisons (Poisma), removes lasting curses (Purify), a combination of these effects (Esuna), spells that make you faster (Haste), Stronger, both physically (Buff) and magically (faith), creates barriers against physical attacks (Protect), magic (Shell), as well as making you more likely to dodge (Vigilance). Also includes the opposite version of each item (Slow, Debuff, Mist, Deprotect, Deshell Curse), in case anyone else finds these effects. A positive cancels out a negative, and vice versa. There is also an item that can revive someone who has been knocked out or close to death. Someone sent this to us, we don't know who, but the effects are verified to help. We've tested them.

Larger versions of the attack items, in lower quantity. However, they also allow you to attack a larger range, and automatically target all enemies nearby.

Bullets that will allow a Muggle to use magic, but a wizard needs to cast the spell on them, first. The Unforgivable Curses will not work with these. Ginny made them, by the way, but they only support the Glock or whatever that is. You can make more, for whatever gun you like.

A cursed lantern. We stole this from the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom before summer. We know it's dangerous, but it can apparently bestow great power to anyone who knows how to use it.

There are 50 of the smaller items, and 5 of the bigger ones. The box is charmed to hold more stuff.

If you need to contact us or Ginny, we have included the PO box at the bottom, and Pig will take the letters to the Post office first.

Also, Mum sent a Howler, but we've disabled the tracer on it.

We've also included the recipes for our items, in case you need more. I bet Hermione will need these.

Lots of love, and take care,

Gred, Forge and Ginny.

[The included recipes are too complicated for me to understand, and I have no idea what some of this crap is. However, it is interesting. Ron says that these are pranksters? I have to get their products.]


	8. Operation Oddysey 8: Tragedy

**Day 8 of the fighting**

Everyone was recovering from the Death Eater attack. Healing, reloading weapons, resting… Elena took the axe I had away, but she gave me a new weapon from GrummelNet, a 'Beam Katana'. What the hell is a Beam Katana, anyway?

… I just found out that it's a light sabre. Cool, not only do I have psychic powers and weapons of mass destruction, I also have a light sabre. Now, add a plot involving a rebel group of pilots, Tachyon's immediate underling being my father and a small green creature and you can call me Luke Skywalker.

Anyway, Hermione was still shocked that her grandfather was dead, but she was comforted by the fact that she could speak with his ghost at anytime. Well, I want to ask more about the whole 'Aeon' thing. Jesus, this IS turning into Final Fantasy.

"Hey, Ezio!" Well, hopefully this is my chance. Hermione and Ron came rushing towards me. "Can you do me a favour, I asked Ron to go get some potion ingredients, but he's too scared to go back to the former Death Eaters' base."

"That's a valid concern, Hermione." I retorted. "We don't know what traps they left back there."

"Which is why I need you to go with me." Ron started up. "I can find the ingredients, just warn me about any traps."

"Okay, let's go." Well, if we get the chance, I wanted to test out these Groovitrons for once.

"Take these." Hermione said, handing me five each of fireworks, ice cubes, spinning tops, batteries, water balloons, needles, Japanese Talismans, some black powder, glowing squeeze balls, darts, some differently coloured drinks (Some with warnings on them), and a golden powder. She also handed us a small pouch each to put them all in. She also handed us some clear bullets for a glock, as well as the gun itself. "The bag is charmed to hold all of that stuff. If you want something, just think about it. You'll pull it out. Also, those glass bullets can allow a Muggle to use magic. Ron, a wizard needs to cast the spell first on the bullets. Don't worry, I've already charmed them for Disarming charms. Ezio, you only need to shoot at the target." With that, Ron and I headed out.

**Mission Start: Potion Ingredients**

As we headed out to the magic street, we were bored, so I stole the nearest car and put Ron behind the wheel. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ron asked me.

"Of course not, but who will care?" Ron was surprisingly good at flying a car. The word is 'flying'. How did he manage to get it over the river in one go, and keep the car in one piece? I'll tell you… After any files. Because I am scared shitless.

Anyway, when we got there, we got out of the car, I puked and Ron coiled up into the foetal position. I am no longer scared of roller coasters, and I have dubbed the car, the Ronaldmobile.

We got into the street and I used my Shadow Eyes to look for traps. There weren't any. As we looked around for a potion shop, I got talking. "So, Lamar told me about why you were all fighting." Ron let out a sigh. "Did you really throw a plate in your Headmaster's face?"

"I would've used a killing curse, but my mum knocked my wand out of my hand." Nice. "Anyway, we first need a cauldron, then the rest, we can worry about afterwards." We managed to get all of the necessary ingredients, as well as several cauldrons. "Hey, what's this?" I asked as I saw a file in one building. "'Subject ß 2'? 'Record on Macht 4'? Why would this be here?" Ron just shrugged, he hadn't read the first file. Whatever, I'll read it later. "Okay, let's get out of here."

However, Ron froze when he saw a puddle suddenly freeze. Taking out the hatchet (Hey, that's mine) he turned towards me with a look of fear and seriousness. "TAKE OUT A TALISMAN!" When I did, Ron screamed and I saw, through the Shadow Eyes, a large, floating cloaked figure. No, two. Three of them. Not hesitating, we threw two talismans at the creatures. Suddenly, after they flew and hit them in the face, a tower of floating, glowing pieces of paper surrounded the monsters, trapping them, before exploding. The creatures were reduced to still living husks, but they weren't going to bother us.

However, the last one grabbed me, held me up, and began sucking. It pulled something out, I don't know what, but I was extremely drained. Ron slapped the monster with a talisman, and it dropped me as it became a husk. I almost fell, unconscious, but Ron grabbed me and forced a green potion down my throat. "Hey, that tastes like strawberries and lime." I was back to normal, couldn't say the same for the husks. I took out my beam katana. I'm about to need it. "We have to push through. You ready?"

"Let's go!" Ron shouted, as we charged the husks. They were killed instantly. "Those things…" Ron said as he caught his breath. "They're called Dementors… They… tried to… suck out… your soul."

"Shit, we got what we need, let's go." We headed out and got in the car. "Can you fight them with magic?"

"No, I can't. Only Harry knows how to cast a Patronus."

"Well, it can't be that hard." I found some knives and got into the driver's seat. "I'm driving. I don't want to fly again." I began to drive away when Ron screamed. Looking back, I saw that there were several more Dementors. "You focus on fighting them, I'll drive." Ron threw some more talismans, however, they were our last two. Ron, panicking, threw some of the daggers madly. He was really good, as he killed a Dementor with every throw. Three with one.

I drove towards town hall, while also handing Ron a Groovitron. "See if these help." As Ron threw them, we noticed that any Dementors caught in them would suddenly be held and completely dissolve.

"What the hell are those things?" Ron asked as he threw one more, well timed to kill 10 of them. _Groovitrons, they're supposed to slow them down, make them dance._ "That's it, they force the Dementors to feel positive emotions, forces them to starve to death."

"What?" I turned to Ron. "That shouldn't work!"

"BUS!" As I turned around, I saw that there was a really fast moving bus up ahead. A… triple decker bus? That caused me to panic as my Shadow Eyes reverted, and the bus disappeared.

"As I was saying, Dementors dying from positive emotions is completely bull. I understand the idea working in a video game, with the whole 'Revive kills zombie' plan, killing a negative with a positive ailment, but this is real life, not some guys idea." I switched on my Shadow Eyes again and continued driving, as I got airborne and drove through the first floor of a clothes store.

"Well, they kill positive emotions around them to feed off the negative ones. Does that mean that it could be possible?" When I put that into consideration, after ramming straight into a Dementor, and sending it over us, we have been killing dark broody monsters with light magic and dancing, so…

"Yeah, I think that would actually work." Either way, I was shocked to see that the Shadow Eyes classified Ron as both a wizard and a Conduit. I bet his power is luck. Well, we were prepared for a Dementor attack we didn't expect, Ron was really good with throwing knifes, there were less Dementors than we expected, we were able to perform several car stunts (I did a back-flip! Let alone what Ron did) and we got all of the ingredients and a few files. Mission accomplished.

**Mission Complete. Awarded 500XP. Enemies Defeated: 50. Awarded 10 X 50 = 500XP. Skills performed: Elemental kill (15 X 50XP) Total Award: 1750XP.**

We managed to drive back without any incident, and we went back to Hermione, handed her the bag and sat there. "Well," Ron started, "At least the car is in one piece." Never tempt fate. The car exploded after he said that. Luckily, we got out beforehand, and it killed a stray Drophyd.

"Holy…" Was my only response.

"Man, we need marshmallows." Lamar came and sat beside us. "I watched your crazy taxi play through on the ARI. Dementors didn't show up, but that was really funny. I've been meaning to try using Adobe software for video editing, just to try it out." With that, he looked at Ron. "He's a Conduit. His power? Luck. Hermione has wisdom, can remember anything she reads, ask her anything, she'll know the answer, instantly." With that, we both looked at him, confused. "Also, she can't get information that wasn't in a textbook, so we can't use her for spying."

With that he left, followed by Ron, then me. I need a drink.

After drinking fanta, rum, Guinness, Fanta and rum, Guinness, Tennants and pig's blood, I went to the toilet and puked because **I drank pig's blood**. I puke a lot lately. Well, after I got out, Cole came up to me. "Seriously, sober up." At that, he handed me some water, and told me to drink it. I was sober immediately afterward. "So, poison cures work on alcohol. Might as well remember that."

"What is it, Cole?" At that, he handed me a printed email.

"This was sent through Skype." In it, the letter said that the US government had arrested the Militia who tried to fly in from Belfast. However, that wasn't the only thing.

Now, some of you might remember that there were robots when we went to help the Navy in chapter 3. Well, there was a reason. The Militia had captured a kid who was a genius inventor, and were forcing him to make robots for them to boost their numbers. They left him in some factory before they cleared out. "Let me guess, you want me to go and find him, and make sure that he's still alive, and bring him here?"

"You, Elena and Hermione." He replied. "Zeke will be radio support. Also, Grummel 2 wants to talk to you, about an ARI mod." Well, hopefully, it will show the ARI interface without me having to remove my helmet. Yeah, in case you're wandering, I have to remove the helmet when I'm using the ARI, as the eye guards obscure the vision making them inaccurate. Well, I was right, the armour was modified with an ARI interface. Also, it seems that the ARI was a Nexus invention, so we get royalties for it. And if you want to know, no I don't wear the armour all the time, I take it off when I'm at the Odyssey.

As Elena and Hermione came up to me, I noticed that they were carrying melee weapons. Elena had a spear and Hermione had a rapier. "So, you stole Lizzie's spear? She's not going to be happy. And where did you get a rapier?"

"Fred and George sent notes on how to perform alchemy, I forged it from some scrap metal and a potion ingredient." Hermione explained.

"Come on, we have to save whoever the Militia had captured." Elena ordered. Hermione and I agreed to follow her. She had the best leadership skills. We learned that it was some sort of factory on the other side of town, so we set out.

**Mission Start: Search and Rescue.**

"OK, we have to hurry, I don't want to be out after sundown." Elena said.

"Relax, I have an idea." I interjected, picking up a slab of stone.

"Oh, really, it better be-" *SMASH* As I unlocked the car door, I ripped off the bottom of the car's head rest. It was an old car, so it was easy to start. "I'll drive."

As we arrived, the car broke down. "Oh, no." Elena tried to start the car again. _Why are you trying to start it again, we're here._ As she got up, she looked at us. I was in the back seat and Hermione was in the front. "There's no gas, we need some more, or we hijack another car.""Well, it better be an old car, I can't hijack the newer ones." I replied. Before Hermione could ask, "I saw it in a movie from the 80's, and the newer cars have a built in mechanism that stops hijackers."

We got out and headed into the factory. Elena primarily had a Combustor out and ready, I had a Combustor ready while having my katana ready to activate, and using it to support the gun, and Hermione had her rapier ready. Guess she wasn't used to using guns, unless she needed to. Even though she is much better at using guns than the average person. Must have got the knowledge from a gun safety manual.

As we headed in, we noticed that there were several deactivated robots dressed in Militia uniform. "So, have any idea how the person did this?" Hermione asked. "The one who we need to find?"

"I have to say that they were working on a new line of machine, a robotics scientist, or someone with Conduit powers." Was my reply. As we headed further inside, we found an office that had a diary. Hermione opened it up. As she read, I looked around for whatever I could.

"As I write this," Hermione read out loud, "I feel the last of my sanity slipping away. Absolute knowledge is the power that I have obtained and it is driving me mad. I have just shot someone I care about in a fit of insanity. I have done horrible things to both my wife and my son." As she finished reading in silence, we noticed a guy who had killed himself, by shooting himself in the head. "In the event that you are reading this, I must ask that, if my suicide attempt fails, whoever is reading this diary, to please end my life. Allow me to seek penance for my sins." As I lifted the mask off, I recoiled in horror. "Oh, god."

"What the shit?" I stood to look at the face that was staring back at me. It was the same scar that I saw in Raphael's memory. The sideway cross, with the line underneath it. I also saw the face of my father. "Dad?"

"Oh, god, Ezio." Elena came over and pulled me away. As Hermione put down the diary, she walked over to a nearby closet and opened it up. She screamed as she opened up the door to see a rotting corpse. I just went over to the nearby waste receptacle and hurled into it. As Elena came over to me to help me, I just stood up. "We have to get out of here."

"Yeah, let's find the person here, they're not far, then we'll torch the place." Hermione gave me sympathetic looks, because she thought that I was about to lose it. "Hey, mission control."

"Yeah, EZ." So, Jimmy is on control today. "Sorry about your folks man. If there is anything I can do-"

"Tell Raphael what I found, to get here and bring a lot of gasoline. I'm torching this place and calling it a funeral." We all got ready to head out and walked out of the office. We then heard a large commotion and a scream from down the hallway.

"SOMEBODY HELP!" As all of us ran into a large room, we saw a small child who was hiding in a small gap on the second floor. When we saw what was attacking him, I dropped my katana. It was huge. And ugly.

"Is- Is that a troll?" Hermione screamed. However, that outburst drew the troll's attention. It had a large club, and was dragging it towards us. But… It wasn't attacking. "Wait, why isn't it attacking? It should've tried to kill us."

"I told it not to." replied a voice from behind us. "He is, after all, my pet." As we turned around, we saw a woman, wearing a long, black dress, with an extremely messy beehive hairdo. I almost thought that it was Amy Winehouse, but while she was beautiful, there was a hint of madness in her looks.

"Well, at least you three may entertain me for a short while." She also carried a sort of wand, which was very crooked. I guess she's a witch. "That last man was fun while he lasted. But he managed to break from my control."

"What?" I growled at her.

"I managed to toy with him, after I broke him. A quick shot of Macht overloaded him mind with his powers. Then I took over. It was fun to watch him do what I ordered him to. But he was boring, so I ordered him to off himself."

"YOU BITCH!" I charged at her, but the troll swung at me, knocking me into a wall. That bloody stung.

"Well, you must be one of his filthy Mud-Blood sons." She then went to leave, while waving her hand. The troll waved his club in the air and bellowed, showing that it was ready to attack. "I think I'll let this big guy play with you. I can't stay, the Dark Lord needs me." As she headed out the door, it closed behind her. Hermione took out a potion and forced it down my throat. It fixed up my wounds, but not perfectly.

"It has a gaping wound on it's leg!" The young boy yelled at us. As the troll went to take another swing at both Hermione and me, I grabbed her and rushed away before the attack connected. Elena went and threw a fusion grenade at the troll's wounds. It stunned it enough that it kneeled down to grasp it's now bleeding leg. As I helped Hermione up, an overhead crane came and hit the troll on the head. It managed to daze it, but it wasn't over.

As we got up, I took out the Shard Reaper and tried to get close to the troll. It kept missing every single time, but I was being cautious. I was using the Shard Reaper because when I got close, I wanted to do large amounts of damage in a short amount of time. As I fired a shot into the troll's leg, it kicked me away, but it wasn't that painful. Another crane went over and hit it again. The troll wasn't down yet, but it was bleeding from the head. However, it was now going into a berserk rage.

As we were getting ready for the next attack, the troll was swinging wildly. We couldn't get close to it. However, Hermione whipped out her wand, did a motion with it and said, "Wingardium Leviosa." The troll's club suddenly floated in the air, as the troll realised that it wasn't in it's hand anymore. It looked up, where Hermione was holding it, as she released the club onto the troll's head.

That must've done it, as the troll just fell over and didn't get up. As I cautiously walked over, I felt around it's neck, all over, just to see. However, there wasn't anything else to do. "It's dead." As Elena walked over, Hermione looked up to the walkway on the next floor. The kid that was here came out of it's hiding place and came over to us.

"Wow, that was so cool!" He said in an excited voice. "You actually killed the giant?"

"Actually, that was a mountain troll." Hermione replied in a sudden outburst. "But, why is there a troll here? They're native to Scotland."

"Perhaps the Death Eaters took it here?" Elena replied. She then walked over to the boy and knelt down. He was roughly around 9 or 10 years old, Caucasian, blonde hair that reached the back of his neck, also had black streaks through it, and bright blue eyes. He was wearing knee length shorts, ankle length socks with white trainers and a T-shirt of the show Ben 10. He also had a nasty gash in his right arm. "My name is Elena. What's your name."

"Halley. Halley Stark." He introduced himself. "But, you made that large club float. How did you- Was that magic? Or psychic powers?"

"I'm a witch." Hermione said. "Hermione Granger. Nice to meet you, Halley."

"I'm a Psychic, but Hermione was the one who took out the troll. Ezio O'Malley." While he was amazed at us, we were surprised that he was so sharp and intelligent, while still being a kid. "Wait, Stark? Like Iron Man?" With that, he suddenly became quiet.

"Yeah, like Iron Man." I had to guess that he was being bullied because of his name. "Most of the older boys teased me about it."

"Hey, Halley, I have to say, thanks for helping." Elena butted in. "You were the one moving the crane, right?"

"Yeah, I can tell most machines what to do, I can talk to them, and I can make just about anything with the right equipment." He suddenly looked up to the crane, and the crane suddenly started moving on it's own accord. It went and picked up the club that the troll was carrying and threw it across the room. "The men that held me captive here wanted me to create robots, but they wanted me to do it by hand, which was slow."

"So, you have technopathy? The power to control machines with your mind?" Halley gave a quick nod. "Well, that makes your surname funny, because you have a superpower." At that, Hermione came over to Halley and gave him two bottles.

"Halley, can you drink this? It will make your arm better." She handed him a healing potion. She was trying to make him take it so that his arm would heal. He was refusing.

"Why do adults insist on making me take medicine? It doesn't do anything, anyway."

"Halley, she's a witch." I pointed out. "That's a magic potion." He was anxious, but he drank it nonetheless. As he was finished, he noticed that his arm was healing up quickly. "Wow. It's healed. Thanks." As we all got outside, I noticed Raphael waiting outside. "Elena, Hermione, you head on. Don't wait for us." As they hesitantly headed out, Raphael and I headed in.

I brought him to where mum and dad were and gave him a minute. It was a really awkward silence as he saw what happened. "You know," he started. "I was always expecting this news, just didn't know when." When we were ready, we grabbed the petrol and covered the room with it. Afterwards, I took out my Combustor and got ready to light the oil. After a quick nod from Raphael, I lit the fire and we headed outside, and sat on a car as we watched the factory go up in smoke.

"So, what did you do since getting your powers?" I asked Raphael.

"I've been helping around the city." He replied. "Clearing debris, moving large supplies, bending metal. You've been mostly fighting, I'll bet." _That, and doing Hermione's grocery shopping._ "Hey, have you noticed any… Physical changes since getting your powers? Like, anything unusual?"

"Well," I began. "I'm now a hermaphrodite, going through menopause." As he looked over to me with a shock look on his face, I began grinning. "Nah, I'm just kidding. Only my eyes change colour at will, and I have a scan power when they're purple cat eyes. So, what about you?"

"I'm definitely taller, and I think my physique is getting more defined." As I looked over as he lifter up his shirt, I saw that he had a very noticeable 6 pack. "Well, I guess it's true. Superpowers give you a body of a god." _You're not going to let it get to your head, are you?_ "What, I can impress the ladies, can't I?"

"Yeah, just don't be a player." I retorted. "Mum would come back to haunt you."

"Well, at least you have a steady girlfriend." He said and messed with my hair. "I'm 21 and I've never had a girlfriend. You and Lizzie are made for each other. You've been together for three years, even after her dad was put in jail because of what he did to you. I would love to meet someone like that."

Ah, yes… I should probably explain my head injury. In May of last year, a group of friends and I went to our a bar in a beach town away from our High School, for a friend's birthday. His name is Daniel. He went to Orlando on the 25th, and since Day 0 was the 7th of July, he's probably still out there. I took Liz because she had recently had an argument with her dad, and I thought that she might be able to make friends with someone from 5th year that was coming down to celebrate with us.

Anyway, I was supposed to stay sober because I was the only one with a driver's licence, and therefore, the designated driver. However, my drink was spiked, and I had to be taken to the nearest hospital, and was placed in A&E because I was drugged with ruffies, and I wandered out into the open street where I was struck by a car.

When the police investigated, saying that I was possibly a victim of attempted date rape, the police told Liz that, after looking at the security tapes, that the person that drugged me was her father. He had been complaining that I wasn't a suitable enough boy to be dating, and that he knew someone better for her to date.

By the way, Elizabeth is from the mostly Protestant town of Kilkeel, I was raised a Catholic. So, he was angry that she was openly dating a Catholic. The police charged him with reckless endangerment and attempted murder, but he admitted that he wanted to 'show his daughter that her boyfriend was scum'. Well, Lizzie refuses to speak with him, I had to go into the hospital repeatedly, once during Day 0, and he ended up getting divorced in jail.

"Well, I do love her, but with everything going on, I haven't been spending enough time with her." I then walked over, closer to the burning building to get my thoughts cleared out, and then turned to Raphael. "When this is over, I'm going to propose to her."

"You mean you haven't?" He said with a faux look of disgust.

"I'm serious, man, you see what's happened so far." I then pointed towards the burning building as an example. "I'm going to make sure she's safe, and when, not if, when this crisis is over, I'll propose, saying, 'Elizabeth Margaret Richards, I love you, and I have seen some crazy crap over the last how long it lasts,' I'll list everything I've seen, 'and I don't think that I'll ever get another chance to ask this, will you marry me?'".

"Hey, one question." He then walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "How are you going to afford a ring, let alone a wedding?"

"I don't know, but I'll manage." With that, we headed out to the Odyssey, and I wondered what mess was going to occur next.

FILES:

**Subject ß 2**

Subject ß, [BLACKED OUT], was originally captured twelve years ago, for the crimes of [BLACKED OUT] Upon his capture, he had escaped twice, one after six years, and another after ten years.

In the initial escape, he was held in a large metallic coffin, under the Emperor's orders that he suffer for nine years before being executed. The reason is due to the crimes listed above; [BLACKED OUT] He was given two drugs. One, which was a paralysis drug to prevent him from being able to move, but still allow him to feel pain, and a non fatal venom, which was to inflict the maximum amount of pain possible. In hindsight, this is where I think ß awakened as a Conduit. Also, the pain he went through may have made his powers much more powerful.

After developing an immunity to the drug, he broke out and, in a fit most likely caused by addiction to the drugs, he killed everyone on the Kreeli Comet facility, and promptly passed out. However, he regained consciousness before reinforcements could arrive, and slaughtered everyone after adjusting to his powers. By hijacking a ship, he flew straight into several of our most important outposts.

We never recovered the bases, the Kreeli comet being taken over by Captain Slag and his pirates, and the Free Polaris movement securing the rest, with aid from an unknown individual calling himself, 'Laguna'. Only the original president of the Free Polaris Republic has ever seen Laguna, and he refuses to tell anyone his identity. When we asked ß if he had any involvement, and if he was Laguna, he said no, adding that he was 'Zidane'. He however sings the Republic's anthem, mostly to anger the Emperor. The event is known as the First Blitz in the Empire, and the Divine Revolution in the Republic.

His second escape, which was two years ago, was a result of the Emperor managing to severely anger ß, by [BLACKED OUT]. As he was escaping, [BLACKED OUT]. This was the Second Blitz, and afterwards, several planets escaped from Empire control and joined the Republic. The Emperor, [BLACKED OUT]. We captured ß in record time, however, the FPR had begun actively trying to topple the Emperor. Some insurgents chose to crash a stolen commercial spacecraft into the Emperor's palace, and we chose to kill thousands of civilians who we believed to have helped the FDR in the past, and say that they were killed as collateral damage.

After ß was recaptured, the Emperor ordered that [BLACKED OUT].

[The rest of the file is blacked out. I can't read the rest. However, sweet merciful Jesus, I hope that ß is still sane after all this. But why would the Death Eaters have this?]

**Record on Macht 4:**

The effects of Macht on several individuals.

On a regular human, Macht would cause colossal growth, as well as increased strength, speed, durability and stamina. However, we have also discovered that Macht shuts down the glands that cause pleasure and happiness, as well as causes the glands that cause negative feelings, like depression and sadness, to create a large amount of hormones. The subject goes into a depression that he cannot come out from, and is driven to suicide.

In Conduits, however, Macht causes their powers to become far more greater. For example, when a kid we had captured was given a large dosage of Macht, his fire powers became much more stronger. However, their powers become uncontrollable. The kid died in a fireball that he created. We have deduced that the maximum that a Conduit can take before this happens in 5ml. However, any higher, and they will most likely kill themselves by their own powers.

Testing on animals is roughly the same, however, the hormone glands do not appear to be

[The file wasn't finished, but it appears that Macht will drive normal individuals to suicide, and will kill Conduits with their own powers if they take too much. What effects does this stuff have on wizards.]

**Complete Diary Entry:**

As I write this, I feel the last of my sanity slipping away. Absolute knowledge is the power that I have obtained and it is driving me mad. I have just shot someone I care about in a fit of insanity. I have done horrible things to both my wife and my son.

I hear a foreign voice in my head, a woman, that tells me to do things. It is a very seductive woman's voice, and I am compelled to perform all of the actions that they order me to perform horrible acts, and I have this compulsion to do so.

I am about to kill myself, and I don't care what anyone does to my body afterwards. My wife's body is in the closet. Please make sure she is buried.

In the event that you are reading this, I must ask that, if my suicide attempt fails, whoever is reading this diary, to please end my life. Allow me to seek penance for my sins.

Gerard O'Malley.

[There is a large amount of rambling notes, I doubt that they're useful, but I should keep them handy. Dad's power was absolute knowledge, after all.]

Percival isn't himself.

Cats will lead the way. [… Lombaxes?]

The weasels hold the hearts of lions. They will aid you in your darkest hour.

Her name is Caroline. [Is that a portal joke?]

Darkness will lead to light.

Kessler is the cause. [Wait, does that mean that…]

The moon will bless you.

Give my regards to the plumber.

They're big, stupid jellyfish. To treat Keplar, see TB. [Tuberculosis?]

The lantern will free the king. [Well, now we know what to do with the lantern that Fred and George gave us.]

6 minutes. [Chloe can only travel back by 6 minutes. Is this a rule about time travel?]

Horcrux. Look it up, pad foot.

There are two people the prophecy applies to. Tom chose the boy, but this is his undoing.

Get mad. [Portal again]

They have a mutual existence.

Prophecies have several meanings.

The white and red one has an innocent sin. Help him end his eternal punishment. [Persona 2? Wait, does this have to do with someone remembering a separate universe? Or… Atoning for a sin that wasn't their fault?]

Ron, go to Vegas for your stag do. [Oh, yes.]

The socket wrench inherited it from somewhere. [Socket wrench… Also known as a Ratchet wrench… What did he inherit? Wait… Aren't Conduit powers passed down by the father?]

They exist as souls.

Arcana Tarot.

She needs you to trust her for her power to work. Trust her.

Pikachu is a cute creature. [If this means that they're real, I want one]

Don't be distressed, you're a shape shifter. Every pervert wants to get it on with you.

It isn't her fault. Blame the toad.

When two bills meet, much laughing will ensue.

In Greek Mythology, Cerberus, the three headed dog, was the guard of the underworld, whose duty was to keep souls of the dead and alive separate.

Etna is a bad boss.

Time Turners ignore your rule, son, but you're right. [What the fuck? What's a time turner? And how does it ignore the time travel rule? Wait… How far back did Kessler travel? How badly did it go?]

The penguins of the damned will worship the moon.

The councils are idiots.

No, it isn't cannibalism. It's funny.

Let the spirit speak with Cho.

Defence Association is a better name.

ß will appreciate a fishing pole. [What?]

Power is safe in small dosages. One a day is the best option. [… No way am I messing with Macht.]

Closed rooms are linked.

Thoughts can only be heard if someone has a soul

[Isn't that Sony's slogan?]

Cornelius is going to hate Apollo, because he is the best ally you'll get at the trial. [Whoever Apollo is, he must be one hell of a lawyer.]

Tell Kyon that it wasn't her fault. […Kyon? What does that mean? Will I have to speak with him?]

Okay, here's what happened. After Ron and I got out of the Odyssey, I hijacked a car and let Ron drive. I have a licence, by the way, I wanted to see how good Ron was. So, after Ron suddenly span backwards, we realised that the car was set to reverse. After that was fixed, Ron sped down the road.

As we were driving, we suddenly saw a ramp that was leading into a spiral loop that was leading into a loop. As I was trying to get Ron to stop the car, he tried his best to use the brakes, as he saw a large red button on the hand brakes. The big, red button was actually a nitrous boost, and we headed full on into the loop.

The loop also had it's own speed boosters, that increased the momentum of the car, whilst also sticking some sort of force field item to the bottom of the car. As we headed into the loop, the force field activated and we hit the water repeatedly, whilst doing sideways flips. We were basically a giant skipping stone, bouncing on the surface of the water until we got to the other side of the river.

That was when we crashed into a large gas truck. We were protected by the field, as we noticed that now we were being launched into the sky. The force field generator protected the car, as we landed on the ground, as it decelerated our descent until we safely crashed into the ground just outside of the magic street. This was when we got out of the car.


	9. Operation Oddysey 9: Assault

When we got back to the Odyssey, Raphael went over to talk to Chloe, and Elizabeth ran over to me. She obviously heard. "Ezio, Lamar told me about your parents. I am so sorry." She then hugged me, trying to comfort me. I pushed her away, and looked her in the eyes.

"Elizabeth." I said.

"Wait, you only call me that when it's serious. What's the problem?"

"When Belfast is secure, we are going to spend a lot of time together. I promise." She had a look in her eyes, and I heard her thoughts. _What's up with you?_ "Ever since this occurred, we haven't been spending enough time together. I want to spend some time with you, while I still have the chance. Okay?" She then gave me a smile, and nodded.

"Okay, when we get the chance." As she gave me another hug, I embraced her, my way of saying that everything would be all right. "By the way, I'm going to use a blast core tonight, when I'm done. I checked up on Halley, but I have one more patient to heal. Cole wants you to use one, as well."

"Okay, let me know what it does." I said, as I went over to the Hut. "Hey, if you ever need money, you're the world's greatest surgeon. Anyone will pay for you to be the one to operate on them." She then smiled at me as she headed to Finn. I wonder what happened to him.

As I got into the Hut, I passed Raphael, and I suddenly saw a blast core getting thrown to me by Cole. "Use it when you go to bed tonight, we're pulling a big operation tomorrow, and whatever power you get will be a significant help." As I headed out, Cole gave me his condolences. Everyone said, 'I'm sorry for your loss.' I just went and got something to eat, and caught Liz heading up to use her core.

"Hey, Liz, use your core, and I'll help you into bed." She nodded as she held it in her hands, and I applied the car battery as a bright flash and a large amount of green light filled the room. Liz momentarily floated in the air, and then began to drop. I caught her with my powers as she almost hit the floor, and I placed her into a spare bed and then put a sheet over her.

Raphael came up and got ready to use a core, as well. I offered to help him, but he said he was more concerned about me. He then told me to use my core, and when I did, everything went dark.

**Day 9 of the Fighting**

When I woke up, Liz was already over me, and had a look of concern on her face. As I leant up, I asked, "What's the problem?" She then pointed at my ass and… I… "HOLY SHIT IS THAT A TAIL!" I had a lion's tail, it was covered in fur, the same colour as my hair and brighter blonde stripes. However, when I jumped out of bed, it was… gone.

"So, you have some shape shifting powers?" Liz said to me. "Is that what you got?"

"I don't think so, I had some sort of bizarre dream, something to do with my next power, and it wasn't shape shifting."_What was it then?_ Liz said. "I had some dream about… controlling things, other people in a short distance. I think… It was mind control."

"Mind control?" Liz said. "Yeah, I had a vision, too. I saw… I was hurting myself, but I wasn't hurt. The person that I was near to was bleeding, like where I had hurt myself. I also saw that someone stabbed me in the heart… and he suddenly fell over, dead."

"So, you have voodoo powers? Good thing you can heal, huh?" She then gave Raphael a dirty look. "Hey, you can only use it in self defence."

"What did you get, big guy?" I retorted. And he was big. I noticed that the core somehow made his body bigger. He was a full foot taller than yesterday, was two feet taller overall since this disaster started and was a whole lot more defined. So, his powers must definitely have the 'Heroic build' rule in mind. "And if you say that you have super speed, or heat vision, I'll kill you."

"Okay." He said, and gave me a mischievous smile, before suddenly disappearing and standing behind me with all of my clothes. Super speed. I began giving him dirty looks. "Does that answer your question?"

"Yes it does. Now, give me back my clothes, and my underwear in particular." Suddenly, I was fully clothed, but he was still holding my underwear.

"Hey, I got you some fresh ones." He then threw the old pair in the trash.

"Hey, Ezio, you know how I have a 'No sex before marriage rule'?" Liz said as she leant in to kiss me. "Perhaps I should break it."

"Well, I guess we should report our powers to some of the higher ups." I said. However, Raphael suddenly grabbed me by my shirt and went over to the stairs.

"Let's get something to eat first." He said. _Put me down_ I thought. He suddenly dropped me. He was frozen in place. "Hey, Ezio, I can't move."

"So, that's how my power works." I said aloud. _You're free to go?_ He then was able to move again, and we went down to the canteen.

"Hey, Ezio, Lizzie." Halley greeted us. "You guys use something to get new powers, right?"

"Yeah. Morning." I greeted the small kid. "This is my brother, Raphael. Raph, this is Halley.""So, Lizzie said you have a power, too?" Raph said to the small boy. "What have you got?"

"I have, what is it called, technopathy?" I explained Halley's power to Raphael as we all began to eat.

"Halley, it's 6am. Why aren't you in bed?" Lizzie asked the small kid.

"I went to bed at 8, and I couldn't stay there any longer. So, I decided to see how I could help. So, Hermione said that, after I ate, I could see what I could do with the captured Drophyd crafts." He then started eating his cereal. "So what powers do you have, anyway?"

"I have move things with my mind, speak through thoughts, hear thoughts, see things that no one else can, although not as well as Lamar, another telepath, can catch magic spells, making them stronger and now I have mind control."

"I'm a healer, so I can heal any wounds, my own wounds heal without my knowledge, and I also have voodoo powers." Halley was confused by that last one. "If you hurt me, an identical wound will appear on your body." That was enough to satisfy him.

"I have super strength, increased durability, can run for large lengths of time without needing to stop, incredibly fast reflexes and superspeed. My powers also cause me to gain much more developed muscle mass." He then lifted up his shirt to show off his stomach. _Show-off._

"Wow, is that what you can do?" Halley said in a tone of excitement. "And you look just like Superman. And all I have is computer powers." He was suddenly sad. I guess that finding out your powers haven't made you Superman is disappointing for him.

"Hey, computers are an interesting power." I reassured him. "Can't you make some indestructible robot?"

"But, that never works on TV."

"Then program it to only work for you." Liz pointed out. That must've lifted his spirits, as he began to smile.

"Everyone, please report to screening room 1 at 10 am, sharp." A formal voice said over an intercom system. Must be a Navy crewmember. "We have a plan for taking out the last of the Drophyds. This will secure Ireland, once and for all." We were done, we told the others what power we got, then waited around until 10, as we were told.

When we got in, I sat with Lizzie and Raphael at the front. Lamar sat with us, then Harry, Ron, Seamus, Nathan, Finn, Jack, Cole, Sully then quite a lot of the Navy. I was surprised that Hermione was standing at the front with Elena, Chloe and Zeke and… Halley?

"Welcome everyone." Elena greeted all of us. "This is it. The last battle in Belfast. Hopefully, we'll be able to rest for a while after this is over. Chloe will explain the basics, and we have all of the details that you are going to need, so please wait until the end to ask questions." Suddenly, she nodded at Chloe and Zeke, as they began their presentation.

"Thanks, Elena." Chloe then took the stage as a large animated map was displayed, showing the last of the Drophyd territory. "This is our target. Just on the outskirts of town, we have the last stronghold of the Drophyds. Including their satellite relay. We take it out, and we heavily disable their global network. We are going to shut down that uplink that they have installed, reverse engineer it and hopefully, take the battle to them." She then pressed a button on a small controller that was connected to the computer that Zeke was using via USB dongle.

"Thanks to Halley, our newest member of the team, we have developed a virus that will disable 80% of their forces."

"It was easy, actually." The small kid began. "All I had to do was reverse engineer a captured craft to understand the operating system, then write a virus that would crash their drones. However when I got into their network, I realised that not all drones are connected, and some don't connect at all. Also, the drones only use a host-client software, and the host network is run by a powerful AI, so it will adapt to any attacks that I launch after a short time, and fix the problem. I believe it will take an hour, so that is the maximum time limit." Perhaps he also became a genius?

Well, Halley shocked everyone with what he said, but we listened, and knew that he was right. He was way to serious.

"Well, that explains the next bit. When Halley launches the virus into the network, we will all launch a simultaneous attack on the base, and install a node. Halley needs to hack the uplink, but he can't do that from here. So, we have to install a wireless uplink to hijack the network, or else we're screwed." Suddenly, Zeke got up.

"When Halley got in to the Polaris network, he discovered that there are Kerchu being used as foot soldiers. We have to fight them, on foot. Luckily, Ezio received mind control powers, so he'll help against them."

Suddenly, a picture appeared of some sort of radio transmitter. Guess they replaced the cinema cameras with a projector. "Raphael, your job is to carry this transmitter towards the uplink, install it and guard it as Halley takes over the Uplink. This will allow Halley to restrict all transmissions made Tachyon's military whilst also allowing us access to their galactic network. Harry, the Blast Core you used allowed you to turn things invisible without touching them, so use that to make sure that Raph isn't spotted."

Chloe then stood back up. "I'll use my time powers to cut into several of their power cables. This is necessary as there are turrets protecting the uplink."

Elena suddenly stood up. "Hermione will act as on of the mission supports, as well as Lamar and me, plus several Navy communicators. We will tell all of you where your next objective is, and what to do, when it is time. However, we, at most, have an hour, so please do what is needed as soon as possible. We will be heading out at 11:30 am, so be ready by then." With that, we all headed outside, got whatever weapons we needed upgraded, got suited up in our armour, and got ready to head out for our rendezvous points.

When I was about to leave the Odyssey, however, I received a call via the ARI. "Excuse me, are you Ezio O'Malley?" It was a red headed woman, wearing a headset sitting in a large metal walled room, with a neck length haircut. She was wearing a Navy uniform, so I guess she's mission support? "My name is Elisa Stone. I'll be commanding the squad you'll be in during the operation."

"Nice to meet you. So, who am I going with?"

"You're going with Nathan Drake and Chloe Frazer." Suddenly, a way point appeared. "Please head to the bus that appears on the HUD. That will take you to the waiting point of the Operation." I headed out to the bus, and waited until it would leave. It took me half an hour to get fully ready, so now I had to wait for 30 minutes. Several others came, and we were dropped off near our waypoints, so we waited until we were given the word.

**OPERATION: STAR OCEAN**

**Elena's Perspective**

Well, this is it, the biggest mission to date. I was standing around a holographic display, along with Hermione, a witch who had the soul of her grandfather in her head, as well as Lamar, who was a powerful telepath, who could read minds in a large radius. It would be perfect for deciding strategies.

Well, Hermione was practicing her new 'Aeon' powers, and she was able to create a magic ice doll that her grandfather could speak through. After about 20 tries. She's never done it before, so it's understandable.

"Is everyone in position?" The small ice statue that was recognisable as Lamperough asked. After a few status reports, we confirmed that everyone was in their positions.

"So, what is the full plan?" Lamar asked. "It's just that, I'm confused about it."

"OK, here's where we start." I began, pointing at the map. "Nathan, Chloe and Ezio are here. Nathan will use his gravity pull powers to sneak behind a group of Drophyds and get into a sniping position. Nate will act as a distraction as Chloe finds a way to the Drophyd generators, separate from the city grid, and cut the power cables with a chainsaw while time is frozen. Ezio, however, has mind control, so he'll sneak past as many Drophyds as possible, and find where the Kerchu are located."

"What?"

"They're a really violent species, apparently."

"…So, Ezio will set the Kerchu mercenaries against any really powerful enemies!" He was catching on.

**Nathan Drake**

"I'm in position, Elisa." I said into the headset. "I'm on top of a tall bunker, lying down on the roof, aiming into their stronghold."

"Acknowledged, Nathan." Elisa said, while looking at her screen. "Ezio, Chloe, what's your positions?"

"I found the generators," Chloe replied. "There aren't any guards, however, so it will be easy to shut down the turrets. Also have a few chainsaws, just in case some break. Ezio, you there?"

"I found the Kerchu," Ezio replied, through whispers, "but they're really pissed off. They're attacking anything that gets near them. I don't want to be caught, but I got something that may get them to fight on their own accord. So, when can I get out of here?"

"As soon as Chloe gets the turrets offline." Elisa assured Ezio. "Nathan, is there anything that we need to know?" Looking around, I spotted quite a bit. I saw that there were several patrols, that was normal, these orange fuzz balls that were attacking the Drophyds. Must be the Kerchu, and…

"There's a large ship that just flew in," I replied. "it's levitating over the centre of the base. I think it could be an attack ship, so be careful."

"Acknowledged. Forwarding to Mission Command." With that, I saw that there was a large amount of metallic boxes being let off. The Drophyds opened it up, and took these tubes and stuck it into their suits. Suddenly, some sort of paste was floating in their bowls, which they then began to show down on.

"It's a supply ship. It's dropping off some food for the Drophyd forces."

"Alright, forwarding to MC." Elisa then typed something into the computer, and we all waited until we got the word to perform our designated tasks.

**Elena**

"What?" I was shocked that we had this kind of opportunity.

"What is it, Elena?" Lamperough inquired.

"A ship just arrived, it dropped off some supplies." Lamperough realised what kind of opportunity this was. "Everyone, listen up! A Drophyd ship has landed. In the event that it is possible, attempt to capture it. Hopefully, Halley can reverse engineer it and we can use it to our advantage." I then walked over to the map and looked at Lamar. "Got any ideas?"

"Well, when I tried to see if there was anyway that I could see if we could just stop it flying, I learned that there was nothing we could do, as it is piloted exclusively by AI." Hope we can do something, though. "However, there is passing knowledge that an engineer who can access the uplink can stop the ship from flying." He smiled and then pointed at Halley. "If he gets in, that's all we'll need. Okay, what's next?" Hermione then walked over.

"When Chloe takes out the generators and Ezio takes control of the Kerchu, a forward march of the Kerchu forces will lead to at least half of the Drophyd forces that aren't constantly connected to the network fighting to protect the centre of the camp. While that is going on, the others will try and defend the uplink. That's where Cole, Jack and Finn come in, with Harry's invisibility cloak of course."

"OK, what will they- Harry has an invisibility cloak?" Lamar said in shock.

**Cole**

"OK, so, are you sure that this will work?" Jack asked as we got ready with the explosives that we were going to set around the area where the Drophyd special forces were going to get into position once our tricks were starting. "It's just that, this might fail."

"Relax," I tried to reassure him. "Ezio showed us how to make these bombs. Besides, they don't release mustard gas." That didn't work. "Just turn on the receivers and plant them on the wall."

"By placing the explosives on the wall, when the Drophyds get into position there, the blasts should decimate the majority of their spare voices." Said the voice of a Scottish man."Sorry, but I didn't get your name." I said to the voice.

"Kenneth Donnelly, reporting. I'm actually an engineer, but we're understaffed."

"Ok, Ken." As we planted the rest of the explosives, and set them to the same frequency, we got behind cover and waited until we got the word."

**Elena**

"So, blasting the Drophyd forces sky high? I like it." Lamar was a bit too overexcited. "What about that device that Raphael has to carry."

"Ah, yes, the node." Lamperough started. "The operation is about installing that node so that we take control of the satellite network on Earth. Raphael is physically able to run with it, but it's fragile, so he has to be protected."

"So, Harry makes him and the node invisible while the Navy forces push their way towards the satellite uplink." Lamar was catching on.

"Yes."

**Harry**

"So, when are we going to move?" Seamus and Ron started to complain.

"Halley will launch the virus at noon, so that's when we wait until a path is opened for us." I said. "That's when I turn us all invisible and then we head out."

"I'll let you know when." A woman said over the sunglasses. "Louise Johnston. I'll be your commander."

"You have to protect me," Raphael began, pointing at the large glass tower, "because if this is attacked, it breaks instantly."

"OK," I began. "I think I can help. I used a blast core, so I have an illusion power."

"Yeah, I can make people I want more lucky, so it should help us." Ron said.

"OK, I wish I had a Conduit power." Seamus complained. Raphael just walked over to him and rubbed Seamus on the back.

**Elena**

"So, what do we do afterwards?" Lamar said.

"We protect the node, while Halley hacks into the network." I replied. "OK, it's almost noon." I left the map and walked over to the terminal that Halley was waiting by. "Ready?"

"I'll launch as soon as you say." The small child replied with a beam of bright enthusiasm.

"How about now?"

"OK, let's party!" Halley suddenly pressed several buttons and waited until a bar filled. "It's in."

"OK, everyone, get ready. We're getting ready."

**Chloe**

"The virus has been launched." Elisa notified us. "Chloe, are you ready?"

"Hold on, let me rev up this saw." Well, now that it's on, I stopped time, and got ready to get to work. "Hello Mr Cable, meet Mrs Saw." As I stuck the saw into the cable, I held it in place and watched as the cable was split in two. After 5 cables, and 3 chainsaws, I let time flow again, and admired my work.

"OK, generators down, you're up Ezio."

**Ezio**

"OK, here I go." As I got out of my hiding space, I snuck towards the Kerchu, I got ready. _Line up, fellows!_ I projected into their minds. They lined up and stood in attention, with looks of confusion on their faces.

"Listen up, boys. I have a document that shows that Tachyon is planning to betray you." I showed the sheet that confirmed that the Kerchu weren't going to get paid for this job, and would be branded criminals if they tried to force a payment.

"He-He's right! Those scum aren't paying us!" He was obviously it's leader.

"I just wanted to tell you that your time is being wasted here." At that, I released the Kerchu who, after getting their bearings, went and destroyed any nearby Drophyds, as well as the Special forces.

"Does that help, Elisa?"

"Yes, forwarding status to MC. Good work hypnotizing the Kerchu into believing that the paper actually was an official document that said that they were getting betrayed."

"I didn't hypnotize them." I replied.

"Wow, that's low."

**Cole**

"Cole, what's the status over there?" Ken asked.

"The Special Forces have all gathered on top of the wall." I replied. "It's completely crowded."

"OK, whenever you want to." Ken said. He gave us permission to press the button. I can't believe that Ezio wrote 'Doom' on the detonator.

"Who want's to press it?" I asked Jack and Finn.

"Let Jack do it." Finn said, nominating his friend. "It'll be a nice surprise for him." Jack took the detonator, and with the press of a single button, the wall completely collapsed. Please be aware that the wall is 15 feet tall, and 6 feet thick. And made of steel.

"I think- I think that we may have use one too many." Jack said. We all burst into laughter, which was cut off after a Drophyd armour landed next to us and exploded. "Okay, I think I shit myself. You?" We then got back into cover and waited for orders.

**Harry**

"OK," Louise started. "A path is cleared. Escort Raphael to the uplink." We all headed out, with me keeping everyone else invisible, Seamus and Ron aiming for anyone that would come too near, and Raphael carrying the node towards the uplink.

I decided to use my illusion power to lead any Drophyds away, and keep our path cleared. Hopefully, we aren't that far from the node.

**Nathan**

I was tasked with taking out any remaining Special Forces that I could. *BANG* And there goes number 19. Now, taking aim… Oh crap.

**Ezio**

After my meeting with the Kerchu, I headed out to see that what amount of forces that weren't killed initially, or weren't offline, were getting their asses handed to them. However, I was suddenly on the ground as I was jumped by a Drophyd. I struggled to keep the Drophyd's barrel out of my face, when suddenly, I heard a shattering sound, and then the armour fell over.

"Well, perhaps that should teach you to be more careful, huh?" Nate said over the radio.

"Yeah, thanks for saving me. Nice shot, by the way." Suddenly, Elisa was on the ARI.

"Halley said that the AI in charge of the Drophyd's network was adapting to the virus. Please be careful."

"How far is Raphael from the uplink?" I asked.

**Harry**

"So, we have it installed, now." Raphael said to me. I had just finished flipping all of the switched on the node. Hopefully, we'll be done soon.

Halley then appeared on the ARI. "OK, I'm in." Suddenly, displays on the uplink went crazy, as they began to come to life. "OK, the AI has detected me, so it will try and stop me anyway it can. Protect the node, this will take a while."

"Why do we have to protect the node?" I asked.

"Because the AI has been undoing my virus at a faster rate than I anticipated. I recommend taking guns out, there's a wave of Drophyds coming now."

"What?" Suddenly, I noticed how several foot soldiers and flying drones were coming nearer to us. It was by luck that Cole, Jack and Finn came and saved us.

"Need help?" Jack asked as he threw flames around. I was relieved that they were here, but we were in trouble. Seamus, however, just kept firing his Combustor, and took out at least 15 Drophyds.

**Chloe**

"Chloe," Elisa said over ARI. "Please get to the uplink. The Network AI is adapting to the virus, and the node is in danger."

"Fine, I'll be there in a second." I then stopped time, and ran towards the centre of the base. When I noticed Ezio, I stopped time, grabbed him, and stopped time, in order to bring him into freeze time.

"Wh-What the hell?" I should have warned him. "Chloe? Did you freeze time?"

"Yeah, let's just go towards the centre, now."

"Wait, frozen time is monochrome?"

"Let's go, now!" _Yeah, sorry._ "We need to get there." With that, Ezio and I ran towards the uplink, and when we got near, I let time flow again. We then released some plasma beasts to see how much damage we could do.

**Harry**

10 whole minutes of firing off a Combustor without needing to reload. Why?

"Hey, Harry," Louise said over ARI. "Lamar said that he detects a Conduit awakening. Who do you think it is?" With that, I stopped Seamus' random firing and looked at his gun. It was Version 4, and had full ammo.

"Seamus, we need to talk afterwards." I told him, and then continued. However, we were swamped. We had no idea what to do. We were completely cornered.

"Everyone, all of the Drophyds are online!" Elena screamed at us. "Get out of there!" We were completely surrounded, we needed a mirac…

Did… the… Did the Drophyds stop?

"Is everyone okay?" Elena said to us.

"We're fine." Raphael replied. "How is the hack going?"

"I'm all finished." Halley replied. "I have complete control over the global connection, and I have limited access to files."

"So… We won?" Ron asked. Suddenly, we all cheered.

"WE WON!"

Suddenly, the tank appeared. "Where's the fight?" Zeke said as he came out of the roof. I just scratched my head, to show he missed it. "Dammit, I know that somebody else should've drove this thing.

"Hey," Cole started. "Can you at least give us a victory ride?" That gave him something to look forward to. Of course, he got a little overexcited as he fired off the tanks main cannon towards the sea.

There were cheers from the control rooms, as we all headed out, celebrating, riding a tank. We all headed out towards the Odyssey.

**Operation Complete: Awarded 5000XP. Enemies Defeated: 184. Awarded 7 X 184 = 1288XP. No Skills Performed: Total Award: 6288XP.**

**Ezio**

The celebration afterwards was pretty wild, I hardly remember most of it. However, I was somehow 'transfigured' into a cat, Lizzie had a pencil in her knee, Raphael was using a bowling pin as a teddy bear, which was snapped, Harry and Ron were dressed in women's clothing, Zeke was sober, as well as Hermione, who were blue, Seamus had his arms chained to a bike, Elena and Chloe were in bed together, Nathan was in bed with Sully (Both needed therapy after that one), Little Ice Lamperough was horrified, Lamar was red, Grummel 2 wanted us to sign off some documents that would give him permission to sell our antics, and Jack and Finn had shared their powers, somehow. Also, Halley was busy with the network for most of the night, so I don't think he went to bed. Also, Hermione used two blast cores, so we have to figure out what her new power is.

Anyway, after the massive cleanup, and the handing out of magic potions to relieve the hangovers, I went and sat down with Lizzie.

"Hey, Liz," I started. "Since this is all done here in Belfast, you… Wanna catch a movie sometime?"

"Like what?" She pointed out. "Is there anything showing?"

"I can ask Halley to put whatever movie you want on the big screen, or do you want to see that 'Horrible Bosses'?" I asked. She then went and strolled for a minute, with a sly look on her face.

"Grummel 2 said something about a tape. How about we watch it?" When that was agreed, we went and got the necessary footage, and got ready for a look into pure horror.


	10. Operation Oddysey 10: Departure

**Day 10 from First Contact. 17/06/2011**

You may be wondering about the footage, but I'll give you the basics: Having superpowers and being heavily intoxicated would make the Jackass Crew proud.

Anyway, afterwards, I headed out to see if there was anything that needed to be done. None of the higher ups had anything to be done, so I talked with Halley.

"Hey, Halley, I want to ask you something." I began. He then looked at me with a look that said, 'You showed less maturity than me last night, and I am ashamed of you'.

"Yes, you looked like a complete idiot last night, and you should never drink 2 pints in 3 minutes."

"…Thanks for the help." I then looked at the screen. "So, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to see if I can get access to secure files, but they have 9 AI's protecting them. I did however, find something to do in my spare time." He then showed me some complex computer charts. "These are blueprints for a basic fighter jet. If I get the right materials, I can make several ships."

"So… Expected flight distance?"

"With the basic components, hopefully between any planet in a solar system without the aid for a Mass Effect Relay, or a hypermetric war drive. I could make a Relay, but if this analysis is right, we don't need to."

"How… How come?"

"A Mass Effect Relay is basically a large cannon, with the intended properties to allow large bodies of mass to travel a large distance faster than the speed of light. They were using a pre-existing Relay to go back to the Galactic Relay, so that they could mean that they didn't take it with them."

"Wait, how is that possible?" I asked. "How old is the relay?"

"I don't know, but they called it the 'Charon Relay', and was apparently previously embedded inside a large ball of ice, until they travelled into our system, in which case, it had to be a large ball of ice to conceal the Relay without us picking it up beforehand." Wait a minute…

I just leant over towards the screen, opened up the web browser (Firefox) and looked up this news story that I remember reading. "Or, perhaps, a moon." I then found the story. "Look at this. 'Pluto Moon Collapses'." Suddenly, I ran towards where Hermione was and grabbed her. She was obviously startled, but I had to check this. "Halley, Read that story."

"'NASA reported today that Charon, one of the four moons of Pluto, had for some reason collapsed. The phenomenon occurred on the 20th of May, and scientists are still investigating the strange occurrence. Initially suspected to have been done by a large meteor, this has since been disproved, and other possible theories are being investigated.' The article is dated, 30th of May, 2009."

"Hermione," I asked. "is it possible that, in the event that they warped into the galaxy, could it cause a moon to break up?"

"I don't know…" She said, with a feeling of uncertainty.

"Listen, Lamar said you have wisdom powers." I put my hand on her shoulder. "As long as it was inside a text book, you should know."

"B-But." She was nervous.

"Just focus, and see what you can find. With that, she took a deep breath, as she focused. Suddenly, several pages of light appeared around her, that looked like… Computer pages for an encyclopaedia?

"No, it wouldn't do anything for pieces of rock, mainly because they have a higher melting point. However, a large enough energy source… would melt ice in the sub zero vacuum of cold space." Halley suddenly got busy with the computer. "What are you doing?" Hermione asked the small kid.

"I think I can break into NASA's servers, see what I can find." Suddenly a notice came up. "I've been blocked. Maybe I can work around it." Suddenly, a window appeared for a chat room. "Someone wants to talk to me." After typing into the computer, he looked at us. "He's a scientist, working at NASA, not NASA, he's from the Russian Space Program. We can talk to him."

"Then ask him about Charon." I told him. "Hopefully, if I'm right, that's where they came in." With more typing Halley suddenly looked at us.

"He's going to look through their results, see what he can- Read this." Whoever this guy is, he's willing to help. He showed us that Charon broke into fragments of ice.

"Ice. It's Ice! We have it! That's the Relay!" Everyone looked over at us. Elena came over and gave us looks.

"What's with the yelling?" She asked us.

"The Drophyds came in through something called a 'Mass Effect Relay'. Now, they've been going out, but they have been using an older relay. Old enough to be covered in ice from disuse and being mistakenly called one of Pluto's moons. Now, when they first came here, the ice covering the Relay broke up, and that gives the assumed date of entry to the solar system as May 29th, 2009."

"Oh, God." She caught on to what I was saying. "Does that mean that, they were preparing?"

"Yes, but that means 2 things. 1, they had no knowledge about us, and 2, they had to prepare the attack. Since they prefer sudden attacks, then that means that they underestimated us. Also, Halley might be able to duplicate their technology."

"What do you need?" Elena asked Halley.

"One of their ships." _You have control over the supply ship, remember?_ "Where's the supply ship?"

"The Navy took it to Belfast City Airport." Elena said. "It's being kept near a terminal, just to keep it nearby."

"Wasn't the runway destroyed by the Militia?" I pointed out. "How did you get it there?"

"I flew it." Halley said. "They have adjustable engines, like a Harrier." _Wait, you flew that thing?_ "It had auto pilot."

"Then we need to get photos of that ship." I said. "Anyone know where we can find a camera?" After getting two, I went over to Lizzie. "Hey, want to do a job with me?"

"Will there be any gunfire?" She replied. I shook my head to say, 'no'. "Damn. Alright, but I'm taking a spear, just in case."

"Hey, get good photos, Boris wants to see them too." When Lizzie and I got a car, we drove it to Belfast City Airport. When we arrived, we noticed that there were a large number of soldiers guarding the facility. And then, Zeke came out of the airport.

"What are you doing here?" He asked us.

"We decided to take photos of the Drophyd ship, see if Halley can duplicate it." Lizzie said. "Wanna help? Just grab a camera."

"Nah, I have to get back." Zeke replied. "I went to see how bad the runway is. Completely demolished. However, the access for the terminals is fine. Boarding at gate 53." We waved as we left, and he headed back.

On the ship, we started taking pictures. I decided to start some sort of idle chat with Liz. "So, what are your university plans?"

"Well, I applied for a really good medical school in the US."

"Ah, right, you want to be a doctor. Did you get any word back from them?"

"Yeah, they'll wait for my results for me A2 exams, then they'll decide whether I got in or not." She then put down her camera and walked over to me. "I applied to Harvard Med." She was expecting me to get upset, but I just looked at her.

"Harvard?" I then smiled at her. "That's great. They'll definitely want you now, since you have healing powers."

"…You're not mad?"

"Of course not, you get into one of the best universities in the world, that's brilliant. Hey, if we find a way to duplicate this shit here," I said as I patted the side of the ship, "We can make a long term relationship work."

"You won't break up with me?"

"You're the best girlfriend I could ever want. If you do something that makes you happy, I'll accept it." I then went back to taking pictures. That is a nice engine. "I have been meaning to say, I applied for a game design course in New York City. Got an offer." As she was taking a picture of the mechanics of another engine, I hesitated. "Well, more like a… Scholarship."

"You got a scholarship?" She then ran over and hugged me. "That's great. What are the conditions?"

"I attend all classes, then I work as an intern at Sony Computer Entertainment, as well as a placement year." After we finished on the outside, we decided to head inside. "Look at that."

There was a large metallic orb-like object. I was astonished by it, and wondered what it could be. While I took pictures of it, Lizzie took pictures of the main cockpit.

"So," Liz started. "what do you expect from alien species? Honestly."

"Honestly? I know that there are at least two cat-like species. There are Drophyds, and the Kerchu."

"Yeah, I saw those from the archive footage. My first bet would be big creatures, from a heavy world environment."

"Heavy world dwellers would be more compact, gravity pushing down on them." I stated. "I took ICT, maths and physics, so I know."

"Well perhaps, maybe, water dwellers, would be fish people?"

"Or amphibians?"

"Or big stupid jellyfish." She chuckled.

"Yeah-" I started to laugh, before I stopped. "Wait, what?" I then took out my dad's diary. "I think you're right about them being jellyfish. My father's diary, it said he had absolute knowledge. Look." I then handed her the diary.

"'They're big, stupid jellyfish. To treat Keplar, see TB'?" She then looked up at me. "What do you think it means?"

"I don't know, but that isn't the only thing. Look, '6 minutes'. Chloe is a time traveller, but she can only travel back in time by 6 minutes. Now, I believe that to be a fundamental law about time travel. Now, look at that. 'Time turners ignore your rule, son, but you're right'. I have no idea what a time turner is, but that was a direct message to me."

"Hold on." Suddenly, Lizzie went and took out her ARI glasses. "Hey, Hermione, I want to ask you something. What's a time turner?" After a short while, and a few pictures, "Okay, thanks. A time turner allows a wizard to exist in two places at once, however, they can not under any circumstances allow someone to change the past."

"So… The 6 minute rule is the safe region to change the past?"

"I think so. Is there anything else that's in that diary?"

"Hold on, 'Pikachu is a cute creature'?" I just looked at Lizzie, confused. "What the hell?"

"If that means that Pokémon are real, I want to ask, can you get me an Eevee?" She said with a look in her eyes like a small child asking her parents for a puppy. _Only if I get a Machop._ "Okay."

"Well, this is strange… Do you know anything about Greek Mythology?" _A small bit, why? _"'In Greek mythology, Cerberus, the three headed dog, was the guard of the underworld, whose duty was to keep souls of the dead and alive separate'. Do you know who took souls into the Underworld?"

"The Ferryman… What was his name?" She then realised what I was going at. "…Charon?"

"Well, that means that we need to copy these notes, and hand them around." I then took the last picture that we would need, a large circuitry network. "Let's head back."

When we got back, we gave the cameras to Halley and went to an available office. I asked Lizzie if she wanted to have a meal with me later, a Chinese dish that I would make, and she said yes. I created as many copies as possible, and Lizzie reported it to Zeke, Cole, Elena, Nathan, Chloe and Sully. When I came back, I handed everyone a copy, and told them to keep it safe. Afterwards, I saw that Ron was talking with the other wizards, and was anxious.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Ron then handed me a letter. As I read it, I was shocked. "How many students attend Hogwarts?"

"About 1000, I think." Hermione said. "We have to get to Hogwarts."

"How, Hermione?" Asked Harry. "How do we get to Wales, let alone Scotland?"

"We could fly." Seamus said, jumping up. "Charm a car, maybe."

"Short answer: No. Long answer: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"I can help." We all turned around to look at Halley. "I think that I might be able to create a craft for you to use to get to Wales, but there's a few problems." Suddenly, he took out an iPad, and held it up. "I can recreate a couple of Mass Effect cores in order to allow you to ride across the Irish Sea, like a hovercraft. However, you'll need 8 car batteries to make it work, and then, you can only ride it for 5000 miles before all batteries have to be replaced. Also, I need specific items, including a solder, some capacitors, a circuit board and about 500 RAM processors."

"Okay, where can we get those?" Ron asked.

"Cole and Nathan are looking for the processors, I have all the capacitors, Zeke went to a nearby factory to print a large circuit board. Get me some solder and something for tinning."

"You can find them in a High school," I said, "in the Technology and Design department, and I'm going to get some supplies for a date with Lizzie." As Ron and Hermione went to raid a nearby high school, I got ready for my date.

**Ron**

Me and Hermione arrived at a nearby school, which is where we would find the supplies we needed for Halley. "So, where do we go?" I asked Hermione.

"We should probably try the ground floor." Hermione said, taking out a gun. "Raphael told me that we should look for a room with large, wooden tables, and filled with Muggle tools." As we walked into the door, we saw that it was in a complete state. The trophy cabinets were smashed open, the trophies were everywhere, and blood was everywhere. There were no corpses, so that was lucky.

"Hey, Hermione, you used 2 blast cores, right? What powers did you get?"

"I can pinpoint what I need to find…" She said as she looked down a hallway. "This way."

"So, is it just instinct?" I asked.

"Yes, I can't know which room it is in unless I just look around, also, when I find the room, I can't use it to pinpoint a location."

"And, your other power?"

"I can speak and read any language."

"…Really?" She then said something to me in a foreign language, I think it was French, but I had no idea what she said. "…Right, where do we go?" As we walked down the corridors, Hermione lead the way, following her instincts as to where to go.

When we found the Technology and Design classroom, Hermione went over to a cupboard and opened it up. "There are a large number of drills here, but nothing that we could use for soldering." As I opened up a cupboard under a sink, I saw some strange metallic wand-like items that had long cables coming out of them. "That's the soldering irons, that's what we need."

"Okay, what about this tinning stuff we need?" I asked, as I placed a soldering iron in my pouch.

"We need a long metal wire," Hermione said. "I think this is it." As we grabbed the supplies, we headed outside, and almost got hit by a speeding vehicle. "Hey, watch it!" Hermione yelled at them.

"Sorry!" one of them supplied. "We're, ah- We're heading to the Odyssey, we heard that the Navy's there. Need a ride?" They were driving a large minibus, so there were at least 12 seats. There were 4 people in the car, so we decided that a ride would be okay.

"So, what are your names?" Hermione asked the group. "Surely you just came into the city."

"I'm Jamie," the driver introduced himself, "the guy next to me is Liam, that's Kevin next to the ginger guy, and Joe behind both of you." Jamie was quite scarred from acne, had short, light brown hair, and was wearing a grey T-shirt and dark navy jeans. Liam had dark greyish-brown hair, and wore a light white shirt and some light blue jeans, that had the right leg below the ankle torn off. Kevin was very spotty, had short, curly, black hair, and was wearing a light shirt, which was slightly torn, and some grey trousers. Joe had a much darker complexion compared to the rest, probably a tan. He had a nasty cut on his left cheek, and braces. He was wearing a zip up hoodie, a red shirt that had white sleeves sown into it. All of them were carrying some sort of industrial equipment, probably as makeshift guns.

"So, what's with…?" I asked, pointing at the weapons.

"Oh," Liam said, beginning to answer. "the nail guns? We just grabbed them in case we needed to fight."

"We're here." Jamie said.

**Ezio**

As I was sitting with Lizzie, we had already finished the meal. We had it in the Chinese restaurant in the Odyssey, which was mostly used to keep medical supplies. As I washed the dished, Lizzie dried up.

"So, Ezio, I want to ask…" Wonder what it's about. "With everything that's going on… Are you thinking about the future? I mean… Getting married?" Well, I might as well come clean.

"Yeah, I have." I then turned to her. "When this is over, I'm going to propose."

"Well, why not now?" She asked. "You could always steal a ring from a Jewellery store."

"I want to make sure that, if I have to fight, I can get it over and done with. I want our marriage, if we do get married, to be one where we don't worry about the other one dying on a daily basis."

"Okay." Lizzie said, as she hugged me. "And, by the way, just so we're clear, yes."

"You're supposed to wait until I get on one knee." OUCH! She kneed me in the crotch. "Why the…?"

_Hey,_ Lamar projected at us. _When you're done, you two, Ron and Hermione arrived with a few survivors. I think they know you._ As we headed out, we saw… are you kidding me?

"Ezio!" Jamie? He's alive? And Kevin, Joe, Liam too. Jamie was quite scarred from acne-

"I've done the physical descriptions in my perspective!" Ron shouted from across the room.

"Thank you." I replied.

"Did you just break the fourth wall?" Joe asked. "Doesn't that damage the thread of the universe?"

"No," Kevin jumped in. "It just means that we'll eventually meet Bugs Bunny."

"Or the Animaniacs." Lizzie said. "What happened to your cheek, Joe?" She then walked over to Joe and looked at his injury. "Hold on, I'll fix that up."

"Wait, it's okay." He tried to get away, but Lizzie already started healing him. "So, you were serious about those powers?"

"Of course I was!" Lizzie accosted him. "Why would I lie in a time like this?" _I'm a psychic._ I projected. However, Jamie didn't particularly like it.

"Never do that again, or I'll eat your brain." He threatened, angrily.

"Of course, Sylar." I replied.

"Sylar doesn't eat brains." He replied. _You watch past season one? Nerd._ Jamie tried to throw something at me, but I held it in the air. "Telekinesis?"

"Yep." I grinned at him. "So, you met Ron and Hermione. No trouble, then?"

"Not really, Hermione was cool, but Ron was slightly nervous." Liam said. "Do they have powers, too?"

"Well, they're wizards." I replied.

"Do you have to tell everyone!" Hermione, Harry, Ron and Seamus all yelled across the room.

"It's the end of the world, do you really care in upholding stupid laws!" I replied. "So, what have you all been up to?" I asked. Well, they were busy. They travelled around the countryside, looking for survivors, but there was no luck. Everyone they found was dead, or were insane, either suicidal or violent. They had to fight off both maniacs and Drophyds, so they were pretty battle dreary. "You guys need therapists."

"Yeah, well, if we don't come across any maniacs, we'll be okay." Kevin said, sitting down. "Hopefully, we'll join the military. What about you?" He asked, looking at me.

"Well, I might try to lead a normal life after this, if I don't die." I replied.

"Yeah, might join the Military, work in aid." Joe said, as he felt his face, where the injury was. "We'll need all the help we can get if those fish aliens come back."

"Drophyds." Elena said as she came over. "So, any of you guys willing to help?" At that, they all went off to see how they could help. Ron and Hermione had given the soldering equipment to Halley, and after Zeke, Cole and Nate arrived with the necessary parts, Halley and Zeke got to work. I then gave a signal for Harry, Ron, Hermione and Seamus to come over and speak with me.

"Okay," I began, trying to keep this impromptu meeting short and simple. "We have to get you four to England, see how we can help at Hogwarts. Halley is making a hovercraft for us to get to Wales by sea. Is there somewhere we need to go before we head to Hogwarts?"

"We have to go to London." Hermione said, taking out a map. "I live there, and I want to make sure that my parents are safe. Also, we can head to Diagon Alley to buy equipment, and maybe buy floo powder to travel to Hogsmeade, which is right next to Hogwarts."

"OK, we have a basic plan." I said, clapping my hands together. "Get from Swansea to London, then use magic to get to the town next to the school. How do we get in?"

"Honeydukes." Harry said, pulling out a parchment, and holding his wand out to it. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." With that, ink appeared on the parchment, as a notice appeared. 'Messrs. Mooney, Wormtail, Padfood and Prongs, Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers, are proud to present THE MARAUDERS MAP'.

"Cool." Was the reaction of myself, Seamus (Guess that he hasn't seen it before), Liz and Raph, who had come over. "What are you all doing here?"

"You think you can go on some hair raising adventure and not take someone who is your most valuable healer?" Lizzie said as she began to guilt trip me. "Your medic? Your red mage?"

"You're a white mage, or better, a combat medic." I replied.

"Well, besides, Jonathan is in London. I have to check on him." Oh ,yeah, Johnny. I haven't seen him for 6 months.

"And I'm not letting my little bro get killed, and you'll need my strength." Raph said, crossing his arms to say, 'That's final'. _OK, it's settled then. 7 is better than 5. And hopefully, we'll add an eighth member to our party._

"Anyway," Harry said, butting in. "There are several hidden passageways in and around Hogwarts. We can get straight into the castle if we use the passageway inside Honeydukes' sweet shop to the third floor corridor."

"Sorry, but no." I said, raising a hand in protest. "We're not heading through a secret passage into the school if we don't know what is in there, be it a group of Death Eaters or a monster. Where is the next entry?"

"The Shrieking Shack." Said Ron, voicing his opinion. "Doesn't lead into the castle, but it leads onto the grounds, under a tree."

"We'll take it." Raph said, leaning over. "It's safer, and it allows us to do recon." Wait a minute…

I grabbed the map, and looked at the names. "Wormtail? The guy we killed?"

"What?" Seamus replied. "Does that mean, if the Death Eaters did attack the school, then he showed them in?"

"I think so," Said Ron. "By the way, give me the map, there's something fitting we have to do." As I gave Ron the map, he took a pen and struck through 'Wormtail', eliminating him from the list. "He doesn't deserve to be on the list. What the…?" Suddenly Ron slammed the map down. "There are two people on the map." We saw two moving dots travelling on the map, heading into a large room marked, the Great Hall.

"Oh my god, Hadrid's alive!" Hermione screamed. "We have to get there as soon as possible."

"Yeah, I know." I replied, sarcastically. "Who's the other person?"

"Malfoy." Seamus said, looking at the other dot. "How come that git is still alive?"

"I don't know." Ron said. "His father is a very influential man, and has great power in the Ministry of Magic. He's also a Death Eater."

"OK, so, where can we rest in London?" Lizzie said. "Or should we just hire rooms when we get there?" _When we get there._ "OK."

"So, you're all heading to England?" Zeke said, as he came over.

"Yeah, we are." I replied. "So, are you staying here or heading to the US?"

"US, me and Cole are heading to New York, hopefully everyone else will as well. We have each other's numbers, so if you need me, call."

"When are you heading out?" Asked Raph.

"Tomorrow. You?"

"Same." We all replied.

"Well, get some rest before you go. And good luck." That night, we all spent the night getting ready, packing up gear, reloading weapons. We got some early rest, to make sure that we could remain aware as we travelled, and we were all given a blast core each. How come I only just noticed that the blast cores have batteries?

Anyway, as we were about to head out, we started up the craft to see how it works. It both created an upward force to allow it to float, but also created a force field that would protect us from the water. However, it was a minibus chassis with seats and propulsion engines, and very little cover, so this thing is not useful in a fight, as it would crumble.

"Going without saying goodbye?" Chloe said, as she came over to us. "That's rude."

"We didn't want to cause a fuss." Harry said, before he could get in to the craft. Raph was already in the driver's seat, next to Hermione.

"Well, something happened last night." She said, as she scratched her head. "Somebody invaded my mind, but they wanted me to give you a warning." What the hell? "Find out what a horcrux is immediately. Destroying them will help."

"Okay, thanks, and take care." I said and jumped into the craft. We all gave our regards and headed out. We all promised to keep in contact, as we headed to Wales, not knowing what would happen next.

FILES:

**Chatroom:**

B0R15_d_1nv1nc1bl3: Who are you, and why are you trying to break into NASA's systems?

Halley_Stark: My name is Halley, I'm a survivor in Ireland. Look, I need to check something that a friend thinks might be able to pinpoint when the alien invaders arrived in this solar system.

B0R15_d_1nv1nc1bl3: Thank god, how bad is it in Europe?

Halley_Stark: The group of survivors that I'm a part of managed to hijack the Drophyds' network.

B0R15_d_1nv1nc1bl3: That was you? You must be a genius. By the way, my name is Boris Grishenko. There are three survivors trapped inside Mission Control of NASA's main base. Do you know anything about algorithms?

Halley_Stark: I can control computers, do you want me to see if I can access the security system? And what's a Russian doing at NASA?

B0R15_d_1nv1nc1bl3: That would be acceptable. So, what do you need me to do? And it was due to an exchange program, two of Russia's scientists for two of America's.

Halley_Stark: We need information about Charon, one of Pluto's moons. We saw a story about it breaking up, and we think that the Drophyds may me responsible.

Halley_Stark: Is the door open yet?

B0R15_d_1nv1nc1bl3: Yes, it's open. Thank you. One of the other scientists, Natalya, is looking at the report about Charon now.

B0R15_d_1nv1nc1bl3: Okay, I got the information. Previously, Charon was believed to be a rock, a piece of frozen lava. However, Charon collapsed into shards of ice, according to the Hubble Telescope. Therefore, it was a large ball of ice.

Halley_Stark: That's it. That's where the Drophyds came in from. In the ice, was a large structure, called a Mass Effect Relay, and if you fly next to it, it should launch you into another solar system or, for more powerful ones, another galaxy.

B0R15_d_1nv1nc1bl3: Halley, I have to say, you are brilliant. I managed to get information from the US state department, and I believe that I could find a way to make their space shuttles, however, information is missing and I can't make a full schematic.

Halley_Stark: My friends are going to get pictures of the ship if it helps.

B0R15_d_1nv1nc1bl3: Okay, I'm leaving now, please send me an email, it will help me get in touch later.

Halley_Stark: Good luck, Boris.

B0R15_d_1nv1nc1bl3 has logged out of the chat room.

Halley_Stark has logged out of the chat room.

**Ginny's letter:**

Ron,

Something has happened at Hogwarts, and we need you to get back here, now. I don't know the specifics, but everyone there is in danger. Cho Chang managed to escape to Hogsmeade, where she was resting at the Hog's Head inn. She said that everyone else was petrified, and she managed to escape.

Ron, all three of us are Conduits. Fred can see over a large distance, George can hear anything he needs to (And if they are touching each other, can channel each other's powers) and I can create impenetrable shields. Cho can create copies of rooms, and travel between those copies freely.

Cho travelled from the Hog's Head to the Leaky Cauldron, then ran out into the open street. It was after Fred and George met her on the street after she passed out from an injury. They took her to where we're staying, an old house owned by Sirius in London. I charmed this letter to show where it is when held up to a map of London. Please get here now, we need you.

By the way, Fred and George told us about that final battle in Belfast, congratulations.

My regards,

Ginny Weasley.


	11. Operation Hogwarts 1: Snow

Hello, my one subscriber. And whoever else is reading this story (Gazebo?) This is the second arc of Operation Madness, Hogwarts. It's been a while, writing a new chapter. I started going to tech, messing up the chapter, getting writer's block and a bit of a problem IRL. But here is chapter 11, so thanks for being patient.

* * *

><p>"How long until we get there?" Ezio said, as he leant over the side of the craft to…relieve some tension. He was really sea sick from how fast we were travelling across the Irish Sea to Swansea. We were actually lucky that his waste was allowed past the 'Kinetic barriers' that were shielding us from the seawater, while the 'Mass Effect Core' was allowing us to fly just over the surface of the water. It was pretty intense, if it could fly it would be an easier ride, but Raphael was quite a good driver.<p>

"We'll be on the shore in 5 minutes, Ezio." Hermione said, looking at the screen she was holding. Ezio was being comforted by Liz, while Ron was amazed at the Core's abilities, seeing as a wave would completely surround us, and watching as a school of dolphins swam beside us was pretty amazing. Seamus was actually holding his hand outside the barrier to see what would happen if it got wet, and whenever he pulled it in, the water was pulled from his hand, completely drying it and his clothing. As for me, I was holding on to him to make sure that he didn't fly out of the craft again whenever we go over a large wave.

"Hold on, I think I might have a potion to help your illness." Liz said as she reached into her bag and pulled out a potion I remember seeing in Madam Humphrey's potions cabinet (I have been in the Hospital Wing too much). As she pulled him into his seat and tilted his head up, I saw that his face was completely green. "Well, at least you match your shirt. Here." She poured the potion down Ezio's throat, and then closed his throat in order to stop him from spitting it out. "How do you feel?" He just looked at her, with a faint level of reassurance. Of course, he could just be talking to her through thoughts. "Don't be so cheeky!" She admonished him, proving me right.

"Well, at least we're almost there, right?" Ron said, still having his hands around Seamus' belt. "Hey, Harry, you've been quiet all the way here. What's wrong?"

"Oh, Sorry." I said, looking straight at him. "I've been thinking, that's all. We're almost there, but this thing won't stand up in a fight, so should I turn us all invisible" _Yeah, you should. We have little to no way of knowing who's there, unless we get closer. So, pull an illusion._ "Still sick, Ezio?" _Put a sock into it, Harry. You stole my protagonist status, don't make fun of me._ As I used my powers to turn us all invisible, we got nearer to the coast and got ready for whatever trouble was up ahead.

"That's weird," Ezio said, as we were only a mile away. "There's no one there. I can't hear a single thought. Be careful, there must be a problem."

"Are you sure that no one else is there?" Seamus asked. "I mean, are you sure that we're not close enough?"

"That must be it." Liz said, taking out a Combustor gun. "You can hear around 3 kilometres, which is just under 2 miles, so we have to get to the city centre for a more accurate range."

"Yeah, but wouldn't the Drophyds try and secure the sea?" Ron said. "I mean, if they could try and set up some sort of underwater base, then we can't attack them. Also, they could use Swansea to get supplies to Belfast, or get supplies delivered."

"Got Dammit, Ron, why did you have to say that?" Hermione said, taking out her Shard Reaper and aiming it straight into the water. Everyone else decided to do the same, except Raphael, who was driving, or flying, or whatever the hell it is, and Ezio, who was still a bit uncomfortable.

As we finally got to the port after 4 hours of seafaring, we all disembarked and had our guns ready for an attack, but Ezio was still unnerved when he got off. He just ran around, looking, feeling for anyone, but the look on his face was a sign that he couldn't feel anything. "I really don't like this." He said, clutching his gun. "If no one is here, then… Are they all dead?"

"We don't know that," Raphael said, trying to calm his brother. "Maybe they were evacuated to another town, or went to London, or a nearby village. Just because you can't hear them doesn't mean that everyone is dead."

"Yeah, you're… Huh?" He suddenly had a look of surprise on his face. "There's someone nearby. Not that far away, but they are on the verge of my range."

"Okay, someone go with Ezio and find them." Raphael said, as he lifted the craft out of the water. "Then someone can help me reinforce the frame, maybe add some cover to the car, keep the Core from rocking."

"Can someone come with me?" Liz asked. "I want to get some new clothes, and I really should have gotten rid of these scrubs."

"I told you to throw them off." Seamus said in an annoyed voice.

"I told you that you were a little pervert." Liz said. As she looked around, trying to figure out who to ask, "Hermione, want to come?"

"Okay, might as well see if we can find something useful, like food, or water." She said, taking out her rapier as Liz reached into the pouch and took out her spear. "By the way, shouldn't you secure the blade?" Hermione then pointed at the end, to show that one of it's screws was loose. Taking out her wand, she used a quick charm and secured the blade at the end. As they gave a wave, they headed off into town.

"I'll go with Ezio to find those people." I said, taking out my wand. "We'll be back as soon as possible." I said as Ezio and I headed out. _You know, you really need to get some sort of melee weapon, something that won't draw attention._ I suppose you're right, Ezio. _Thank you._ "Wait, how come you could hear that?"

"I am a psychic." He said, with a look of annoyance on his face. "By the way, it's more obvious if I project in first person, so I'll unexpectedly butt in during your narration. So, do you want to drive?"

"What?" I was shocked that he honestly asked me that, but not as shocked as when he used one of his Combustors to shoot out the window. "No thanks, I don't even know how."

"Well, I'll drive then." He then unlocked the car from the inside, then opened up the door, climbing over to unlock the one on the opposite side. "So, what's Hogwarts like, anyway?" He asked me. Guess he didn't talk to Hermione yet, she would have given him her copy of 'Hogwarts: Through the Ages'. _There's a book?_ Yes, there is. "I have got to get Hermione to lend it to me. Well, what are the teachers like?"

"Who do I start with?" I started, rubbing my head, before taking off my glasses to try and clean them. "Well, there's Professor McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress, and Head of Gryffindor House. She teaches transfigurations, the magic of changing one item temporarily into another. She's like a mother to all of the students, strict most of the time, but deeply cares for everyone, and doesn't take it well when one of them was killed."

"How did she take Cedric's death?" I just looked at him in amazement, wondering… Oh, right, the telepathy. "I accidentally saw most of Seamus' memories when I was helping Liz heal him."

"What?"

"He was hit by a bomb, blew off a few fingers, most of his arm, had some cuts and burns, really nasty. Question still stands."

"Wow. He said he was injured… She was trying to keep it together, but when no-one was looking, she broke down. Cedric wasn't in Gryffindor, he was in Hufflepuff, but he was one of the best students in the school." I then looked down at feet, knowing that I could've done something… Anything…

Ezio suddenly pulled over, before he forcibly grabbed my head and turned it towards me. After staring straight into my eyes for a good minute, he suddenly let me go. "Harry, no matter what you tell yourself, Cedric's death was never your vault. It was out of your control."

"But… If I had left him behind…" I sobbed. "Then… Then he would still be alive…" As I started to cry, Ezio just grabbed me again.

"If you left him behind, he could have still died, and he would have hated you. I know that there's no real comfort in me saying this, but…" He paused for a short minute to get his words straight. "If his death was caused by a factor that was not under your control, then you really shouldn't blame yourself. You're currently going through survivor's guilt, that's all."

"Yeah," I said, trying to hold back the tears. "You're… Right. By the way, why don't you get worked over your parent's death?"

"I know that it sounds cold, but I always hated the idea of mourning." He was about to start the car, but then he hesitated for a short minute. "I was 5 when my grandfather died. I always hated him, especially because he always hit me and Raphael. He was my paternal grandfather, but my dad also hated him, didn't want him near us. When he struck me with a cane when I was 4, Raphael retaliated by stabbing him with a knife, and then pushing him over. He kept trying to press charges, except that he wound up in jail for assaulting two children. And that is the story of how I first broke my leg." Wow, he must have some real hate for that man. "By the way, did I mention that this was my cousin's wedding?"

"How did your parents handle it?"

"Mom chased him around with a butcher knife while swearing in Italian, apparently, and Dad got a restraining order on him." He then paused, looking at the wheel. "I hated it when everyone was saying nice things about him, when I could tell he was a right bastard. I was ridiculed because I didn't cry for him. I was close to calling all of them out, how he was hated in life, but a good man in death." He then started the car, driving along the road, looking for anyone that was here.

"He was very hard of hearing," He began to sing, "he was dull and domineering, misogynistic cantankerous and vain. He hit the bottle every night, he hit my grandma out of spite, and those stories about his bunions were a pain, but all that's now forgotten, now he's took his final breath, yes even pricks turn into top blokes after death." I couldn't stop laughing after he began, but he continued, as we drove looking for any survivors. I guess that he must be trying to act as a stabilising element for everyone else, putting others before himself. He's kind of like me.

* * *

><p>"Try this on." I said, handing Liz a short tank top. "So, anyway, the Great Hall's roof is enchanted to show a sky. It also shows several weather effects, depending on the weather or a special occasion. For example, during the Yule Ball, it was enchanted to snow."<p>

"Does it actually snow?" Liz asked me, as she looked in the mirror. "It's just that, wouldn't it be cold during an dance?"

"No, it doesn't actually snow." I replied. "If it did, then Gryffindor and Slytherin would have snowball fights over every meal."

"I guess there's a big rivalry, then?" Grandfather said, as he was watching the store front for anyone who came by.

"Yes, a big rivalry dating back to the school's founding." I replied. "Anyway, the Yule Ball is only held in a school that hosts the Triwizard tournament."

"How does that work?" Liz asked me. "The Triwizard?"

"One student is picked from 3 Wizarding Schools, and perform 3 tasks to try and win a trophy and a thousand galleons. That's around five-to-six thousand pounds." She suddenly performed a mouth action as if to say, 'Oh.' "Harry was actually illegally entered into the competition, but he wasn't allowed to pull out at all. So there were four competing. One was Victor Krum, from Dumstrang in Scandanavia, then there was Fleur Delacour, for Baeuxbatons in Southern France, as well as Cedric Diggory."

"Lamar was telling me about him. Wasn't he murdered?" Liz asked, as she came out of the booth. "What do you think?" She turned around to show off her outfit. She was wearing a tank top, as well as a pair of hugging jeans, and a blood red hoodie was tied around her waist.

"It looks nice and practical." Grandfather said, "But I recommend that you look outside before settling on that." As we headed outside, we were shocked to see that there was a large black cloud in the sky.

"But it was a clear day just earlier." I said. "There's no way that the weather would suddenly change like that. No form of magic-"

"Hermione!" Liz said, stopping me. "You can summon a small ice doll with your magic that can become a giant ice monster. Also, it could be something other than magic, like a weather machine."

"But that is outrageous!" I replied.

"Yes, and so is aliens, and magic, and superpowers." Grandfather replied. "Hell, I'm currently a little ice doll. So a weather machine is completely plausible."

"Well, let's get some new clothes on, maybe in case of rain or snow!" Liz said, in an oddly excited voice.

"You're a bit too excited about the free clothes, aren't you?" Grandpa said, as Liz enthusiastically nodded before grabbing anything for a coming storm. "Well, this is going to be a while."

* * *

><p>"Here's a bus!" Seamus said, as he drove the large vehicle towards the garage we were stationed at. "How about we take that Core and put it in here?"<p>

"I don't think so, I emailed Halley and he said that it would be too large." I replied. "Perhaps a van would be better."

"Yeah, maybe one that's had it's chassis extended and it's framework hardened for more than 7 people." Raphael said, as he was dismantling a large van. "It will take a while, but we should have a suitable vehicle ready by the end of the day." Grabbing a blow torch, he cut into the metallic frame and signalled for Seamus to grab a wrench. "Take a couple of chairs out of the bus, though, those will come in handy."

"Hey, fellas." I said, as I looked out onto the street. "What the bloody hell is that?" I said, pointing out onto the open road.

Outside was a floating black cloud, that was floating through the street. It was letting off a similarly coloured mist, and appeared to be searching for something. "I say we shouldn't disturb it." Raphael said, looking away from the chassis. "Ron, try and take the hood off of that car over there?" He told me, pointing at a bright yellow car. "We can weld those to help create a covering."

"Right." I replied, and got to work. I hope they aren't dangerous.

"Hey, is that snow?" Seamus said, looking outside. Sure enough, there was snow, pouring down from the sky in small amounts, but with the sudden weather change, we all knew that the weather was going to get worse. I just hope that we can find some warm shelter and clothes before it gets too worse.

"Ron, the hood?" Raph called at me.

"Oh, sorry."

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile…<strong>

As I arrived in the small hut, I was expecting the boss to be either working on finding a way to target Tachyon's forces or finding even more elaborate ways of hiding supplies, even making traps was what I expected. But I was the only one here, so there were only two possible scenarios for what happened, either he was captured or…

I ducked out of the way before he could grab me. As I saw the older Lombax fly over me, I ran over and grabbed him, before using a rope to tie him down. "I guess that means I'm getting better, boss?"

"Well, if I knew that you were going to show up, you're still quite predictable." He said, looking up at me. "You always show up at the same place, at the same time, whenever something has you down. And since you are trying to hide behind a false bravado, I have to say you messed up?" I've only known him for a year, but he was right. I hated that he could get inside my head, knowing what I was thinking.

After I untied him, I sat down on a small, dingy, wooden stool, and put my head in my hands. As Azimuth sat down on a similar stool, I looked at him. He had a straight face on in order to see if he could guess what had happened.

"My guess is," He started, "that you broke your cloaking device while trying to get the files then got spotted by Drophyds?"

"Actually, the Drophyds never saw me." I replied. "I wasn't able to get to the files first, they were taken by a few locals, and when I tailed one of them, he was able to tell I was there even under my disguise."

"How was he able to do that?" He asked. "Did he have some sort of mind reading powers?"

"Yes, he was able to hear my thoughts. After I said that I wasn't following him, he replied through thought. After I said that I wanted the files he took, we struck a deal, he handed over the files for some blast cores."

"So, did he read the files?" the boss asked me.

"Yes, the files were in Intergalactic." I answered. "It's exactly the same as a local language on Earth, called English."

"There is no way that the two languages are exactly the same!" He said, in amazement.

"There are some slight differences, such as how both versions use words from other languages in normal speech." I paused after replying. "They copied the files."

"Wasn't the files encrypted?"

"The files were printed."

"Printed?" He said with unshowing disbelief.

"Yep."

"As in hard copies?"

"Here." I replied, taking out the files. As he glanced over them, he was paying attention to two files in particular. I was busy looking over my own file. Wow, can't believe they're scared of me.

"Apollo, look at this file?" Azimuth said, handing me the file of Angela.

"Well, if you think I should start dating her-" I said, before he dope slapped me. "Hey!"

"I was able to track her down to a hollowed out asteroid called 'Omega'." He said. "If you run into her, make sure she stays out of trouble."

"I doubt I'll head to Omega." I said. "Where about is it?"

"Omega Nebula, a constellation in the Milky Way galaxy." What? "She's heading towards Earth."

"Damn. If I see her, I'll see how I can keep her safe." As I was about to teleport out, I just saw him take out a few tools and a container of gelatonium. So he was making a trap.

* * *

><p>"Damn, this snow is getting really heavy." Ezio said, as he almost spun out. "And with those damn black clouds, it's getting really dangerous driving. Should I abandon the car?"<p>

"Maybe, how far are those people we're searching for?" I said, turning on the in-car heating to keep warm.

"Not that far, but whoever they are, they're running from something." He replied. "I think I can sense Liz and Hermione, and the person is running straight towards them."

"Maybe they're in danger!"

"I don't know, but I have no- SHIT!" The car suddenly began to spin wildly, with Ezio trying to regain control. He was oddly enough trying turn the car in the direction we were spnning in, and he just got control before we crashed into a storefront, with the passenger side hitting straight into the wall. "Harry, are you okay?" Ezio asked, checking my head. With the red stuff on his hands, I guess that I was bleeding.

"Yeah," I reassured him. "Yeah, I'm okay. I was wearing a belt."

"Okay." He repeated. Suddenly, he unhooked his belt, and ran out of the car. "Watch where you Apperate, asshole!" He screamed at a man in the road. "There's a curb you know!"

"Oh, crap." he said. The voice was oddly familiar. "Do you need any help?"

"It depends. Can you treat a head wound?" As Ezio said this, I undid my belt and climbed out of the car, looking around. "Maybe we should just find our medic."

"Bill?" I said, as I saw the oldest Weasley brother coming towards the car. "What are you doing here? And what happened to your face?"

"You know each other?" Ezio asked us both.

"That's Ron's oldest brother." I replied. As Bill came over, he took out a cloth and cleaned up the blood on my head. He was just like I met him last year, but now, he had a few cuts, all in the same direction, from the top left of his face to the bottom right. He was wearing a long coat, inside of which was his holstered wand, a green jumper and a blue shirt, white camouflaged cargo pants and snow boots, and wearing what appeared to be… Spiked greaves?

"I set up some charms to tell me when you, Ron or Hermione set foot in Britain." Bill said, taking out a cotton fabric and gauze and wrapping them around my head. "Where are the others?"

"Ron and Seamus are with my brother," Ezio started, "Doing repairs on the craft we used to get here. Hermione went with my girlfriend to look for supplies, and a new pair of clothes, for practical reasons. We're looking for a few survivors that I felt."

"You… Felt?" Bill asked, with a look of confusion on his face. Ezio just gave a sly grin, followed by a frightened Bill jumping back.

"Ezio, stop toying with him!" I shouted. "Let's just find that person and get some supplies, then meet up with the others."

"We might need to worry about ourselves for a minute." Bill said, taking out his wand. "Here come a few Shadows."

"What?" Suddenly, I saw as a few of the black clouds floating towards us. They seemed to be aware of us.

"Get ready to fight!" Bill said, as the clouds suddenly exploded. The snow around us suddenly formed a large wall made of ice, which we couldn't run from. As the wall was finished building, the clouds had materialised themselves into a pack of wolf-like beast, with snow-white fur and black fangs inside their teeth. The beasts also had a bony like plate that appeared to cover their faces, that was somehow purple. However, their most striking feature was their eyes, which glowed a piercing bright yellow. "Harry, you're injured, so stay back."

"Okay, let's do this." Ezio said, taking out the Beam Sword. _it's a Katana._ As the three beasts were coming near us, Ezio looked at me. "Harry, can you see if you can send a few balls of light at me? I have an idea." As I channelled my powers, one of the beasts lunged straight at me, before it was struck with a Knock Back Jinx from Bill.

As I sent a ball over to Ezio, he caught it and held it above his head as it became much larger. However, the light was unstable, so Ezio threw it over towards one of the beasts. As the beast lunged out of the way, Ezio ducked out of the way as the beast leapt for him. However, the large light ball exploded on the ground, forming four smaller balls that followed after the beast. They collided with it and, with a yelp, it exploded into black smoke that faded away.

As I ran over to Ezio to help him regain his composure, as Bill sent out a fire charm to kill one more beast. However, there was one more left, and it lunged at Ezio and me. Ezio used his powers to freeze it in the air, then throw it towards Bill, who somehow used the ice to create a gauntlet that he used to punch the beast over towards us. Grabbing Ezio's Beam Katana, I trusted it forward, skewering the creature as it exploded into black fog. As the last creature was slain, the ice walls suddenly transmogrified back into snow, and fell down onto the road.

"Are you too alright?" Bill asked us.

"Sure, we aren't seriously injured." I answered. "Now, back onto the subject at hand, what the hell happened to your face?"

Bill flinched as he heard this. "Harry, you can see my scars?" _What scars?_ Ezio asked us, not realising a problem.

"You can't see them?" I asked. "Try looking through Shadow Eyes, then." As soon as his eyes went purple, he jumped back, probably shocked by what he saw.

"Whoa, what did you do, jump face first onto a few knives?" He said. I slapped him over the head as soon as he said it. "Ow, sorry."

"How can you see past that illusion charm?" Bill asked us.

"Well, Shadow Eyes act as a basic scan power," Ezio said, thinking, "so it should be able to see past illusions. And Harry's Conduit power revolves around light and illusions."

"Well, I should explain-"

"But there's no time for that now." Ezio stopped him. "We have to find those two survivors before they get killed. Explain the scars after."

"Alright, how far are they?" I asked. _Not that far ahead_. "Right, let's go."

As we ran towards the group, we all ran through the middle of the street, avoiding these 'Shadows', but we did hit a few snags. As in, the snow was getting much heavier, and the only one dressed to deal with it was Bill. I slipped a few times on some ice that had formed, and almost slid straight into a Shadow, but Ezio pulled me back as we ran towards the local shopping centre.

That's when I first got a glimpse at the group that were running towards it. One was a girl, long, dirty blonde hair, slightly less taller than the average girl, and fairly thin. There was a small child with the group that was wearing very baggy clothes, and what I think is a Wizard's hat, but with some decorations on it. And a young man who was helping them along, while slightly clumsy, was trying to get them separated from the Shadows that were floating about, with a round face, short, chubby build, and blond hair. I recognised the last one.

"Dammit!" I said, getting ready to head out. "What's Neville doing here?"

"Neville Longbottom?" Bill asked. "Well, when students were being evacuated to Hogwarts, there were a few that didn't show up, so a few Aurors went looking for them. Neville was one of them."

"So I take it that this Neville's a Wizard too, right?" Ezio asked. "Well, we shouldn't stop, let's get over there." Ezio suddenly took out his phone, which he had in his jean pockets.

"He's not a Wizard?" Bill asked me. "Why did you tell him?"

"I didn't, it was Seamus Finnegan, and he didn't actually tell him, Ezio saw his memories."

"Well, it's actually good." What? "Because of high profile Death Eater attacks, the Wizarding community was exposed."

"WHAT!" I shouted. "Didn't they try and hide it?"

"No, they couldn't-" _Hello? Three people in trouble here!_ "Sorry."

* * *

><p>"So, we're all ready for a snow storm!" Liz said, getting her spear out. We were wearing several layers of clothes, and were carrying some for the guys. However…<p>

"I don't think that a few raincoats, fleeces and clothes clearly meant for summer are going to help during a snow storm." I replied. "Well, it's better than nothing. Come on, there's a supermarket, let's see what supplies we can get." However, Liz' phone started ringing. As she went to pick it up, she set it to speaker.

"Hello?" Liz said, answering it.

"Hey, Liz." Ezio said, on the other end of the line. It sounded like he was running. "The survivors that we felt are heading in your direction. Can you grab them?"

"Okay. So, we got some clothes together for the snow."

"Great, we'll need it." That's when I could hear some mumbling in the background. "Okay, I'll tell her! Is Hermione there?"

"It's a speaker phone, she can hear you."

"One of the group is Neville Longbottom." Oh, no. "Also, we ran into Ron's brother, Bill."

"What's Bill doing here?" I asked.

"You three set off a spell when you came here." He said. "Also, avoid those black clouds, they turn into monsters."

"Okay." Liz said, before hanging up. "Let's drop the clothes and go get them."

"Agreed." Grandfather said.

* * *

><p>"I think it's ready, guys." Raphael said, putting his arms around us. "Where did you find a machine gun, Seamus?"<p>

"There were a few set up by that police station down the road." He said, pointing down the street.

"…I really hope that there weren't any bodies there." I said. "Anyway, how about a test drive?" However, before we could, those bizarre black clouds came floating towards us then becoming some sort of large monster. It was at least 12 feet tall, was covered in armour, and carried a sword that was at least as tall as me. It's armour was a magenta colour, except for dents which were a dark purple, with a pure reddish skull-like helmet, and bright yellow eyes. I took out my Shard Reaper and aimed straight at it, but I tripped on a patch of oil. The gun went off, breaking a chain, which caused the door to fall down and bash his head in. After the door collapsed, it turned back into mist which disappeared, but now the door was destroyed.

"Well, you are lucky." Seamus said. "Might as well try that gun." As he got into the craft's driver seat, Raphael grabbed him by the back of his shirt and lifted him out. "This has guns on it. I don't trust you behind the wheel."

"I really want Raph to test this, Seamus, he's the responsible adult here." He wasn't happy to hear this, but he then climbed into the passenger side seat. I climbed in the back, as Seamus was rubbing the gun, causing it to glow.

"You need someone to make sure this doesn't run out of ammo." He said. Suddenly, we heard what sounded like a guitar coming from Raph's pocket. He then took out his… felly tone I think it was… and answered it.

"Hello? Hey Ezio, what's up?" As he was starting up the craft, he listened to what his brother was saying, but I couldn't make it out. "Huh? Okay, I'll tell him. … Well, we figured that last part out ourselves. Ron really is lucky. Okay, hold on." As he put the phone down, he turned to me. "Ron, Bill's here, and Ezio says he's a Conduit."

"Is that one of the people that Harry and he are chasing?"

"No, Bill Apperated in front of our car."

"WHAT?"

"He's not hurt, but the car did crash." I was suddenly panicking, wondering if anyone was hurt. "Look, we have to get to a local shopping centre. One of the survivors is Neville Longbottom."

"What the bloody hell is Neville doing here?" Seamus asked. "He lives up in Blackpool."

"I just hope they're safe, Bill, Harry, Ezio and Neville." I said. "Hermione and Liz, too. Let's get over to that shopping centre as soon as possible."

"Alright, buckle up, boys!" Raph said, grabbing the flight stick that he installed. "It's gonna be a bumpy ride!" With that, he shot out through the doorway, flying through the streets, before pulling upwards and flying up in the sky.

* * *

><p>"Hey!" I said, running towards the group. "Neville, wait!" Well, that managed to get the to stop.<p>

"Harry?" he said, turning towards me. "I thought you would be at Hogwarts."

"Well, I went to Ireland before this whole fiasco started." I replied. As I was talking to him, I got a better look at the two people that were with him. One was the blonde girl, but she appeared quite strangely to me. Waist-length dirty blonde hair, pale eyebrows, and large eyes like she was trapped in a permanent state of surprise. She was wearing a short coat over a dark blue shirt, while wearing a knee length skirt and thick stockings, and black boots that reached up to her knee that were styled with stars and confetti. She had what appeared to be a bandage on her arm, made of a cloth wrapped around her hand and a blue and black tie. I guess she's from Ravenclaw. She was carrying her wand, held in a holster, and what appeared to be a flag.

Neville was wearing a thick jumper, a button shirt and a bow tie, light jeans that had a small tear in them, and was wearing a backpack and satchel that seemed stuffed with supplies. He was also carrying a large sword, like one that the suits of armour had in Hogwarts. As for the smaller kid, well, he was certainly… strange.

He appeared to be like the Shadows that we fought earlier, but it was distinctly humanoid, having a figure that was pure black, but emitting the same black fog as the Shadows, just in smaller quantities. It wore a long, bright blue, fabric overcoat that was held closed by lace and had large pockets on either side and had large, thick cuffs, wearing leather gloves, a pair of baggy white and green striped trousers that were held in place by a thick belt, big boots on his feet that were made of leather, and a large Wizard's hat that was modified to have a zipper to appear as a mouth, and two star graphics to look like eyes. Speaking of eyes, like a Shadow, he had large, glowing eyes, but unlike a Shadow, which appears devoid of emotions, these eyes were expressive, and were showing that the little guy was scared. That, and he was hiding behind the blonde girl, clutching her coat with one hand, and a large staff with the other.

"Oh, hello Harry." The girl greeted us in a dreamy, calm voice. "Oh, you must be Bill Weasley. I'm in Ginny's class. And you are?" She said, looking at Ezio.

"Oh, my name is Ezio." He said, greeting himself. Suddenly, the girl walked over, which caused the little guy who was grabbing her to look scared and run over towards Neville and grab him. The girl came to Ezio and grabbed his left arm. "Ack!"

"You're injured." She said, taking out a cloth and a rope. "You really need to get the wound closed, or else banticuuls will get into your wound and make you dance when you bleed."

"What?" Ezio asked out of confusion. Well, he's not the only one that's confused.

"Uh, sorry, but who are you?" I asked.

"Oh, Harry," Neville said, speaking up, "this is Luna Lovegood, a fourth year Ravenclaw at Hogwarts."

"And you're not a Wizard." Luna said, looking at Ezio. "You've never been to a Wizarding school before, so I have to say a Muggle. But when this disaster hit, you awakened to a strange power, and have been using it to keep people alive ever since. You used to live in Northern Ireland, then America, then back in Northern Ireland, but on the opposite side."

"Wow." Ezio said. "You're good."

"Neville, what are you doing here?" I asked. "What are both are you doing here, shouldn't you be at Hogwarts? Why are you running? And who's that small child?" When I mentioned him, he crouched behind Neville, trying to hide from us.

"Harry, the point of 20 questions is to ask them one at a time." Bill said.

"We have no time now, we have to get inside before more of those monsters show up!" Neville said. "They don't show up during midday. Just get over to that furniture store!"

"Hey!" Hermione said, seeing us. "Neville, it's good to see you." She said, running over to Neville and embracing him, glad that he was alive. However, the kid was now running back to Luna, grabbing her with both hands. "Luna? You're here, too?"

"You know both of them, right?" Ezio asked Hermione.

"Neville's in our year, and our classes." She said. "Luna's part of the same study group that I'm part of." However, before we could finish our formalities, we heard a ferocious roar that was too close for comfort.

"It- It found us?" the little guy grabbing Luna said. Suddenly, we could all see a large fire in the distance. "We have to get away!" He was definitely panicking now. However, there was no way to run, as we were suddenly surrounded by a wall of fire.

That's when a beast with a mane of fire, two large horns and fiery red skin appeared. "So, you're the ones that pathetic woman ordered me to hunt." It said. "Very well, let's test your metal."

"Damn, it's another Aeon." Ezio said. He was currently using his Shadow Eyes to scan the monster. "Ifrit, the fire Aeon. Everyone, I think I can spot a weakness, but it will take a while. Just focus on ice and water spells, don't use fire." There was no way that we could run, so we got ready for an assault.

I took out our wand and proceeded to cast Aqua Eructo to dowse the creature, while Luna cast a spell that I think was Glacius, I couldn't hear it properly. Hermione was bathing herself in a green light, causing a version of the summon seal to appear, but it appeared to be gradual, so it would take a while. Ezio was lifting a wrecked car with telepathy, and was getting ready to throw it. Bill, however, was causing ice crystals to form from the ground, causing Ifrit to step back. The small Shadow was holding up his staff and a large ice crystal formed over him which, after slamming it into the ground, was thrown towards the Aeon.

It was then that the seal was completed. It began to grow brighter, before lifting and spinning around Hremione, causing her to fade in a flash of light, and a large ice crystal to form in her place. "Isn't this familiar?" Liz said, with a sense of deadpan humour.

The ice crystal shattered into pieces, releasing Lamperough's giant form, who was launched high into the air. "They slew Shiva?" Ifrit said, on horror. It obviously knew what was about to happen. Lamperough slammed, fist first, into the ground, causing a large amount of spikes to appear out of the ground, tossing Ifrit up into the air. As he was coming down, a larger spike came up and launch him even higher.

"Yeah, that was brilliant!" Neville said, after finishing with fumbling his weapon about. "We should get him now!" As I grabbed a knife that was lying around, we all braced ourselves.

"Let's go!" I yelled. All of us charged at Ifrit, except for the small child, who tried to create distance, and Hermione, who was reappearing when Lamperough faded away. As Ifrit managed to get away, we realised that he was much stronger than Shiva was.

"Is that your strength?" He asked us. However, it wasn't bragging, but… concern? "Then I will finish this quickly." The mane of fire was suddenly pulled into it's body as it crouched down and tensed itself. _It's getting ready for a powerful attack. Try and stun him again._

"Ezio, use a combo spell!" I ordered. He gave a nod, and tensed himself up. "Hermione, Bill, Luna, kid, use an ice spell on Ezio!" As they complied with Glacius, except for Luna, but she somehow caused some sort of seal to appear in front of all of us.

"That's a shell." Luna said. "It should reduce the impact of his attack." Neville also caused one of those seals to appear, but around Ifrit, who panicked when it showed up. He tried to yell out, but was unable to say anything. "Neville used silence on him. It takes away his ability to use magic." He got out of it's stance and clenched his fist. It suddenly jumped into the air and knocked over Neville when he came down. "Neville!"

"Liz, heal him." Ezio said.

"No…" He said, getting back up with the aid of Bill. "I have an idea." _Can you tell us, cuz I can't hold this magic for longer before it backfires._ Suddenly, Neville bolted towards Ezio, holding up his sword as he ran past. "Get me some height!"

"How about this!" Bill said, causing an ice spike to form under Neville, sending him straight up into the air. With a flash of red light appearing around Neville, then focusing on the point of his sword, he came crashing down, causing an exceptionally large spike of ice to follow him, knocking Ifrit down and stunning him. "Neville, pull back." Bill instructed. "Someone give him a healing potion. Everyone else, pile on." As most of us got ready to attack, Liz ran over to Neville to heal him.

After we got pushed away, Ifrit stood up, visibly wounded, but with a much larger mane. "So, you can fight." He said. The silence spell must have worn off. "Sorry, but I have to end this quickly."

"DAMMIT!" Neville shouted. "That attack must've removed the spell!"

"Everyone, brace yourselves!" Ezio shouted. "It's going to be a big one." Ifrit's mane suddenly got pulled into it's body, causing him to slam both his fists into the ground. Suddenly, a large amount of seals formed in the sky, and with a roar, the seals began to burn, before hot rocks appeared… Oh, this is going to hurt like hell.

Sure enough, they came down on all of us. Bill, Hermione, Neville, Luna and Ezio were knocked out, and Liz and I were extremely injured. "Damn, I need to heal everyone else. Harry, can you provide a distraction?"

"I have a twisted ankle," I replied. "I can't move."

"Luna!" The kid shouted "Neville!" It was pretty scared, and was now panicking.

"I'll finish this soon." Ifrit said, getting ready to attack us with that move again. At the same time, the kid was bathed in a red aura that was focused on his staff. Raising it up and striking it into the ground, several seals appeared around the kid's feet, which then appeared around Ifrit, which repeatedly fired out ice crystals at Ifrit, dazing him and buying us some time. Liz ran over to me and healed my cuts, burns and bruises, before she herself began to glow in a red light.

"What the hell?" she said, in confusion, "What's going on?"

"Lizzie, just focus on healing the others." I told her. As she ran over to heal Neville, who was bleeding heavily, she was covered in the red light, which became a green light that surrounded everyone. As it drew itself into our bodies, our wounds were completely healed, before there was a sudden flash of light that signalled that the healing was done.

"Hey, shouldn't we be dead?" Hermione asked.

"That small kid just launched a large number of spells at that fire monster," I replied "and Liz healed all of us."

"Thank you, Vivi." Luna said to the small boy, in her dreamy voice. So, the kid's name is Vivi?

"Wait, were they both surrounded by red light, like Neville?" Bill asked.

"Yeah, we were." Vivi replied.

"So, you used Limit Breaks?" Ezio replied. "Hold on, I have an ide-" He said, as Ezio was hit with a fireball from Ifrit. "Son of a bitch." As he was getting up, and Bill and Hermione were providing cover with magic, Ezio was now surrounded by red light. As he took a fighting stance, the light was focused to his hands, which formed a ball of white light. "Take this!" He yelled, as the ball of light hit Ifrit, it suddenly formed a large ice crystal, that came down on Ifrit.

Luna was also covered in the light, but she didn't attack. Rather, we were affected, causing another shield to appear, as well as a few lines on our skins, one blue, one red, as well as making us move faster. "I think that could help." Luna said.

Bill was also surrounded by red and took the opportunity. Running over to Ifrit, he jumped and kicked him, which would normally be the end of that. However, ice crystals started shooting out of the ground, and fired themselves at Ifrit, buying more time for us. "How dead is he?" Bill asked. "I don't think we can handle this for much longer."

"Half way there." Ezio replied. "Hermione, what do you think your Limit Break will do?"

"It will summon an Aeon instantly." She replied. "How does that help?"

"I have an idea." Ezio said. "Neville, can you do that slash move again?"

"No, I can't." Neville replied. "I think that slash was my Limit Break." Ezio looked at him with a look of despair. He must've been asking him something through telepathy. "Now, that, I can do." _Everyone throw an ice spell at me, except Hermione. Use your limit break._

As all of us threw ice magic at Ezio, Neville held up his sword. Hermione used her Limit move, which instantly surrounded her with the Aeon seal, and faded her away. Lamperough appeared as normal, but he was now covered by the red light, or rather, the ice that made up his body had red light refracting through it. He was now launched in the air, about to come down. Ifrit was surrounding itself in fire, getting ready to counter the attack. "NOW!" Ezio shouted at Neville.

"What?" Ifrit said, realising that it was a trap. However, it was too late. Neville ran past Ezio, picking up the spell on his blade, as we all threw ice spells at him. Neville just cut into Ifrit, which caused his mane to disappear, as Lamperough came down and slammed into the ground, sending up spikes, which also stuck a few into Ifrit.

"He's on the ropes!" Ezio said. "I hope we can take him out now. Neville, step 3." Neville used silence on Ifrit again, which again panicked. "Step 4, boink!" With that, the shuttle flew through the fire and slammed into Ifrit, firing off a gun built into him. As Ifrit tried to recover, we all took out our guns.

"I give!" Ifrit said, holding up his hands. "Now I see why that woman wanted you dead. You are much stronger than the average man. Very well." As a large glyth, like the one that was used to summon Lamperough, appeared on the ground, around Ifrit. "I willingly become the Eidolon to one of you." The glyph lifted from the ground, causing Ifrit, and the wall of fire, to fade. The Glyph formed a ball of light, which flew towards Luna, knocking her out.

"Luna!" Neville shouted, running over to check if she was okay. "Oh, no. Please, please don't be dead."

"Luna?" Vivi said, kneeling next to her. "Are you all right?"

"She'll be fine." Hermione said. "When I first got an Aeon, it winded me. She's still alive, just tired."

"Well, she'll die if she stays in this snow." Bill said, lifting her up. "Where do we go?" As Neville lead us towards the snow, we all headed inside, out of the snow, out of the danger. But it's only 4 o'clock, we haven't even been here for one day, and we were already in danger more than once. I just hope things work out for us.


	12. Operation Hogwarts 2: Turbulence

"How is she?" Ron asked, after Raph, Seamus and Ron landed the craft, now dubbed the 'Cockroach', due to it's hard shell, outside the front door.

"She'll live." Liz said, after checking her temperature. "She's a little sick, but if we keep her in this bed for the night, it should keep the symptoms from getting worse. It was a good idea to camp out in a furniture store, Neville."

"I just thought that the beds would be comfortable." He replied. "I was thinking, 'How are we going to stay away from those cloud monsters?' When I realised that they don't enter buildings, and we only look for food and water from 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock, they don't show up then."

"I'm impressed, Neville." Hermione said. "By the way, that small child…"

"Oh, that's Vivi." Neville said. Vivi was currently watching Ezio and Seamus try and light a fire from wood that was kept here by Neville and Luna. Seamus was trying a spell, and Ezio was using some newspapers and a lighter. "We don't know much about him, even he doesn't know. We think he's one of those monsters, but he's able to talk and think. Hell, he was the one who told us how to avoid the monsters."

"Seamus, if that spell backfires again, I'm snapping that wand!" Ezio shouted.

"Well, at least I can use the spell!" Seamus retorted. "I've made a better fire than you!"

"We had to put out your fire because you set a wardrobe on fire! If you hadn't used that spell, my fire would've been lit and we wouldn't be arguing."

Vivi just stood up and walked over to the fire, holding his hands outwards, palms facing each other, then slamming them together. As he clapped his hands, the wood in the fireplace were suddenly alight, and burning wildly. "…Thanks, kid." Ezio said, rubbing Vivi's head. Vivi just ran over to Neville, and hid behind him. "Hey, I won't hurt you." Ezio complained.

"He also can use powerful offensive magic."

"Neville, what are you and Luna doing here?" I asked. "If the other students were evacuated to Hogwarts, why aren't you there?"

"It's hard to explain, Harry." Neville said, scratching the back of his head. "Well, my Nan didn't think that the school was safe enough, so she sent me to a nearby town. We have a beach house that I could stay at. Or, had."

"So, she sent you to Wales, a hut next to the beach, to protect you from Death Eaters and swimming aliens from another galaxy!" Raphael shouted. "What the hell was she thinking?"

"Those monsters in the tanks are actually aliens?" Neville said, shocked at the realisation.

"Neville, what are 'Aliens'?" Vivi asked.

"Well, it's hard to explain…" Neville started.

"Alien means 'from another land'." Hermione said. "While the most popular meaning involves 'Extraterrestrials', or creatures from another planet, it can mean any foreigner."

"Oh." Vivi then looked into space, thinking hard. "Am I an alien? From another world?"

"Where were you born?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know." he replied, sadly. "The first thing I know is lying in the street, then meeting Luna and Neville."

"Well, if that means you were born here, no." Ron said. "But we don't know where you were born."

"What about Luna?" I asked.

"Luna was here on holiday with her dad. I met them at the seaside town, when he tried to get us to London for the Hogwarts express. He was just as weird as Luna was, if not even more so. But he is a nice guy." Neville reached out into his bag, and took out a newspaper. "He's the editor of the Quibbler, a weekly magazine that runs 'conspiracy theories', strange news stories that are unusual by wizard standards. When the Daily Prophet were writing about how you were lying about Voldemort coming back, he was writing a counter argument, pointing out evidence against the Ministry's cover up."

"So you believe me?" I asked, taking the magazine from Neville and reading it. It's very oddball, but at least someone is arguing for me.

"Both me and my grandparents." He replied. "We knew you weren't lying because of the evidence that anyone could believe. Like Snape's Dark Mark, which was evidence enough."

"At least a few Wizards still have brain cells." Ezio replied. "Wait, isn't Snape a teacher?"

"He was a spy for Dumbledore during the First Wizarding War." Bill replied. "If you met up with Xeno, where did he go?"

"When we got to a house belonging to a friend of his, he went through the Floo Network to make sure London was still safe. When he went through, the fire turned from green to black."

"Hermione, is that bad?" Liz asked.

"Yes, it means that the entire Floo Network went down. There is only one way that could happen. Someone cursed the Floo Network. And before you ask, the Floo Network is a form of transport where you throw a substance called Floo Powder to travel between charmed fireplaces."

"The Floo Network is the Public way of travelling from, say, one house to another, or from the house to a public place." Bill explained. "Dad set up a private connection between our house, in the Burrow, and the Headquarters for the Order."

"Couldn't Xeno Apperate back?" Ron asked. "It wouldn't be that difficult."

"Xenophilius was arrested by Aurors for 'Inciting public panic'. Luckily, Dad was able to get him off the charges, and he's now staying in the Order HQ. He can't leave London, however, or else they'll know. Also, the Ministry set up anti-Apperation wards. No-on can Apperate in or out of the city, only within."

"Then how did you get here?" I asked, before realising. "Oh, the connection with the Burrow and the Order HQ, right? Then where is the HQ?"

"It's Sirius's house." Bill replied.

"Sirius Black?" Neville asked, sounding nervous. "You mean-"

"Sirius Black didn't kill those 12 people." Ron replied. "It was Scabbers."

"The rat?" Neville asked, confused.

"Peter Pettigrew." Harry answered. "He was an Animagus. So, how is Sirius?"

"He's doing well." Bill replied. "He was jealous that all of us were Conduits and he wasn't. The Weasleys, minus Mum, and Remus."

"So, Fred and George explained Conduits to you?" Raphael asked, in a not-very surprised reaction. "Well, Ron was a Conduit, so I was expecting it."

"Oh, right." Ezio said, suddenly perking up. "The Conduit gene is guaranteed to be passed down from the father to children, but only a quarter from mothers. Hermione, that could mean that one of your parents has the gene."

"Well, they haven't awakened." Bill said. "When we picked them up, they didn't have any powers."

"Are they safe?" Hermione asked.

"They're staying at the Burrow." Bill reassured her.

"What about Luna's? Or Neville's, or even Liz's?"

"Well, I hope that there was a mutation for my powers." Liz said. "Imagine what my dad would do to you if he knew of our intentions to marry, Ezio."

"Hey, he already tried to murder me."

"You're engaged?" Neville asked. "Congratulations."

"Not officially, yet, but we are going to get married." Ezio said. "Do you know if your parents have powers, Neville?"

"I don't know."

"Hey, don't you live with your grandparents?" Hermione asked. "What happened to your parents?"

"…I'd rather not talk about it…" Painful, huh?

"Well, what powers do your family have?" Ezio asked Bill.

"Dad can cause machines to run, even if they're broken, and cause them to run off of magic, I can create spikes from whatever substance I'm touching-"

"Like snow." Vivi said. "If you were standing in water, then you'd create spikes of water."

"Well, yes." Bill said. "Charlie can cover himself with hard scales, grow wings and breathe fire, like a dragon."

"Fitting," Ron said, "He works on a dragon reservation in Romania."

"He can also speak to dragons. Fred and George can see and hear anything, by themselves, and when touching, their powers combine. That's how we knew how you were all safe."

"They told?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, Mum and Dad were equally furious that they took that charm off the letter, and sent you weapons. We don't know what power Percy has, he won't talk to us because we won't believe the Ministry's lies-"

"Wait, Percival?" Ezio said. "Are you shitting me?"

"Wait, you know him?" Hermione asked.

"No, the guy behind the Drophyd attacks is called Percival Tachyon. I just thought it was a strange coincidence."

"As I was saying." Bill said, in annoyance. "Let's just say, Fred and George's reaction was equally hilarious and offensive. Ginny can manifest barriers that she can control at will, and instantly set up wards. She created the wards that found you all."

"And Professor Lupin?" I asked.

"He's able to turn into a werewolf at will, and is also much physically stronger in Wolf form. He can also control berserk werewolves."

"Is that how you got your scars?" Ezio asked. "I can tell that they cause Lycanthropy, a werewolf disease."

"Actually, anyone who is a Werewolf with the Conduit gene gets that as a power. I got scratched by someone called, 'Fenrir Greyback'."

"Is theme naming common in the Wizarding world?" Ezio asked. "It's just that, well, giving someone a name associated with wolves is begging for their child to be bitten."

"I hope not. Luckily, I didn't get infected, but I do get bestial urges. I have to eat my steaks extra raw."

"By the way, what did you mean when you said that the magical world was exposed?" Hermione asked.

"The Death Eaters performed some high profile attacks on the muggle community. They killed off Prince Charles, who was protecting the Queen, in front of TV cameras, and Greyback almost killed Prime Minister Cameron when he was greeting people evacuated to London."

"What about in the magic community? No deaths?"

"Actually, no high profile killings, but they did kill a Muggle Born in Hogsmeade."

"How could the Ministry cover this up, saying that it isn't Voldemort?" Ron asked

"I don't know, I can't believe we're neglecting this one." Hermione said. "How's Cho?"

"Cho Chang?" Bill said. "She'll live. She got her injuries treated at Saint Mungo's, a magic hospital."

"Where in London is that?" Hermione asked.

"It's hidden behind a closed store called 'Purge and Dowse, Ltd.'" Neville answered. "I've been a few times."

"Really?" Ezio asked. "What floor do they keep the insane patients?"

"Fourth floor." He replied.

"Neville, you answered that far too quickly for passing knowledge of somewhere you've been a few times, let alone that question. What happened to your parents to land them in a Psyche ward?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Sorry I asked. I'm sure it's painful for you."

"After we took her there to get treated, we took her back to HQ, then took her to the Burrow, where she, Ginny, the twins and a few guests are staying."

"Who?"

"Wait to see." Bill said, getting up. "Well, might as well get something to eat. What do you have, Neville?"

"Instant, dry food. You add water to it." He then got up and went over to a cupboard, which had some plates, but also a few packets of instant noodles, pot noodles, instant pasta, and a large amount of water. "We couldn't get any fresh or frozen food, so this is all we got."

"Well, that can't be healthy." Bill said. "We should eat." Grabbing a kettle, he filled it with water, and took it over to the fire. "Well, I'll try and Apperate back to the Burrow, let everyone know you're all safe, and to get some spare beds, after we all eat."

"Well, I have to check on Luna." Liz said. "I think, if I can move her closer to the fire, it would help."

"Oh, hello?" Luna said, coming over. "Have you got the fire lit?"

"Luna, you shouldn't be out of bed." Liz said, angrily. "You fainted in the snow, and you could be sick."

"I'm fine." Luna said, with a weak smile. "Just a bit tired. But I also hear voices."

"That's probably Ifrit." Hermione said. "Aeons can communicate with whoever holds their seal."

"Well, summon him." Seamus said. "We need to know who ordered him to kill us."

"Well, I'll try." Luna then held out her hand, causing a ball of fire to appear. The ball of fire then became an imp, but it was recognisable as Ifrit. "So, you're the Aeon Ifrit?"

"The term Aeon only applies to Eidolons that haven't been bound to a mortal." Ifrit replied. "But yes, I am Ifrit, the Eidolon of flames."

"Why the different names, Aeon, Eidolon?" Seamus asked.

"An Aeon means a being of pure magic, that is free to roam the physical plane." Ifrit explained. "An Eidolon is commonly called an 'Image' of magic, which is only a projection of the magic sealed within our Summoners."

"How are you much stronger than Shiva, then." I asked. "When we fought her, it was much easier to take her down."

"Shiva was always rebellious." Ifrit said. "She was the only one who willingly became an Eidolon the first time, and she wouldn't answer to anyone but her original Sorceress. But that was the problem. We had our souls bound to wild magic to prevent destruction, and the longer she went without becoming an Eidolon, the more damage she did."

"What do you mean by 'Sorceress'?" Luna asked.

"Whenever an Aeon becomes an Eidolon, our magic is sealed within a female human, who becomes a Sorceress, a witch who holds tremendous power. However, since you slew Shiva," He said, looking at Hermione, "a lingering soul inherited her power and formed a contract with you."

"Does that explain how the Admiral became a ghost after Pettigrew killed him, even when he was a Muggle?" Liz said, looking in confusion.

"No, but it does explain how Pettigrew was killed when he summoned Shiva." Ezio said.

"I've never heard of a ghost coming from a Muggle's passing," Ifrit said. "when a person dies, then the soul automatically passes on."

"Then it was due to snapping Pettigrew's wand when he used the Killing Curse." Hermione said. "Who ordered you to kill us?"

"My summoner." He said.

"No, who was your summoner." She asked.

"A witch."

"WHAT IS THE NAME!" Hermione shouted.

"I know you want to know who ordered me to kill you, but I am bound by a code of honour to keep it hidden." Ifrit replied. "However, if you get enough proof about who gave the order, I will gladly confirm it."

"Well, this sucks." Ezio said.

"What, we don't know who wants us dead?" Ron sarcastically asked.

"No, we know who wants us dead," Ezio shouted. "racist Wizard inbreeds who are obsessed with 'Purity', a Dark Lord with a snake fetish, a no-longer hidden branch of the British government who wants Harry silenced, and aliens looking for cats! I was talking about how this was six pages in Microsoft Word of info dump, so hopefully, in the next page, we'll do something exciting. I'm gonna get something to eat." Ezio then headed over to the cupboard and grabbed a packet of noodles. They had a sort of pinkish colouring, so I had to say bacon flavour. "Harry, you can tell in the dark?"

"My cousin is a real pig." I replied. "He even had a tail."

"So, that's what your accidental magic was?" Luna asked. "Giving your cousin a tail?"

"Actually, that was Hagrid." I said, guiltily. "I caused my cousin to fall into a snake exhibit at the zoo."

"I caused Bill's shoes to disappear, but he blames Fred and George, so don't tell him." Ron replied. "Hermione?"

"I blew up a stereo. Luna?"

"I caused a Nargle to appear, but it disappeared shortly afterwards."

"I actually bounced." Neville said. Ezio was giving a look of horror, trying to understand the circumstances. "When I was younger, my grandfather was worried that I was a Squib, so he dropped me out of a first story window to test my magic, which caused me to bounce to safety. My entire family was happy." Ezio, Liz, Hermione and Raphael were mortified when they heard this.

"He did what!"

"Who let them raise you!"

"I'm going to punch both of them in the face!"

"Calm down." Bill said. "Wizarding laws dictate that orphaned children go to live with their closest blood relative, even if the relatives are abusive." Of course, that didn't make it better. Long arguments about what happened if the relatives were abusive, or where the child goes when his relatives die ended up being the only thing the four asked Bill about all night. Wait, was… that the reason that Dumbledore kept sending me to the Dursleys?

**18/07/2011**

"So, we're going to travel in this?" Neville said, helping lift some supplies into the Cockroach. Raphael, Ron and Seamus really did a good job. The craft had 10 seats total, all taken from a bus. The chairs had two seatbelts, probably for security, and had visible steel bars on the inside. The front of the craft had 3 seats, one for the pilot, and 3 for passengers. There were three chairs in the next row, facing the back, and a large gap that could fit 2 more chairs in the front two rows, that was taken up by a large gun that was facing forward, that was kept inside a large metallic box. The last row had five chairs, all lined up next to each other. All supplies are kept in metallic boxes under our seats. It also had windows added before our first flight by Hermione working with Luna (Kind of weird that they found bags of sand near a police station). It also had what Raph called a 'Booster Rocket' and 'Stabilisers', that he added this morning, the booster to increase speeds, and the four stabilisers, two on each side, to keep it from going out of control. "Is it safe to even ride in it?"

"Relax." Ron said, rubbing his hands on his shoulders. "This thing is fully tested, it can withstand collisions, it has thick armour, and it also has these things called 'Kinetic Barriers' that will keep stray bullets from even hitting us, let alone water. Also, it's fast, for making a quick escape." Setting the supplies under a seat, he then went back to grab some more. "If you don't like heights, then sit in the middle."

"Alright, so what do I do with this device?" Bill said, holding a small screen and a small receiver connected to it. I was carrying bottles of water over to the craft, we were going to be thirsty after all.

"It's called a sat nav, or 'Satellite Navigation'." Raphael explained. "Since we don't know where the Burrow is, you have to Apperate there and set the sat nav in an open area. These two units are linked so that we can tell where the Burrow is, and you can tell how far away we are."

"So, it will help you get to the Burrow?" Bill asked. "What's this green button for?"

"It will allow you to call us while we're flying." Liz replied. "I already added a SIM card, and added each other as contacts." With that, Bill gave us his luck, before we pointed out Ron's power was luck, and Apperated out.

"Okay, where do I sit?" Seamus said, carrying the last load out. Raphael pointed him to the front, where he was supposed to sit. "Next to the gun?"

"Yes, next to the gun." Ezio said. "We can't grab more ammo, so we need you to provide your infinity power to the gun so that we don't run out of ammo during a fight. Also, there's a gas tank we need you to keep filled."

"So, you want me to sit next to a gun, and on top of something that can explode?" Seamus explained. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Hey, at least your seat doesn't have that ME Core." Ezio said. "It's built under my chair. In fact, I think it makes me feel sick."

"Well, you'll feel better to be at the Burrow then." I said, helping Luna take Vivi on. "Where are you going to sit?"

"I'm going to take a window seat." Luna said. "I want to watch out for any birds, like a Phoenix, Thestral or an owl. I hope I can see a Zoni."

"…Zoni?" I asked. "What's a Zoni?"

"Zoni make sure that time keeps flowing properly." Luna said, with the same blank stare she always had. "They helped me find Neville."

"Right…" I said, before watching her and Vivi take a seat. Luna was sat at one of the back facing chairs, on the left hand side, with Vivi sat at her opposite, facing forward. As Neville got into the craft, he had a feeling of nervousness, everyone could tell. It was clearly on his face. "Relax, Neville, nothing bad is going to happen."

"I guess you're right." He said, shivering, but I couldn't tell if it was the cold or his nerves. "But you could never know." As he was sitting down, he sat next to Vivi, and helped Luna buckle him in, before both of them strapped themselves in. Neville just slumped over, trying not to think about what was about to happen.

"Neville?" Vivi said, with a look of concern in his eyes. That's the only way we can tell what he's thinking, the eyes are very expressive, like in a cartoon. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He said to Vivi. "Just nervous."

"Why?"

"Well, I've had a terrible experience with flying." Neville said. "I've never flown at all, after that."

"What happened?" Vivi asked, obviously perplexed.

"Neville lost control of his broom when he was 11." Seamus said. "He flew out of control and flew about, before crashing hard and breaking his arm."

"Oh, don't bring it up!" Neville said, obviously angry.

"What? I'm just bringing up a good memory." He said, after charging the machinegun, gas tank and batteries, just in case. "If that didn't happen, Harry wouldn't become Gryffindor's Seeker."

"Don't make fun of Neville." Vivi said, obviously angry (Again, the eyes, but now they were red).

"What, I was only teasing him." Seamus said. However Vivi was still angry, as he was getting ready to throw a fireball at Seamus.

"Vivi, calm down!" I shouted. "Seamus, don't tease Neville, even if it's just for a laugh."

"But, Harry-" Seamus tried to speak up.

"No 'Buts'!" I shouted. "Vivi almost threw a fireball at you! Even though we have Liz, that would still kill you." I then turned to Vivi, who was definitely nervous. "Vivi, don't lose your temper like that. If you did that, Seamus would've been killed."

"I-I'm sorry…" Vivi said, crying. His eyes were now a light-blue colour, and the tears that were present made it obvious that he was crying. "I-I didn't want him making fun of Neville…"

"Just don't do it again." I said, before turning around, seeing Hermione looking at me, arms crossed. "What?"

"You handled that very well, Harry." She said, giving me a smile. "Well, at least you're maturing well."

"Where are you going to sit?" I asked her.

"Probably in the front, so to make sure we're on the right track." She said. "Also, after that little incident, if Seamus acts up, I'll be able to stop him."

"Is that why the twins are slightly afraid of you?" I joked.

"Well, if there is another school year, I'll definitely make them scared." She replied. Suddenly, she looked off to the side, obviously thinking about something. "I should really apologise."

"For what?" I asked. "You haven't done anything."

"No, you're wrong." She said. "…Before Summer, Dumbledore asked that Ron and I not write to you, saying that you were still shaken up over Cedric's death."

"Hermione, we talked about this." I said.

"If I knew about how the Dursleys treated you, I wouldn't have said yes." She interrupted. "Dumbledore said that, if we didn't write you…" She paused, with a look of guilt on her face. "Then we'd be guaranteed to become Prefects this year."

"Wait, he bought you two off?" I said. "Well, I knew how important school is for you."

"But, with everything that's happened," She said, almost crying. "it was pointless to make that deal. I should've turned it down." I just walked over to Hermione and put my hand on her shoulder.

"Hermione, I forgive you. But we have bigger things to deal with." As she stopped crying, she looked me in the face, with a smile. "Come on, let's get to the Burrow."

She climbed into the cockpit, sitting next to Seamus, with her facing the right side window. I climbed next to the gun, opposite Luna's single chair, as Ezio sat next to Neville, and Liz next to him. When is he going to ask her? Ron then climbed next to me, next to the right window. Raphael then did something to the three doors on the outside, probably locked us inside to stop the doors from opening mid-flight. He then got into the cockpit, then did the same on the inside, and strapped himself in.

"I locked the doors with gas cylinders to keep the doors secured." He said. "If we ever crash," He explained, pointing at red handles on the door, "Pull those to get out. Okay, ready?" We all nodded and then he turned a key, then pressed a button. We suddenly felt the craft lift off the ground, before we heard what sounded like a plane engine. "Well, here we go!"

We then flew into the air at great speed, flying straight into the snowstorm, as we saw the ground and knew how fast we were going. Definitely faster than a car. "90 Miles per Hour. You can't do this in a car." Raph said.

It was almost an hour before I realised that we were almost there. I looked over to see what everyone else was doing. Vivi and Luna were playing Rock, Paper, Scissors (Vivi was winning), Liz was helping Ezio (Is he sick again?), Ron was playing Exploding Snap, Raphael was telling Ron to put the cards away in case they exploded (they didn't), Neville was angry at Seamus, Seamus was bent over with his hands to his crotch and Hermione was reading, and shaking her ha- She hit him there?

"How can you be sick again?" Liz said, rubbing Ezio's forehead. "You hardly get motion sick." However, Ezio just looked at her, talking through telepathy. "Ezio, if you were trying to talk with telepathy, something is wrong." Ezio just looked at her, as his eyes went wide.

"What's wrong?" I had to ask. "Don't tell me that he lost his powers."

"I think he has." Liz replied back to me, while taking off Ezio's seatbelts. "Hey, did any of you notice that, when we were coming to Swansea, his telepathy was slightly quieter?"

"It was." I answered. "It was slightly quieter than normal. Is there a cause?"

"Hey, come to think of it," Neville said, "I do feel a bit sick." Before that, we heard a small explosion and looked over at Ron. "Isn't Ron's power luck?"

"Everyone who isn't feeling even a little sick, raise their hands." All hands stayed down, with the exception of Vivi. "Well, this isn't good."

"Hey, Ezio's the sickest." I said. "Isn't he sitting over the Mass Effect Core?" Liz then went and opened the door under the seat, then immediately passed out. "Move her out of the way!" Ron and I undid our seat belts and pulled Liz to our seat while closing the hatch. "Well, that isn't good."

"Hey," Hermione got our attention. "Ezio has armour, right? Put it on, it might help block out the Core's effect."

"Ezio, I know you're tired, but can you show me how to get your armour out?" I said. He then held up his arm, the one with the GrummelNet bracelet. As I brought up the wheel, I only saw a selection of guns. _…ef…_ I flicked the wheel left, showing a shield and an option saying, 'Equip? Yes/No', the yes and no forming two separate words. Pressing yes, we watched as the armour appeared around him, forming the chest plate, arm and leg guards, and a helmet. "I have got to get some armour."

"You should've bought one before we left Belfast." Ezio said. "Well, at least we know one thing. Don't let Conduits near MECs."

Suddenly, the craft was shaken by something, which caused Ron, Liz, Ezio and I to get knocked up quite badly. "What was that?" Neville asked, beginning to panic.

"I don't know." Ezio said, getting up. "Dammit, the visor broke." He said, poking at the partially damaged helmet lens.

"Uh, guys?" Seamus said, looking behind us. "We have company." As I got up and looked out the back window. "D-Drophyds!"

"Oh…" Ron said, seeing one of them build up charge for a weapon. "SHIT!" The weapon went off, damaging our back stabilisers and causing our MEC (Catchy) to explode, sending a shard at Ezio's exposed face. We all grabbed onto something, as the craft began to slowly get faster, but not at a fast enough velocity for the fall alone to kill us, no. Now, the speed we were travelling at, however…

As we hit the ground, we began to skim off of the ground, hitting water and ice in a marsh, before we stopped, right in the middle of the marsh.

Getting up, I tripped over Ezio's unconscious body, as Liz was trying to heal him. The shard was embedded into his eye, which Liz grabbed with her hand and pulled out. "Come on, please don't leave any behind…" She said. "Everyone, go deal with those Drophyds, but go get help! Something is stopping my healing powers. I think it's the metal." As we grabbed the levers on the doors to force the doors to unlock, I knelt down to Ezio.

"Just hang in there." I said, before getting up and taking out my Combustor and a wand. "We're almost there."

Heading out, we saw that there were 12 Drophyd crafts, one of which almost hit Raphael, who had moved out of the way and was now holding the gun that the Drophyd had, before grabbing the ship and throwing it at two other ships, taking the three out. Vivi had cast a spell that hit all nine of the remaining Drophyds with lightning which disrupted their motors, giving us a moment of opportunity. Hermione and Luna both summoned their Eidolons, but the Drophyds recovered too quickly for all of them to be hit, but both Lamperough and Ifrit managed to take out two each, taking the total down to five.

Not wasting an opportunity, I cast a stunning spell at one Drophyd, stalling one engine, before I jumped up on top and kept firing my Combustor into the cockpit, jumping off just in time to avoid the explosion, but landed right into the bog. My Combustor then upgraded, going to Level 2, as Ron had used his axe to destroy one more Drophyd. "Three left!" He said, helping me out of the freezing water. Neville and Luna worked together to take out one more Drophyd, Neville weakening it while Luna made Neville stronger, who destroyed the Drophyd in a single slice.

Now, there was only two left, but we weren't the ones who destroyed them. One was tackled from above by an extremely large wolf, while the last was destroyed by Charlie and Bill.

"Hey, how is everyone?" Bill asked us in a cheery voice.

"Oh, fine, Ezio just lost his eye in an explosion, and the metal embedded in the skin stops Conduit powers, and he's deathly ill." I said. "Nothing unusual." When he heard that, he immediately ran towards the craft and helped Liz get him to the Weasley house.

The wolf then came over to me and with a flash of ligh- Lupin? "How are you, Harry?"

"Well, my life could be better." I replied. "We should help the others." With that, we went and helped Bill take Ezio into the house. I just hope it isn't serious.

FILES:

**SLANDER: Our DAMNING Review of The Daily Prophet**

This week, the Daily Prophet has published several more damning stories about how Harry Potter has kept on lying about how You-Know-Who has returned. In this article of the Quibbler, we discuss the evidence, the reason for a hate campaign against a child and the possible repercussions that Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge faces due to this downright awful waste of Ministry time and money.

**Evidence**

Harry Potter, who is renowned for surviving an attack by You-Know-Who as a child, would be the last wizard alive to fabricate a hoax regarding His return, and by extension the death of Cedric Diggory. Already there are rumours about both how the Ministry could charge Mr. Potter with Cedric's murder, and how Fudge has been sabotaging the investigation into Cedric's death.

The Ministry believe that Potter murdered Cedric during the Third Task of the Triwizard Cup, then took his body back and claimed that it was the work of You-Know-Who. However, there is little to no evidence as to prove this, which the Ministry claim was altered by Mr. Potter.

However, what happened after Mr. Potter was taken away by Professor Moody, which we have a reliable source to the events to explain (who we will not and can not identify, but we will pass on the Pensieved memory to the Auror's Office and the Daily Prophet, altered, if they wish) how Fudge had actively destroyed Potter's case not even 30 minutes after the incident occurred.

Professor 'Moody' was actually an impostor, who had kidnapped the real Professor Moody and kept him in a magic trunk to keep a source of hair needed for a Polyjuice Potion. His real identity was Barty Crouch, Jr., who had never gone to Azkaban in the first place, haven been replaced by his mother under the effects of Polyjuice Potion.

He had tampered with the Goblet of Fire to nominate Mr. Potter, and altered the Triwizard Cup's trophy, which was intended as a portkey back to the start, to deliver Mr. Potter directly to Voldemort. However, during the Third Task, Potter and Diggory both grabbed the cup at the same time, both being transported, where one of You-Know-Who's followers murdered Diggory.

As this was revealed to several individuals, including Potter and Professor Albus Dumbledore, Fudge came into the room with a Dementor, who promptly Kissed Crouch before they could question him. Also, Fudge had also neglected to check the enchantments on Mr. Potter's wand, thus not proving whether or not he had actually used the Killing Curse.

While this would be damning on it's own, an anonymous source in the Ministry claims that Fudge had listened to the Entire Conversation from outside the door, thus obviously knew that this would be a challenge to his leadership skills. He had ordered the Dementor to attack from outside the room where Barty Crouch was Kissed.

If Mr. Potter had never taken part in the Triwizard Tournament, then he and the other three contestants would never had been in danger, however, when Prof. Dumbledore told Fudge to call off the tournament (After the murder of Barty Crouch, Sr.), he angrily protested against the idea because Dumbledore was 'Questioning his authority', as our witness testifies.

Another source within the Ministry, who claims to have heard the Minister's reaction to hearing about Mr. Potter's disappearance, says; "The Minister was happy to hear that [Potter] was gone, because then, he would have less trouble to deal with, because Potter can't sue for libel."

Our source also said that Fudge was trying to invoke a new law that would allow the Ministry to seize the property of anyone who they claim 'May cause moral panic with reckless and dangerous actions that could expose the Magical Community'. However, this is really Fudge's attempts to silence Mr. Potter, as that means that he would seize properties that Mr. Potter has yet to inherit, such as homes, property and the majority share in several businesses. Luckily, these laws have been squashed by internal sabotage.

[I can't believe it. He was going to steal properties I own, legally so I couldn't stop him, that I don't know of! I have to find out more about those properties, and get a lawyer.]

**09:00 pm, 18/07/2011**

Cornelius Fudge was currently sitting, up late working with his aides. Ever since the Death Eaters had single handedly exposed the Wizarding community all over the world, he had come under a lot of public scrutiny. PM Cameron was questioning several 'Miscarriages of Justice' that had occurred during the Wizarding War, the brutish behaviour of the Aurors, the outright 'Racism' occurring in the Wizarding Community and the dealings of Harry Potter.

Not only that, but several documents were stolen, one of his most loyal employees was most likely dead, there were four thieves that had managed to sneak into the Ministry at night, repeatedly, one during the day, and some idiot had let that damn Lovegood out on bail. This was not his happiest few weeks.

"Weatherby, what do those reports say about public trust?" The exhausted Minister asked his bright, young Aide.

"Well, Minister," The young Aide, Percival **Weasley**, responded by taking out a few sheets of paper. At least if you're going to have an assistant, learn his name. "it appears that public trust is at an all-time low due to the Quibbler's article about your handling of Barty Crouch, Jr. Also…" He said, hesitating, knowing the reaction that the old man was about to take. "It appears… that the Muggle community is calling for your resignation."

"WHAT!" The old man shouted as he threw a clipboard at the assistant. "How could they dare try and decide what doesn't concern them? What right do they have!"

"Calm down, Cornelius." Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary of the Minister of Magic said, as she stood. "There is no way that the decision of the Minister of Magic can be decided by a few Muggles."

"Actually…" Weasley spoke up. "You have yet to read this. It's something called an 'Inquiry into the Terms and Agreements decided upon in the Magna Carta'. It's a legal document that claims that an inquiry into whether the Wizarding Community can be properly led, laws scrutinised, and a possible forced resignation of several Ministerial positions, all in agreement to the Magna Carta agreement, one of the agreements to Secrecy taken in the 15th Century."

"Oh, who called for this then, Cameron, or his little House Elf Clegg." Umbridge was laughing to this joke made by the Minister.

"Windsor." Weasley replied.

"What." This is when Fudge realised just how deep in trouble he really is.

"The inquiry can not be invoked by the Prime Minister." Weasley explained. "The only one who can is, in fact, the Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II."

"Oh, this is bad." Cornelius said, before downing a few shots of fire whiskey. "When does it begin?"

"Yesterday."

"Great, first the rogue Death Eaters, then my Bill was stolen, four thieves, Potter, then this." He then put his head in his lap and put himself in deep concentration. "Any news about Potter?"

"Well, after the someone posted the Quibbler story on a news Forum on the internet, he has become an icon of Anonymous." Weasley said, before raising a hand to halt the Minister. "The group, who are known for being able to hold improvised protests, have taken up Potter's case, and have sworn to help expose corruption in the Ministry of Justice, while you have become a rather unflattering meme."

"Internet?" Umbridge asked, confused. "Meme?"

"The furthest this story has travelled is… Alaska." This caused Fudge to take another shot. "There are people all over some of the most popular websites, YouTube, Wikipedia, Yahoo!, MSN, asking more and more questions about Potter, who is he, what's Hogwarts like, how does magic work, who is Vol - You-Know-Who, etc. Someone even wants to write his biography. Unfortunately, because Muggles side with Potter, they refer to you in less than satisfactory ways." He understated. "You were played off by Keyboard Cat."

"Do I want to know?" Cornelius said, as Weasley handed him a small tablet of his appearance on Question Time being ruined by hecklers, as it cut to a cat playing a piano like instrument. "Dammit, Potter isn't even in England, and he's causing trouble. We have to stop him."

"Let me handle Potter, sir." Umbridge said. "I can make sure that Potter won't cause trouble for us."

"I hope so." Cornelius said, before both of his Aides left.

Well, he thinks his troubles will soon be over. However…

Azimuth, I know I shouldn't get involved, but I know that what these people are planning will hurt our actions in the long run, and this could act as another big distraction to see what the Death Eaters wanted with the files on ß. Also, assuming 'Potter' is one of the Conduits encountered in Belfast, it is possible that they could help us in the long run. I've included the entire meeting as a video file, and links to website describing Potter and the Ministry of Magic, as well as the Quibbler Article (They're now posting a weekly online copy, want me to subscribe you?).

Apollo.

[Reply from Phantom_Of_Legions]

Go ahead, but try and not get seen, and operate discreetly. I don't need a repeat of the 'Happy Birthday' incident.


	13. Operation Hogwarts 3: Treachery

I would like to say a few things about the next and following chapters.

1) This chapter is basically an infodump, so I apologise that this is not up to standard, but I promise that the following chapters will be much better than this one. I wanted to get a few things out of the way quickly, and thus it suffers.

2) I know that sometimes it appears that I do not to the research, but sometimes I either can't perform research or I just get something wrong. The second subscriber actually pointed out two glaring mistakes, I misspelled 'Keprals' and Angela's second name, Cross. I last played Ratchet and Clank 2 three years ago, and the Kepral's thing was a simple misspelling. I'll try and fix this ASAP Also, the Kepral's thing in the Diary was actually to be a hint that Kepral's and tuberculosis would share a treatment, but upon replaying ME2 and discovering what the actual symptoms were, I realised my mistake, and would instead have to adapt (The diary entry was actually meant to be a reference for me, as well as a way to make hints as to what would appear in the future, Luna's original planned power before she got Status Buffs was to summon Prinnies, for example. I'm going to use it as a recurring gag, though). If I can't perform research, it's usually because my internet has been taken off, for several reasons.

3) Thanks Fire-Warrioress for adding my story to your watch list. I now have 2 subscribers, a record. But, Azimuth was added as a way of defining Apollo's character, and he will appear later, I guarantee. But here's what I want help with, what should Azimuth be: Wizard, Conduit (What power?), Biotic or Badass Normal?

4) If you can guess, I'm a troper. I am trying to get as many tropes in here as possible. Go ahead and play a drinking game. If you dare…

5) Guess who ß is. if you have some detective skills, it should be easy.

Anyway, try and enjoy this chapter (If you can), as well as the rest. Thank you.

* * *

><p>As I rushed into the kitchen, I ran straight to the fireplace, like Lupin had told me. "Harry!" Ginny, Cho, Fred, George and Mr. Weasley said as I ran in. "Harry, is there a problem?" Arthur asked, as I grabbed a handful of Floo Powder.<p>

"We have someone badly injured, and we need a doctor, or healer, or whatever." I said, before I realised I had forgotten the most important thing. "What's the password for Andromeda Tonks?" I asked. Lupin said that she would be the best to deal with the situation.

"The- The runaway Princess and the lucky pauper both inherit the Nymph's gift." Arthur said, as Bill burst in, carrying Ezio. I threw the powder through, before I threw the Powder into the fireplace and stuck my head through.

Seeing a couple there, I instinctively ask, "Is this the Tonks house?"

"Is there a problem at the Burrow?" A woman asked, standing up.

"Well, yes, we need a healer." Taking my head out of the fire, I watch as the woman comes through the fire as Bill puts Ezio down on the table. "Harry, by the way."

"Harry Potter?" I just nod, before pointing at Ezio. "What happened to him?"

"Well, our...transport was attacked," Hermione began to explain, "and this part we used to make it fly exploded and a piece of shrapnel embedded itself in his eye." Hermione then continued to explain as I turn to look at everyone else, and see the expressions of horror and dizziness take over on their faces.

"Hi, everyone." I say, as Mrs. Weasley comes in, out of the snow, and the Healer treated Ezio while Liz tries to help and Raphael watches over his brother.

"Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger, what the Hell were you thinking when you ran off to Ireland when you knew it was dangerous!" Mrs. Weasley shouted at us. I knew that I had to say something quick, but Ron beat me to the punch.

"'Oh, no, I've been a massive idiot, my best friend has ran off to the middle of a battlefield because everyone he trusted turned their backs to him in his time of need at the orders of an old fart with an ego the size of his beard, I've cocked up, I have to make sure he isn't dead'." He said in a completely deadpan manner. "Or something like that, I wasn't thinking straight."

"I was just worried that Harry was in danger, and I knew that you wouldn't do anything unless Professor Dumbledore said so, and I couldn't wait on him." Hermione said.

"If you find out that the reason you were sent to relatives that hate you because of your heritage, kept you from your friends and your pet owl, didn't let you know of that bastard Fudge's hate campaign, and had purposely neglected to show you your parent's will, you would be angry." I said. "I'm going to break that bearded bastard's nose the next time I see him."

"You just missed him." The twins said. "Besides," Fred started. "Ron already threw a plate at him." What?

"We don't need a reminder of that!" Mrs. Weasley said, harshly, with her hands on her hips.

"Yes we do." They said, taking out a large frame that had a shattered China plate in it, decorated with flowers and… blood?

"You framed it?" Ron asked, looking at the plate.

"No, Sirius did." Ginny said, coming over. "That was still a stupid move, all of you." She glared at all of us, but the longest at Hermione, probably using it to ask, 'How could you let Ron do this?'.

"How are you all?" Cho asked us. "And who are the people you came with?"

It was then that we all sat down, as all of us, save Neville and Luna, explained what happened in Ireland, how we met the group we took here, meeting up with Neville, Luna and Vivi (Who was currently playing Exploding Snap with the twins), the two Aeo- Eidolons and how Ezio lost an eye.

"So, those fish creatures are from another planet?" Ginny asked. "Why are they attacking us?"

"Apparently, there's this series of devices called a 'Ray Sphere' and a 'Ray Tunnel'," Seamus explained, "that the Drophyds think were made by a race called the Lombaxes, who their Emperor, a guy named Percival Tachyon- NO RELATION!" He immediately raised his hand, knowing what Fred and George were thinking. "-Wants for a reason I don't know of. We might be able to ask a Vendor, but I think I heard Ezio talk about it with Grummel 1."

"How is Ezio, anyway?" Ron asked, as a small explosion rocked the table. "And who won?" He asked his brothers.

"I did!" Vivi said, jumping up. However, he let go of the cards, which flew everywhere, as Fred and George used shielding charms on all of us, then they, with Hermione and Cho, helped fix the mess.

"He'll live." The healer said, coming through. "I guess I should introduce myself in a more civilised way. My name is Andromeda Tonks, Healer First class." As we introduced ourselves, I decided to ask how bad the damage was. "Well, whatever that metal is, it seems to be anathema to him, but since I don't know much about 'Conduits', as you refer to them, I have no idea. While Elizabeth was correct to take the shard out to prevent him dying, he still has small, non-lethal shards embedded, which I am not qualified to treat. We have to get him to Saint Mungo's for better treatment."

"Well, at least he'll survive." Liz said, coming over. "Whatever that metal is, it prevents even me from healing the wounds." She then grabbed a spare chair and sat down, putting her head in her hands. "What if he doesn't recover? You said it yourself, you've never treated Conduits."

"I know, but removing the larger shard instantly made him feel better." Andromeda said, putting her hands on Liz's shoulders. "He was lucky that the shard didn't go any deeper, the eyes are the easiest part of the head for stray shrapnel to penetrate because of how soft the eyes are. Besides, he's stable, and if anyone can treat him, it's an expert at Saint Mungo's."

"Do you work there?" I asked. "It seems that a Healer would be obliged to work in a hospital."

"Does a Nurse have to work in a hospital, or in a school?" She asked me, rhetorically. "I work as, oh, how do the Muggles describe it?" She asked herself.

"A GP?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, I work as a local GP for local Wizarding families. When I can't treat the illness, I send them to Saint Mungo's for expert treatment."

"She treated me after I got out of Hogwarts." Cho said. "I suffered a broken ankle, which she healed instantly." As we were talking, Andromeda went over and talked to Remus and Bill, while I was determined to find out how bad the situation was.

"By the way, how did you get out of Hogwarts?" I asked. "Cho, what happened?"

"The time that Hogwarts came under attack was the same time I got my Conduit power." She said. "All of the students were evacuated there, except the ones who graduated, in order to keep us safe from the Drophyd attacks."

"Hang on." I asked. "Ginny, why weren't you there?" I asked.

"Well, I didn't go." Ginny said. "I talked mum out of sending me by saying that I could stay at Sirius' house. It's unplottable, so no-one can get in unless they know how."

"Well, that was smart of you." Cho said. "It was fine for a while, almost like school, but I didn't want to be there so soon after Cedric's death." She then paused, beginning to cry, but tried to hold it in. "That's when Voldemort attacked."

"Wait, he attacked the school?" I asked. "How many are dead?"

"Not dead." She said. "They were all petrified. He first raised a ward to keep us from running out, or even running at all. I watched as he hit all of the students with a curse, turning them to stone, one by one. I was frozen, and… Well, I guess stress is a factor to getting Conduit powers, huh?"

"That, getting exposed to a Ray Sphere, or being alone after a large number of people have died." Hermione said. "How does your power work?"

"Well, it's kind of hard to explain." Cho said. "I can make… copies of rooms. By making these rooms, I can freely travel between them." She then paused. "That's how I got away. But I need to have been in a room for 6 hours before I can create a separate copy."

"Let's call them 'Closed Rooms', then." Seamus said. "It's easier to remember."

"I first warped to the Library, then accidentally travelled to the Leaky Cauldron. I ran out into Diagon Alley, where I met Fred and George."

"She was panicking quite badly." Fred said. "After we calmed her down, she fainted."

"It scared the hell out of Tom when she showed out of nowhere," I said. "but we took her back to Sirius' house, then back here."

"I met your Godfather, Harry." Cho said. "After Fred and George explained how Peter Pettigrew was the one who killed those people, I didn't want to ask Sirius about it. But he's a very nice man."

"Dad, what are you doing to that Telly?" Ron asked Mr. Weasley. Mr. Weasley was currently playing with a broken television, and a Digital TV box.

"Practising new tricks" He said, before tapping them both, causing the TV and TV box to switch on. "We have TV." Mr. Weasley was flicking through the TV channels while we continued to talk.

"There is one other thing that I can do, but only once." Cho said, before looking at the table. "Speak to the dead."

"S-Speak to the dead?" I had to ask.

"I talked to Cedric." She said, giving a weak smile. "He told me about what happened the night he died. He also wanted me to tell you, 'Thanks for taking back my body for my father'." …_el… at lea…e's ha… n dea…_

"Ezio?" I heard Raphael ask his unconscious brother, who was lying in a bed in the living room.

"Raph, tell me…" Ezio said, looking sad, tilting his head to the side. "Will I be able to play the piano anymore?" Raphael just gave him a light punch.

"I have been so worried and you make a joke?" Raph berated him.

"Seriously, how bad is it?" Ezio said, getting up. "I can't see out of my right eye." Well, since Cho and Ginny had to turn away, he had an idea. "I don't HAVE a right eye, do I?"

"No, you don't." Andromeda said, walking over. "And due to that metal stuck in your wounds, your powers are weaker."

"Wait, stuck?" He said, blinking his eye twice. "How the hell does it weaken my powers?"

"It's from the MEC." Liz said, getting up and hugging him. "You already know that it makes you weaker, so the metal stops your powers." At that, Andromeda then took out an eye patch and handed it to Ezio.

"Where this, and I'll try and arrange for you to go to Saint Mungo's to get the last shards removed." With that, she gave Ezio a potion to reduce the pain and headed out, via Floo Powder.

"Well, I'll get lunch started, then." Mrs. Weasley said. After we all ate, we discussed minor things, like Quidditch, our powers and more about the exposure of the Wizarding World. Except for Ezio, who was watching the TV as if it was the last thing he would ever do.

"-Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge-" "-Our look into the effects of-" "-Empire City, which was recorded by Elena Fisher."

"Hey, guys, Elena got mentioned on CNN." Ezio said, pointing at the screen. What was on was pure chaos, as Cole, Nathan, Chloe, Sully and Zeke were fighting a large monster outside a port, as destruction loomed in the background. It was shaky, but you could see people dying.

"While there are a handful of survivors, the vast majority of the citizens of Empire were killed by a large monster only known as, 'The Beast'. We can only say, please, if the Beast is headed your way, get out of the way and into safety." Oh, no.

"What the hell is that thing?" Seamus asked, gob smacked. "Are they okay?"

"I hope so." Ezio said. "Everyone else was in that footage. I can only hope that they kill the Beast, before it kills everyone else on the planet."

Afterwards was pretty quiet, all of remaining silent, out of respect for the dead in Empire City. Mr. Weasley just flicked through channels, before stopping on another news channel, Fox News.

"After the revealing of the magical community, non-magical humans have been asking questions about certain members of the community, like how do they deal with criminals, how do they handle magical criminals, and, surprisingly, who is Harry Potter?" Oh, no.

"The young man has been famous since he was only one year old, being the only survivor of a vicious attack by a Dark Wizard, who called himself 'Lord Voldemort', that left both of his parents dead. After the attack, Voldemort had gone into hiding, thus causing the young man to become famous in the magic community as the 'Boy-Who-Lived'." Well, at least they're explaining why I'm famous. This is bad.

"However, he has stirred controversy by claiming that Voldemort was back, and was responsible for the death of a fellow student, Cedric Diggory. at his Magic School. The British Ministry of Magic, however, claims that he lied for attention, and are investigating Diggory's death as a homicide committed by Potter." Please end soon.

"However, after a copy of an obscure magazine, called the Quibbler, was posted online, with an article viciously attacking the British Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, claiming that not only did he neglect to have Diggory's death investigated at the time, but had the only witness, a known terrorist, executed before he could testify." Well, at least they're telling the truth.

"Harry apparently has earned the support of Anonymous, who are trying to investigate Diggory's death with what resources they have. Other activists are also involved, like Amnesty, who are claiming that Potter's human rights were breached, and UK charity, Childline, who are afraid that the hate campaign launched by the Ministry through the Daily Prophet, the Ministry owned newspaper, could have horrific effects on his psyche." As everyone looked at me, I just asked Ron if I could borrow his coat, and headed outside.

Was quite surprised to see Ezio there. "So, what caused you to try and avoid everyone?" He asked.

"Well, apparently, the Quibbler article was posted online, and now my fan base includes a group called, 'Anonymous'."

"What?" Ezio almost fell over when he heard that. "What did you do to cause Anon to like you?"

"Apparently, since my fame has skyrocketed, they don't like the smear campaign that the Ministry are leading against me." I then paused. "Is there a way to gauge the damage?"

"Sure, if we get a laptop or a computer, then I'll see how famous you really are."

"What are you doing out here?" I asked him.

"I like being outside when I'm worried." He said. "Harry, if I can't get my eye back, how badly will it affect me? How will I have to adjust?"

"Well, think about that afterwards." I said, trying to console him. I owed him that much. "We just need to worry about you getting to St. Mungo's. Can you still use any powers?"

"Only Shadow Eyes." He said, switching his remaining eye to use it. "Although, since I only have one Shadow Eye, it's stronger. Like blind people can hear better. I can see at a greater distance and-" He paused, focusing on something in the distance. "Dementors!" He shouted. "Get back in the-" He tried to say, but he was suddenly grabbed by a Dementor, as one came over to me, lifting me up into the air.

It began to kiss me, as I tried desperately to grab my wand. I could see Ezio getting Kissed next to me, getting sicker with each breath the Dementors took. Realising that my wand was now on the ground, I instead decided to use my powers to create a flash of light, which immediately made the Dementor drop me, but it wasn't as strong as a Patronus. As it came back at me at a frightening speed, I picked up my wand from the snow and immediately bellowed, "Expecto Patronum!" My Patronus then appeared and collided with the Dementor, sending it flying into the window of the Weasley house.

Running over to Ezio, I then called back my Patronus and sent it at the Dementor, which forced it to let him go, dropping him into the snow. As I grab Ezio to make sure he was still alive, my Patronus then suddenly got bigger, and became two Patroni, the Deer that usually appears for me, and an Alsation, that was half the height of the deer. As they both ran to the Dementor of their own volition, they became one and shredded the Dementor, becoming a withered husk. "Thanks…" Ezio said, as he handed me his Beam Katana. "I'd do it, but I feel like hell."

Running straight at the Dementor, I flip a switch on the Katana, and swing it at the husk, bisecting it, and killing it. Looking back, I see several Patroni destroying the other Dementor, and Ron swinging an axe, cutting off the head of the other husk, killing it. Bloody hell, it's only 3 o'clock. I've been in danger, what, four times since Chapter 11?

"Harry!" Remus said, running over to me. "Are you alright?"

"Can you help me get Ezio back to the house?" I said, while carrying Ezio over my shoulder. "How are you?"

"I lost an eye and been Kissed for the second time in a week." Ezio said. "Feeling alright. What's next? A Cerberus?" I have no idea what he was talking about. The second time?

"What are Dementors doing here?" Mr. Weasley said, rubbing his head. "They shouldn't even be out here."

"Could it have been an assassination attempt at Harry?" Liz said. "He's Undesirable No.1."

"I think so." Raphael said, looking over the internet for any mention of me. "Hey, Harry, you have a Wikipedia entry." As I look over, I see a webpage of me, with a picture from the Daily Prophet article about entering the Triwizard Cup. "Let's see, mention of your parent's death, doesn't say where, but it was on Halloween, nothing from then until you entered Hogwarts, but it does mention how you stopped someone stealing the 'Philosopher's Stone', being the suspect in a series of attacks that left the victims petrified, how a serial killer called 'Sirius Black' was after you last year, and last year's Triwizard Cup, the other competitors, your Quidditch profile, your House, known acquaintances, and an altercation with a Mr. 'Gilderoy Lockhart'."

"Anything else?" I asked, dreading the answer. "Please, nothing embarrassing."

"Well, there are several videos, not of you, but of this Fudge guy on Question time being heckled." He reassured me. "He was even played off by Keyboard Cat."

"Erm, that means," Liz explained, "that he was so bad, that the only way for him to save face was to have the video cut off by a cat playing an instrument, like how a clown would replace bad acts on Amateur Night."

"What else?" Bill asked, taking the laptop and clicking another link. I just walked away, and decided to talk to Lupin.

"So, how have you been?" I asked him.

"Very well," He replied, "Considering that I can now turn into a bestial wolf of my own volition, and without going insane. But I've been getting by. I haven't had a job in a year."

"How couldn't you get a job?" I asked. "You're a brilliant wizard."

"Harry, have you heard of a woman called, Dolores Umbridge?" I shook my head, not knowing who she is. "She's the Undersecretary of Cornelius Fudge, and a huge racist. With her position, she can draft laws of any kind. Which is precisely what she did."

"Laws that stop Werewolves getting a job?" I asked. "How can anyone let her do that?"

"Werewolves are treated as second class citizens," Lupin explained, "and no one will knowingly hire them. Her laws caused a list of every Werewolf in Britain to become public, so everyone knows about my illness."

"Remus, please." Mrs. Weasley said. "Andromeda said that you don't have to worry anymore about your lycanthropy, so you can get a job."

"That's not the point, no-one will believe a single Healer, it has to be proven by several others. I've been getting by, thanks to Dumbledore, and Sirius. How have you been?"

"Well, I guess I should tell you this now." I said, bracing myself. "Peter Pettigrew is dead."

"How did he die?" Lupin asked. "Was he killed in an accident, or was he murdered?"

"Ezio, Hermione, Ron and I fought him in Belfast, and easily beat him. He summoned an Aeon to kill us, but it turned on him." I explained. "We defeated it, it died, Hermione's grandfather received the Aeon's power and bonded with Hermione."

"Well, unfortunately, we can't prove Sirius didn't kill those 12 Muggles." Lupin explained.

"No, we can." Liz said, taking out her phone. "Remus Lupin, is this Peter Pettigrew?" Remus jumped when he saw the photo. "I took a photo, just as we were leaving the hockey arena, in case it would come in handy."

"Well, that's the proof we need." Lupin said. "This can get Sirius acquitted for sure."

"I'll get a printed version." Liz said, taking out a cable and plugging it into both her phone and the computer.

"How is Sirius?" I asked. "I'm sure he's been lonely for the last year?"

"Actually, I've been staying with him, in his old house in London." Lupin explained. "It's a dingy house, and the only permanent residents are Sirius, a House Elf called Kreacher, and me, but Hermione's parents are staying there, as well as a few guests."

"Wait, are my parents really at Sirius' house?" Hermione asked, looking up from the table. "What are they doing there? And how do they get around when Kreacher's there?"

"After the aliens attacked London, we took them there, just to be safe." Lupin said. "It was actually Molly's idea. After that, I used a charm on a pair of reading glasses to let them see most magical items and creatures. If I knew that you were bringing Muggles, I would have made some more."

"Yeah, we should have warned you." I said. "If I had Hedwig. How is she? Is she being cared for?"

"After Sirius found out what Dumbledore did, he demanded that Dumbledore hand over Hedwig, so Sirius has been taking care of her, but she hasn't been able to go flying." Suddenly, we heard a screech, as I heard a flapping come through the door. "Except for now."

Turning around, I see Hedwig has landed on the Weasley's table, right next to Vivi, who is both shocked and awed at the white bird. "That's a nice bird." He said, looking her in the eyes. "Neville, it has something stuck to it's leg." As Hedwig flew over to me, I noticed the small piece of paper tied around it, and take it off.

"Hedwig, how have you been?" I said, stroking her chin. "I've been so worried about you." _**The feeling is mutual.**_ We all jumped a few metres when we heard that, except for Ezio, who was slightly surprised (the metal must have some telepathy blocking abilities if it stops his powers), and Vivi who probably didn't realise that that wasn't normal. _**Well, hearing other thoughts isn't particularly normal, wouldn't you agree?**_ "Hedwig, you have telepathy?" _**Apparently, I'm something called a 'Conduit'. It was quite a surprise for Sirius and the Grangers, but I've been able to have a civil conversation with them, as well as Crookshanks.**_

"Hedwig, how are my parents?" Hermione asked. "Are they alright?" _**They're more concerned about you,**_ Hedwig explained, _**wondering how you are. However, they're getting on well with Sirius, and have been showing him how to use a computer. In fact, that small piece of paper is something called a 'Hyperlink', I believe it's called?**_ Taking the scrap, I handed it to Raph, who typed it into the computer. "I hope Crookshanks isn't causing any trouble?" _**Actually, we've been quite civil, he's even allowed me to ride on his back around the house?**_

Hedwig then suddenly flew over to the table, landing right next to Vivi, Ezio, Liz and Raphael. "Hi." Vivi said, weakly, looking into Hedwig's big eyes. _**Hello, I don't think we've met.**_ She said, with a wing extended. _**My name is Hedwig. And you are?**_ "I'm Vivi." He said, reaching out to touch her. She then hopped over, letting him stroke her chin, as she nibbled his hand.

"I'm Liz," She started, "The big guy is Raphael, and the guy with one eye is Ezio." _**A pleasure to meet you.**_ "So, now owls are Conduits, too?"

"She's a powerful telepath." Ezio said. "I can hear her thoughts very loudly, even with the metal stuck here." _**Metal? What metal? **_"I have telepathy and telekinesis, too, but because of this metal that got stuck in this wound, I can't use my powers." _**So, you're injured? I hope you heal well.**_

"Hedwig, has Sirius been treating you well?" I had to ask. _**Very well, in fact, he spoiled me with all those treats.**_ "Well, perhaps a diet is in order?"

"Hey, Harry, you have to see this." Raph said, coming over, carrying the laptop. "It's an audio file, but it won't play. But there is a message attached." He then showed me the screen, which only said one thing. 'Padfoot to Prongs Jr.'

"It's from Sirius, definitely." I said. "It's to me, as well. Is there anyway to play it?"

"I might have an idea." Ezio said, taking the laptop. "Jimmy and I are both fans of this novel called, 'In the Darkness of Shadow Moses: An Unofficial Truth', which was about some terrorists hijacking a secret military complex. Well, we joined a forum for fans that lets them write their own espionage stories."

"Fanfiction?" Hermione asked.

"Hey, there's no shame in liking it, just the really crap ones." He said. "Anyway, Jimmy wrote a story about how a simple everyman was being chased by the CIA after buying a used MP3 player that only had a single file on it, an audio file." While typing into the computer, messing with the file settings. "So, trying to figure out why he was being chased, he took the file to his friend, who was a computer expert, who said that the data wasn't anything like an audio file, so he converted it to a series of other files."

"So, you think this is the same?" Luna asked, confused, but fixated. "Have you got anything?"

"Yes, I have." He said, turning the screen over to us. "Perhaps Sirius is a fan." The file was a picture, or rather, a photograph of a letter addressed to me. "Hey, Harry, that's a QR code." After reading the letter, I just looked at him, confused. "It acts as a computer link on certain mobiles. I can scan it if you want."

"Okay, how do you scan it?" I asked, before he took out his phone and held it up to the screen. With a click noise, he looked at it. "Padfoot Grim?"

"I recommend sending Sirius an email before calling him." Raphael said, concerned. "Use a phrase that only you two would know."

As I spent an hour focusing on trying to write a letter to Sirius that he would only know the answer to, before settling on 'Where did I meet Wormtail?' Sending the message, I got a reply in less than a minute. 'The Shrieking Shack'. I started emailing Sirius back, hoping to get caught up. However, a second owl that appeared with a letter attached to it disrupted everything.

"Oh, another letter?" Mrs. Weasley said, before looking at it. The owl flew off after delivering the letter, straight into the heavy snow. "Harry?" She said, sounding really worried about something. "It's for you." As she handed the letter to me, I realised why she was worried. It was a Howler, with the Ministry logo on it. "Harry, I think I know what it will say-" I stopped her, before getting ready to open a new message on the computer, adding Sirius' email address to it.

"If they're trying to charge me for defending myself from several Dementors, they can forget it. I'm going to ask Sirius to get in touch with a Solicitor for me." I then opened the Howler, expecting the worst.

"To a Mr. Harry Potter." It began, before folding itself into a mouth. The voice of the author was sickeningly sweet, with a touch of venom. "The Ministry has discovered that you have used a Patronus Charm under the legal Wizarding age. Since this is your third violation of the Statute of Secrecy and the Underage Magic Act, you are hereby expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A Ministry official will come to destroy your wand." It has a sound of glee when it said that, as if that was the intention. It tore itself up as I sent a blank email to Sirius with the message I needed in the Subject area. 'Ministry Expelled me! Get a Lawyer!' As I sent the email, Mr. Weasley was furious.

"They can't expel Harry!" He shouted.

"Well, of course not!" Lupin said, at the same volume. "The attack was in self defence!"

"That's not what I meant." He said, before getting out a piece of paper. "They don't have the authority to expel him on the spot. He has to have a hearing with the head of Magical Law enforcement, Amelia Bones, and a representative of Board of trustees of Hogwarts. Harry, I will testify for you if needed."

"So will I." Hermione said, before writing something down. "If you can't get a lawyer to argue your case, I can. I've been reading up on Magical laws since last year, so I know how to argue your case. Hell, I can even invoke obscure laws to force them to let me argue."

"Harry, remember how I said that was the second time a Dementor almost killed me?" Ezio said. "The first time was back in Belfast, around Chapter 8. Where are Dementors usually stationed?"

"Around Azkaban." Arthur explained. "How did you survive?"

"Thanks to Fred and George's care package, Ron and I were able to fight them off." Ezio explained. "I also used a Groovitron. Ron used knives. Anyway, they could've tried to kill him there, but attacked Ron and me by mistake."

"They attacked you, Ron?" Mrs. Weasley said, suddenly worried. "Well, Fudge is going to get an earful." She said.

"Well, I say, don't use a Howler." Ezio said. "If you show up in person, you can hit him with a rolling pin, or curse him."

"All of us will testify." Seamus said. "We were here when a Dementor came crashing through the door, so we can speak in your favour."

"Except for Liz, Raphael and Vivi." Neville said. "Liz and Raphael can't see Dementors, so their testimony won't count," He said, in a reserved voice. "and I do NOT want to put Vivi through the stress of either a private hearing or, knowing how much of a showman Fudge can be, a trial." He was angry at the idea of Vivi being badgered for answers for questions he probably didn't understand. He was quite scared when the Dementor showed up, so I could sympathise with the little guy.

Suddenly, there was a ping from the computer, a message from Sirius. Opening it up, it said that the Lawyer wanted to meet IMMIDIATELY. "Hey, when can we get to London?" I asked, letting everyone watch the screen.

"How about now?" Lupin said, before heading over to the fire place. "I'll take Harry to meet his Solicitor, everyone else, wait here." With that, he took a handful of Floo Powder, as we both got into the fireplace. "The rotting cage of the Hermit will act as our sanctuary." He said, speaking the password, before we were suddenly surrounded in green flames.

* * *

><p>FILES:<p>

**Decrypted letter to Harry from Sirius**

Harry,

I hope you are well. When someone contacted us telling me about how someone in the Ministry was planning to send Dementors after you, I had to find a way to contact you discreetly. However, the Ministry has flagged Hedwig, so all letters are read by Fudge's immediate underling, and destroyed if they find it in opposition of his regime.

I thought that the best way to contact you would be through the internet, so I wrote a letter, scanned it into Hermione's father's computer, turned it into a music file (I got the idea from a spy story I read online) and posted onto a file sharing website, but marked it as hidden, so it can't be downloaded unless you used the link I'm sending with Hedwig. I hope you have access to a computer to read this.

Before you write to ask, someone stole a few files from the Ministry and found a way to contact someone who knows the Order, the group I'm part of. They sent the files to us, which we then forwarded on to a solicitor who used to work for your parents (We realised that this could result in you wanting to sue the Ministry, or even defend yourself in a case of underage magic if you defend yourself). We personally don't know them, but we do know that they are credible and trustworthy. We tried to get into contact, but they refused, saying that they'll seek our help when it's needed. They gave us a password for when they'll contact us, they say that they're from the Trafalgar Corporation, and we've won a prize, which we need to use a password to claim. The password is, 'Silence is Golden'.

Harry, I know that you're angry at Dumbledore, but did you have to run off to Ireland? Couldn't you have run off to the Weasley's, or even Hermione's house? At least Bill said you're safe, so no real damage is done.

By the way, if you want to contact me, this image should add my new mobile number and email address to certain 'Smartphones'. I'm still having trouble using them, but I'm picking up quickly. Contact me soon.

Padfoot.

[There's a bizarre series of black and white squares at the bottom that Ezio says is a QR Code. Both he and Liz scanned it so I could call Sirius.]

* * *

><p>Well, here I am, standing in Fudge's office. He had set up wards to keep me out of the records, but I was here on other business.<p>

"Well, how has the whole business with Potter gone down?" The Minister says, drinking a glass of Brandy. "I hope he isn't causing any more trouble for us."

"Actually, Minister…" His Undersecretary says, drinking her cup of sugar with a splash of tea. Some damn drink made from soaking ground up leaves in hot water, flavoured with sugar, milk and cream. "It appears that we may have found a way to get Potter out of our hair." Or lack of, in his case. "He has set off the Trace, causing his third violation of underage magic. I have already sent a letter informing him of his expulsion from Hogwarts, and am arranging to get his wand snapped."

"We don't have the authority to expel him." He says. "If he calls us out on that, we can't do anything."

"He won't." She assures him. "He's a… below-average student, at best, and he knows very little about Wizarding law."

"Well, maybe you're right." He said, trying to reassure himself. "But he's still a threat, mainly due to these damn 'Anonymous'. Their campaign against me is horrific."

"Well, I'm sure we can get through it." What are they, a married couple? "I have to go, I have other business to get on with." As she leaves, I see Fudge reach into his drinks cabinet and pours himself another glass of brandy.

"Oh, how could this get any worse?" He asks himself.

"Let's find out." I finally speak up. I was really bored watching this idiot for the last two hours, so I needed to see his reaction. He almost fell out of his chair when he heard that.

"Who's that?" He said frantically, trying to pull himself back into his chair, "If you don't show yourself, then I'll-"

"You'll what?" I ask, as I turn off my cloaking device. I deliberately decided to wear something to hide my identity, white full body coat, keeping my ears folded down, tail in my pant legs and a black mask with a big white 'Grin'. "Get your damn paper to declare me 'Undesirable No. 2'? You can't declare me 'Undesirable No. 1' because that position is held by a 14 year-old that you hate."

"You think I'm scared of you?" He said, thinking I couldn't tell that he was, in fact, scared. "Gu-" He tried to call security, but I teleported in front of him and punched him in the stomach with one hand, covering his mouth with the other.

"You are scared." I said, looking him in the eye, even when mine are covered. "Why else would you be shivering, sweating, launching a hate campaign against a kid? And for what? Trying to uphold your own delusion that a dangerous lunatic isn't dead?"

"He's not back." He tried to say, even though my hand was still covering his hand.

"Oh, really?" I reply, before taking out a photo of 'Voldemort'. "Then who's this?" I ask him. He practically had a heart attack when he saw the photo. "If you don't stop harassing Potter, then…" I paused, letting him squirm before I gave a small chuckle. "Well, I won't end your life. I'll just destroy it." As I hear someone come to the door, I realise that I'm almost caught. "Have a nice day." With that, I activate my cloaking device before teleporting to the door. I wanted to see what would happen.

"Cornelius," A black haired woman said, coming in after a quick knock. "I need to talk to you about… Are you okay?" As she comes over, Fudge suddenly throws up onto the desk.

"Amelia, there was an intruder in here!" He said, in an angry voice. "How could someone Apperate into this office?" By other means.

"I-I have no idea." She said. "I'll get my best Aurors on it. However…" She said, wanting her own point to be discussed. "What's this about Harry Potter being expelled from Hogwarts without my looking into it?" As I give a sly smile, I teleport out, getting onto a rooftop. I need to get some arrangements done.


	14. Operation Hogwarts 4: Revelations

As Lupin and I appeared in the fireplace, two people arriving at the same time caused both of us to shoot out of the fireplace, Remus hitting a settee, and me hitting a wall. As we helped each other up, we hear someone burst into the room. "Harry?" I hear Sirius say, before coming over. "So, you did get that last message." He said, before I'm caught in a hug.

"How have you been, Sirius?" I ask, returning the hug. "Thanks for taking care of Hedwig."

"Oh, she told you?" He said, giving a sly smile. "I was just as surprised that she used Legitimancy to talk as I suspect you must have been."

"The word is 'Telepathy', not Legitimancy." I said, as we all walk into the hallway. "This is where you live? It's very...dank."

"It's an old house, Harry." As we entered the kitchen, I see two people sitting down at the table. "Harry, I believe you know Hermione's parents?"

"Oh, you're Mr. and Mrs. Granger, aren't you?" I ask. "Nice to meet you."

"So, you're Harry, right?" The older man said to me. He had a similar facial structure to Hermione, but had blonde hair, and blue eyes. "Hermione speaks of you and Ron a lot."

"Well, you are a nice young man." The woman said. She had a welcoming look, with brunette hair, tied into a bun and bright green eyes. The glasses they were wearing must be the ones that Remus explained. "Just as Hermione explained. My name is Jane. My husband here is Francis."

"I'm Harry." I said. "Wait, you already know that."

"Just remember to call us by our given name." Francis said.

"Hermione is a good friend." I said. "She's gotten me out of a lot of trouble."

"She really is a bright student." Remus joined in. "When I was teaching at Hogwarts, she was the brightest in her year."

"And, as I've explained, she and Harry saved me from execution." Sirius said.

"Where is our daughter?" Jane asked me. "Is she okay?"

"She's okay." I said. "She's at Ron's house, the Burrow."

"Did you meet my father in Belfast?" Jane asked me. "His name was Graham Lamperough, he's a Navy admiral."

"Well, I did meet him," I started to explain, "But he's… well… Sort of dead."

"What do you mean, sort of dead?" Jane asked me.

"It's hard for me to explain, but basically, he's now an embodiment of pure magic called an Eidolon and is sealed inside of Hermione."

"Hermione's a Sorceress?" Sirius asked me. "How'd you defeat an Aeon?"

"Actually, I - I mean we beat two." I say, looking at him. "Shiva, the ice one, over in Belfast, and her power was taken by Lamperough, and Ifrit, the fire Aeon, in Swansea. The last one is bound to Luna Lovegood."

"Xenophilius will be shocked when he comes back." Sirius said. "I sent him out to go pick up Sir Humphrey."

"Is that my parents' Solicitor?" I asked. "There are a couple of things I want to cover with him."

"He's also the one helping me with my appeal." Sirius said. "I've been trying to arrange a hearing where I can't get the Dementors sent on me by Fudge, and he's helping me."

"Oh, Sirius, guess what?" Remus said. "One of the people Harry came back with brought evidence that Pettigrew wasn't killed 14 years ago."

"What?" He said, pleased. As in, jumping up and down in glee. "Where is he?"

"He died a few days ago." I said. "I almost killed him, but then he summoned Shiva who turned on him. We have a picture of his body."

"When can we get it developed?" Sirius asked. "Then we can use it to help me get acquitted."

"Where did this come from, Sirius?" I asked. "Last year, you were sitting around, and now… This?"

"He saw this web page questioning his conviction, and has been like a man possessed trying to clear his name." Francis explained.

"I forgot the photo." Remus explained. "I'll head back to the Burrow to get it." As he turned to head back to the sitting room, a small bell rang on the wall. "Are you expecting anyone else, Sirius?"

"Of course not." Sirius said, before running to the sitting room. As we ran in, we saw Hermione, Ron and Luna coming through and launching at the wall. "Well, this is getting crowded."

"Hermione!" Jane said, bursting through the door. As Hermione came off the ground, she and her parents all embraced in a hug. "What's this about my father being 'Sort of Dead'?" As Hermione stood there and explained, Sirius lead everyone else into the kitchen.

"So, you're Sirius Black?" Luna asked. "I believe that you didn't kill those 12 people."

"Well, that's good to hear." Sirius said, with a smile. "I feel better when a person says that. At least you believe me."

"Actually, Harry says that it was Peter Pettigrew, and he's a terrible liar." Luna explained. "He can't tell a lie, no matter what." Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult. "It was meant to be a compliment."

"…Please don't tell me that you're a telepath, too." I said. I could handle Ezio, but Luna is a bit strange for my taste.

"Actually, I can tell what you're thinking by watching your body." Luna explained. "There are several small flashes of emotions that show up all over the body. For example, I was able to tell that you weren't the heir of Slytherin because the grief in your eyes over Hermione being petrified was genuine. However, when I saw Gilderoy Lockhart in class talking about his stories, I was able to tell that he didn't actually do any of it because he was terrified of those Cornish Pixies in class. He began stuttering when they went out of control."

"He let them out in your class, too?" Ron asked.

"Actually, he let them out the day after your class got them." Luna said. "I think he was trying to prove himself to us." With that, we heard the back door knock, as we saw a man come in with the same strange features of Luna, longer than average hair, greyish eyes, a similar blank stare and… was he honestly running around a snowing London in pyjamas and a bathrobe? Anyway, behind him was a man in an expensive suit, carrying an umbrella in one hand and a suitcase in the other, with a bulge in his pocket that I could just glimpse as he came in as a similar type of mobile as Ezio's (I think it's called a 'Blackberry'?), and a golden wristwatch on his right hand. "Daddy!" With that, Luna ran over and hugged her father before… doing a strange dance.

"Well, Xeno really is strange." Said the suited man. "Harry Potter? My name is Sir Humphrey Lawrence. I'm your family's solicitor." He said, reaching out his hand for a handshake. As I returned it, I saw him look over to Sirius. "Mr. Black, it appears that the Quibbler issue has swayed public opinion in your favour."

"Would this help?" Ron said, taking out a piece of paper. "Lupin forgot it back at the house, so I came here with Luna and Hermione to deliver it." He placed it on the table. It was the picture of Peter Pettigrew, with a long spike of ice through his face.

"Oh, yes." Sir Humphrey said, taking a look. "This is definitely Peter Pettigrew. This will be enough to help argue that Sirius wasn't the one who killed those 12 Muggles, but…" He then paused, putting his hands on his chin. "Harry, if the Ministry are trying to get you expelled from Hogwarts using the law as their weapon, then this could implement you in murder. How did he die?"

"OH MY GOD!" we all heard Jane yell from the sitting room.

"Hermione must've showed off her Ice Doll spell." Ron said. "I think I can explain how he died. Wormtail attacked us in Belfast and killed Hermione's grandfather as he snapped her wand. After we fought him, he somehow summoned an Aeon to kill us, but it turned on him. After we killed it, Hermione became a Sorceress and her grandfather became her Eidolon."

"How many witnessed the fight?" Sir Humphrey asked us. "We might be able to get them to act as witnesses."

"Well, Ron here," I explained, "Hermione; Ezio, a Muggle psychic; his fiancée Elizabeth… What is her last name, anyway?"

"Richards, I think, and they're not engaged yet." Ron said.

"Have they promised to marry each other?" Xenophilius asked. "If they have, they're engaged. The French word, 'Fiancer' means 'betroth', and where the words 'Fiancé' and 'Fiancée' come from."

"There's a difference?" Ron asked me, as I gave a shrug. "Also, there's Seamus Finnegan and… Lamar's still in Belfast!" He said, realising something.

"Actually, that news report showed the rest of the group from Belfast was in Empire City, which is over in the US, so they're probably there." I replied. "Empire City is 100 Miles from New York."

"I hope he isn't dead, he's actually a nice guy." Ron said.

"Well, there's no way of knowing." Sir Humphrey said. "I think we can get onto business, about your expulsion letter. Do you have it?"

"Actually, it was a Howler, so no." I replied.

"They- They had the audacity to not only expel you from the school you own, but to send a Howler?"

"Wait!" I said, almost falling over. "What was that bit about me owning Hogwarts?"

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"And that's how half the student body was almost expelled at my school." I explained. "They never found the culprit."

"Because I wasn't even attending at the time." Raph said, with a large grin on his face.

"That was you?" Liz asked us. "Where the hell did you get the idea for the Noodle Incident anyway?"

"Calvin and Hobbes." He explained. "I'm surprised that only Ezio got why there was a stuffed tiger there." It was only then that I saw how Fred and George were writing down notes.

Suddenly, my phone rang, showing that the number was withheld. Hesitant, I answered it, wandering who was calling. "Hello?"

"Well, at least I have the right number." I heard on the other end of the phone. "You have no idea how hard it was to hack into the phone network here." Wait… The Lombax?

"What, you don't have the balls to show up here?" I replied. "Or do you even know where 'here' is?" I noticed that everyone else was looking at me with a bizarre look. Taking a piece of paper from Fred, and a quill from George, I began to write something down.

"I know where you are." He replied. "Your phone has GPS built in. The issue is that I can't teleport there because of protective charms on the local area." Showing the piece of paper to Liz, saying 'Lombax Asshole', she then took out a flash pen that I have the copied files on and showed them to the rest of the group. "I need to meet up, somewhere I can teleport."

"So, where do you want to meet?" I asked. "In a back alley or in a shady country pub?"

"How about in Diagon Alley, at night?" He said. "Look, I'm not supposed to let anyone know that I'm here. I only came to Earth when Tachyon showed an interest in this planet. If he finds out that I was here, then he could do something...extreme." Getting up, I looked out the window and tried to spot him from outside the window. He's not even there on Shadow Eyes. "I have info that this bald ass-wipe- Fudge, I think it was- has been-"

"Trying to get Harry's legal rights to several properties taken away?" I replied.

"Working on a way to get that Potter kid sent somewhere called 'Azkaban'." He replied. "Getting him expelled from his school is a bonus, but he doesn't realise one thing. Harry can't be expelled."

"Why?" I asked. "Is a fucking kid really a threat to the leader of the magic community?"

"No, not a kid." He said. "Voldemort, on the other hand… Gotta go. I'll meet you near the bank."

"Hey, wait-!" He had already hung up. With that, I looked at the time and put the phone away. "Mrs. Weasley, do you know where 'Diagon Alley' is?"

"Yes, it's a magic street." She explained. "You can find it at the back of a magic bar, the Leaky cauldron, but Muggles can't see the bar or open the entrance."

"Can you, or anyone else do it for me?" I asked. "I need to meet someone, tonight."

"You should probably go with Professor Lupin." Cho said. "It would be safer only letting a few people go to HQ."

"I want to go too." Liz said. "In the off chance that it's an ambush, you'll need me as a healer."

"Liz, that freaking core's metal is still here." Raph said, putting his finger into my eye socket, as I hit him in the crotch. "I recommend going, this report says he has super strength, so I'd be the only one able to take him in a fight."

"Hold on." I butted in. "He's a teleporter and Slider, he'll flee easily. Besides, I trust him. If I take either of you, you have to hang back. And if I can't get Lupin to go, I need someone else to open the door." Standing back, I had to decide who to take. Well, taking either would cause suspicion, but if I take someone who can take him in a straight fight, he'll probably not trust me. Take Liz, however, and we're at a disadvantage, but he'll be more likely to trust us. Tough decision.

"Well?" Raph asked me. "Who are you going to take?" He said.

"Whoever I say, you have to promise not to follow me too closely." I said. As both of them nodded, I made my decision. "While I think he's an asshole, I still trust him not to attack us. Liz, stay a good distance away, and keep a gun ready."

"Good luck" Raph said, patting Liz on the back. As we headed to the fireplace, I grabbed a small amount of Floo Powder, spoke the password and threw it into the fireplace. Nothing happened.

"Did you do it right?" Liz asked, grabbing another handful and trying it herself. She was able to produce a fire, which we then walked through.

"Liz, Ezio, what are you doing here?" Hermione asked us. "Oh, these are my parents." As we shook hands and exchanged pleasantries, we saw a guy with a rather shaggy beard run in with Harry.

"Oh, who is it, now?" He said, rather annoyed.

"Hey, what are you two doing here?" Harry asked us.

"Is Lupin still here?" I asked. "We need a favour. And, is there a way we could turn invisible?"

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"So, let me get this straight." I asked. "I'm the last living direct descendant of Godric Gryffindor?"

"Through your father's side." Sir Humphrey explained. "I was able to trace the next most direct descendants, and in the event that you die, they inherit Hogwarts."

"But why does it go to me?" I asked. "What about the other houses?"

"Well, Helena Ravenclaw never had kids when she died, or she did and we never knew, so her share was divided among the rest; the Hufflepuffs, unfortunately, had it seized by the Ministry when an heir married a Muggle when anti-Muggle laws were frequent; and the last descendants of Slytherin, the Gaunt family, all died around the 1940s." He then took out two pieces of paper, one looked like a family tree, the other looked like a letter. "The other heir of Gryffindor is actually the Weasley Family." Ron then took a look at the letter and was as gob smacked as I was. "There was an agreement that said that, while the Ministry is able to exanimate the student populace, they can't control Hogwarts, no matter what they do. Also, they can't seize control of Hogwarts unless all descendants die."

"Okay, so what about the Dementor attack on my house?" Ron asked. "Can they really get away with that?"

"No, because it's a Muggle inhabitation." He said. "When that goes up in your trial, then we'll have no trouble."

"There's a trial?" I asked. "They said that a Ministry official was going to snap my wand." He then took out another piece of paper, and handed it to me. "This is your subpoena, for your trial, tomorrow at 4 pm."

"That's a bit early." Sirius said. "There's no way that a case would go to trial this early."

"He's trying to get me out of his lack of hair." I said. "If it means breaking standard routine, I'm not surprised."

"Are you away already?" Sirius shouted to Lupin, as he, Ezio and Liz were about to leave, wearing thick winter clothing. "Where are you going anyway?"

"Dealing with a cat." Ezio said, heading out. Hermione then mouthed something at us that I could tell was, 'Lombax'.

"Harry?" Ron whispered at me. "What's a Lombax?"

"Later." I whispered back. "So, what other property do I have?" I asked. He then took out a few deeds and showed them to me. "Okay, Ollivander's, the Hog's Head, Royal Mail?"

"The Daily Prophet," Ron said, "50% shares. The Ministry has 20%."

"You have leading shares, so you can take over." Sirius said. "Make it that the Ministry can't doctor lies."

"I'll get that done as soon as possible." Sir Humphrey said. "You also have shares in several companies, like Sony, Toshiba, Ford, Guinness, and BT."

"Zonko's, Honeydukes, even a company called Virgin." Ron said, looking through a few papers. "Hey, the Laptop we have back in the Burrow, what is it?"

"An Apple Mac X." I said. "Do I have shares in Apple?"

"And Microsoft." He said.

"I can help you manage your shares, or hire an accountant." Sir Humphrey asked.

"Get an accountant, I need someone to handle all that money." I said, smiling. "Hey, Ron, if you ever need a loan…"

"Thanks mate." He said, slapping me on the back.

"Mother-!" I yelled looking at my bank statements. "I need an accountant, ASAP. And, if it comes to it, an assassin."

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"Are you sure this is safe?" Mr. Lupin asked us. "How well do you know him?"

"A bit." I replied, standing next to Liz and Lupin, who were standing on the inside of a pillar under an invisibility cloak Harry had lent us. As my phone vibrated, I pulled it out and answered it. "Hello?"

"I'm not going to attack you, so tell those two to get out from under the cloak." He said.

"He knows you're there." I said. "Take it off." As they complied, I tried to speak to him on the phone. "Sorry, just being cautious. Death Eaters and all."

"Well, there were two waiting to attack you when they overheard about our meeting." He said. "See that trashcan?" As I looked in, I saw two people bound and gagged, with snapped wands and a note addressed to the Aurors. "I can't talk to you here, I have to take you somewhere else. Only you, you're the only person I trust here."

"Where?" I asked.

"Not over the phone. I'll grab you in a minute." As he hung up, I put the phone away.

"Don't tell me he's too chicken-shit to show up." Liz said. "I do not want to hear that this was for nothing."

"Who are they?" Lupin said, looking into the trashcan.

"Death Eaters." I said. "He's a teleporter, Liz. He's going to take me somewhere where we can talk without worrying about spies."

"Are you seriously agreeing to this?" Liz asked. "Is this really that important?"

"He has information about Fudge trying to land Harry in Azkaban." I said. "Also, I have questions for him."

"Maybe I'll answer them." I heard a voice say, behind me. As I turned around, I saw that the Lombax was wearing a long black coat, large hood and a mask with a large grin. Well, I must've spooked him last time. "Let's go." As he grabbed me, I could only faintly hear Liz and Lupin's protests as I was suddenly pulled to a completely different location, a tropical beach in blazing hot weather. As I touched the ground, I suddenly lost complete control of my stomach, puking on the beach, as the Lombax carried me into a beach house.

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"Okay, I'll handle these as soon as possible." Sir Humphrey said, as he headed out. "It was a pleasure meeting you both." He said, leaving. That's when Hermione came in. "Is he gone already?"

"Did you want to ask him something?" I asked. "Well, you can ask him tomorrow."

"Yes, I wanted to ask how I can use the law to help SPEW." She said. "Wait, what's tomorrow?"

"My trial." I said. "But, apparently, because it's too early for me to make a suitable defence, it has to be declared a mistrial."

"Well, he's one of the best solicitors in either the magic or Muggle courts." Sirius said. "I know he'll get you off."

"But if we show the Pettigrew photo during your hearing, Sirius," Hermione said, "We could all get charged with murder." As she said that, we all heard the front door slam, as Liz and Lupin walked in, without Ezio.

"How the hell could he do something so stupid!" She yelled. "He let someone kidnap him."

"What?" Hermione asked. "Was it that guy he met in Belfast?"

"What guy?" Sirius asked. "Is he dangerous?"

"Well, yes and no." Lupin said. "On the one hand, he was able to subdue two Death Eaters single-handedly, and he wasn't angry that Ezio brought two people that were potential threats. On the other hand…" She then wiped his brow, panicking. "It appears that, after subduing the Death Eaters, he… ripped off their arms and seared the wounds shut. We had to call the Aurors to arrest them and get them treatment at St. Mungo's, and they're still searching for the arms."

"This Ezio can handle himself, right?" Sirius said, casting a spell to bring several goblets to the table. "He is a Conduit, isn't he?"

"Ezio doesn't have his powers, he has a bizarre metal embedded into his eye socket that stops him using them." Liz said, before sitting down. "I just hope he's alright."

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

As I was waking up from the rough ride here, I noticed that I was sitting in a rather large house, overlooking an ocean, but I noticed that there were several creatures you wouldn't see on Earth, like a Pterodactyl-like bird. "Oh, you're awake." The Lombax said, walking over in lighter fatigues. "I guess I should have warned you, teleportation is rather rough."

"Where am I?" I asked. "I'm definitely not on Earth." It was then that I realised that I wasn't wearing most of my clothing, I was reduced to a shirt and a pair of jeans, with most of the heavier clothes taken off. As well as most of my socks and… added layer of pants I wore under my jeans. "Did you undress me?"

"No, I can teleport individual objects from A to B." He explained. "I should've warned you that this is a tropical planet. Welcome to Lunapolis, former tropical hotspot of the Andromeda galaxy. Well, we skipped on the pleasantries, name's Apollo Gandor."

"Ezio O'Malley." I replied. "So, what are you doing on Earth?"

"Tachyon's on the lookout for a specific piece of Lombax technology." He explained. "When he realised that I could travel through dimensions, he thought I had it. However, it was actually my own Conduit power. I killed a Cragmite to shove it to him, making sure the spies found it."

"And your interest in those files?"

"Well, you've read several files, like mine and the three other Lombaxes."

"One of them was too damaged to read." I explained. "But yeah, I read the files."

"Well, we were sort of amazed when we got a file about ß, so we went looking for other files."

"So, by 'We', you mean, 'You and Azimuth', and by 'Other files', you mean, 'There was a report that had a particularly high number and you realised that there could be more'?"

"So, you did hear that thought." He explained. "I can't explain anything about Azimuth, sorry. But you're right." He then took out a USB pen and handed it to me. "File 7. There are 13 of them. So, how'd you lose the eye?"

"Mass Effect Core blew up in my face." I explained. "Still a small bit in there."

"Wait, there's Element Zero in there?" He said, shocked. "No wonder it was harder to appear here. Eezo neutralises Conduit powers, so you need to get it removed." It was then that I took out file 2 of the ß files and handed it to Apollo.

"Well, at least I know what to call the damn metal." I said, slightly satisfied. "Wait, isn't there a virus that killed 20% of the population here?" I asked, slightly nervous. "And you must have large balls to be a wanted criminal and have a fucking beach house with a view."

"Actually, yes. Someone actually got a virus from Earth and brought it here. Something called the 'Chicken pox'." Thank god I caught it at 3. "Also, the Andromeda galaxy's central government does not take it well when they're attacked on those kind of levels that Tachyon pulled, or to kill a specific individual. The retaliation was beautiful." He said, heading to the kitchen. "I want to ask you something."

"Shoot." I replied, getting up and looking outside.

"A terrorist organisation was linked to several crimes throughout the universe, but they focus on the Milky Way Galaxy. I believe that they managed to get components that only a Lombax could make." With that, he caused a glass to appear, along with a carton of orange juice and a bottle of Captain Morgan's. "Where did they get the name 'Cerberus' from?"

"Cerberus?" I asked. "You honestly think that they're linked to Earth?"

"The Leader is a guy called 'The Illusive Man'. Only humans refer to an individual as a 'Man'." Apollo explained.

"Cerberus is a Greek legend." I explained. "It was a dog with three heads. In Greek Mythology, Cerberus guarded the entrance of the Underworld to keep both the dead from getting out, but also the living from getting in." It was then that something clicked. "However, it isn't the only defence. There is only one way across the River Styx, a ferry rowed by Charon."

"The Relay in your solar system was mistakenly classed as a moon, called Charon." Apollo replied. "And Cerberus was active for 60 years." Wait, the 1950s? "Well, at least we know what was behind all those disappearances. Anything else?"

"Yeah, you said you had information about Harry?" I asked. "Trying to get him sent to Azkaban?" With that, several files appeared in front of me.

"Those files include forms to get four Dementors to act as personal guards for Dolores Umbridge, for protection." Apollo explained. "Two of the Dementors registered to her went missing in Belfast, the other two went missing near where you were attacked. These files prove that they attacked you, and that she is directly responsible. Also, several Dementors abandoned their post at Azkaban."

"Thanks." I said, putting the files in my backpack. "Why do you have access to them?"

"We were able to get into their archives." He said. "Four of us managed to infiltrate the Ministry. The others were a Japanese pair, the other was someone working there." He then finished his drink with a massive smirk on his face. "Also, the mask is primarily to scare Fudge. Look for me in the Daily Prophet."

"Sure." I said, getting up. "Can I request some specific files?" As he looked at me with a hint of interest, I came back over to the chair. "Any information about the conviction of Sirius Black? I witnessed someone claim responsibility for a crime he was convicted for. I want any information from the crime."

"I'll do it on one condition." He said. He then lifted up his shirt and… wow, he's really injured. Stomach completely cut up, blood bandaged up. "That girl with the healing powers, can you get her to fix me up?"

"Don't you use that first aid crap in the glass boxes?" I asked. "It fixed me up pretty good."

"Nanotech?" He asked. "The Tachyon Empire modified them to stay in the system. They can trace me."

"Okay, I'll ask Liz, just call me tomorrow." I said. "I can't guarantee she'll help after you kidnapped me."

"Okay, where do you want left off in London?" He asked me. "I can't go to crowded places, though."

"It's 10 o'clock, so how about Trafalgar Square?" I asked. With that, he suddenly teleported his disguise back on, my winter clothes back on, and suddenly grabbed me.

"I'll call if I need you." With that, I was suddenly pulled from where I was standing, and was now lying in the snow next to a statue. Looking around, I realised I was in the centre of Trafalgar square.

"Well, at least he let me get ready." Getting up from my daze, I headed out, taking out my phone to get map instructions to nearby to the HQ. "Well, might as well get the hell out of here." However, hearing someone ready a gun, I turn around to see a young man aiming at me. Wielding an AK-47, wearing a balaclava.

"You have a few seconds to tell me why I shouldn't shoot you." He said. "Who are you?"

"The name's Ezio." I said. "Ezio O'Malley. I don't want any trouble."

"How did you do that?" He asked me.

"I was dropped off by a teleporter." I said. "Look, I don't want any trouble, so put the gun down."

"Sure." He said, putting the gun down. "He's clear, not a trace." With that, I hear someone else put their gun down and coming over to me.

"Ezio?" I heard, a voice I haven't heard in a long time. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"It's good to see you too, Jon." I replied. "Well, I might as well say now, Liz is here with me. And Raph."

"What?" He said. "Why is she here?"

"Mainly to stop me from doing something stupid, mostly to find out if you're okay." As I looked around, I felt a shiver down my spine. "Can we get out of here?"

"Sure." He said. "We have a shelter near here." As he lead me away, I was glad to see that someone was smart not to shoot me.

* * *

><p>FILES:<p>

**Subpoena:**

Mr. Harry Potter,

Due to the fact that you used underage magic outside of Hogwarts, you will be required to appear at a hearing before the Wizengamot to explain yourself, on the 19th of July, 2011, in court room 1.

[A list of laws that I broke.]

* * *

><p>After dropping off that Ezio kid back in London, I just sat down and held my stomach where I was injured. Damn, those rock salt bombs they have sting like hell. Guess that rum wasn't a good idea.<p>

I was quite surprised my line was contacted by someone who wasn't the boss. Luckily, I can't be traced, especially if the tracer was in the Polaris galaxy. Azimuth had a few people that owed him. I hesitantly answered, making sure that I wasn't showing weakness. "Hello?"

"You that grinning bastard that broke into the Ministry?" the guy on the other end said to me. "Well, you were quite good, Apperating in to the Minister's office."

"Well, I guess this must be a Ministry official?" I said, sounding cocky. "You do know that there are several ways I could find you, and keep you from saying anything to that bastard Fudge."

"I'm not looking to cause trouble." He said. "But I'd recommend that you do not try and get back into those records."

"And why is that?" I asked. "I was able to do it and no one knew until I slapped someone for shits and giggles."

"Can you see Dementors?" He said. "Because they will kill you if you go back in. Also, there are several wards to keep people out unless they know the counter wards. There are also a patrol of Mountain trolls keeping you from getting to the door."

"And you're telling me this, why?" I asked. "How do you know this."

"You talked to a member of the Order of the Phoenix, right?" He asked me. "Pass on that the trial has been moved up to 12, noon."

"Who are you?" I asked, angrily. "How do you know this?"

"I'm not stupid enough to tell my name." He said. "Call me… Deepthroat."

"What, you want to create another Watergate?" I asked. It was too late, he had hung up. "Hey! Damn." I just thought how this could go worse. I decided to just rest for the night. I needed it.


	15. Operation Hogwarts 5: Duality

As I was lead into a building with a large number of people, I followed Jon trying to get some information about what these people are doing here. However, he was also trying to interrogate me. Useless bastard, always answering my questions with bullshit and more questions. Well, I guess I should describe him for you. He's a solid 6 foot, but shorter than Raphael, who was around 7 foot. He had jet black hair, and was quite skinny, and had green eyes, like Liz.

"Okay, I'm going to ask you once." He told me. "What are you three doing here in London, and how'd you get across the Irish Sea?"

"I'll only answer if you answer my own questions." I replied. As he nodded, I thought my answer through. "There were a few survivors we met back in Belfast. Four young wizards. When they found out that there was a huge disaster that petrified the students at their school, I agreed to help them get to Scotland, where it was located. I was going to get there by hovercraft, made from reverse-engineered Drophyd tech, just the five of us, but Liz and Raph said that they were going, no arguments. Liz wanted to make sure that you were safe, so she came along, as well as to act as team medic."

"Wait, Liz has powers?" He asked me.

"Hey, I have to ask a question." I replied. "What are these people doing here, couldn't you get them where there are more survivors?" Jon then walked over to a table and showed me a map, showing where his group had several camps and a field hospital.

"This is No Man's Land." He explained. "When those aliens- Drophyds, right?" I just nodded. "When they attacked, these damn wizards started attacking people without powers, magic, superpowers or Biotic potential." Wait, Biotic? "That bastard Fudge promised to get his 'Aurors' to help deal with the attacks, but he's not doing anything."

"He's leading a hate campaign against a child." I replied. "He should be dealing with the Death Eaters, or the 1000 wizard children who could be dead in Britain's only Wizarding school. Hell, one of his underlings tried to kill Harry with monsters called Dementors. They almost killed me twice."

"Have they gone after Liz?"

"Nope." I replied. "She was lucky. What did you mean by Biotic potential?"

"I have no idea." He said. "One of our telepaths said that there were people here that were 'Biotics', but we don't know much about it. What power does Liz have?"

"Liz's Conduit power involves healing." I explained. "She can heal any injury, even brain death. Hell, Raph can testify to that, he was shot in the head." As Jon jumped back, in shock, I continued. "She can feel others' physical pain as her own, showing when someone else has been injured, and she heals herself instantly. She also can use Voodoo attacks, causing similar injuries she has received to appear on an opponent's body. She's never used it, though, she knows she has that power from a Blast Core she absorbed." As I looked at the map, I realised that these people were trapped in here. "What's your power?"

"What?" He tried to feign ignorance. When he did that, I switched on my Shadow Eyes and looked at him. "You have a power?" Well, my Shadow Eyes have gotten stronger. Wonder why.

"You're a Conduit, I guessed when Liz showed her power." I said. "The Conduit gene is passed from father to child at 100%, 25% from mothers. Whatever you're power is, you're holding back, and it's doing serious damage to your body. Your power involves spontaneous mutation, and holding back when you're in the middle of a transformation is putting serious strain on your heart."

"I can't let it happen." He explained. "I went berserk when I got my power."

"It's killing you!" I shouted. "Liz came here to make sure you're safe. I'm not going to let you die before you she sees you. I'm going to call her, get one of my wizard allies to Apperate her here, or you out of here, maybe get some more aid."

"Well, we need Conduits to fight the wizards." Explained the guy who held me up earlier. "For whatever reason, Conduits can negate spells, they don't properly work if you focus enough, and 'Unforgivable Curses' don't work at all. Kinda good thing, because then, the potions we steal wouldn't work for us." He never removed his mask, but he had a thick Japanese accent.

"Koisumi, has Nagato gotten into contact with you yet?" Jon asked.

"No, she hasn't." He replied. "But that girl she sent with aid managed to get here. I think it was Yukari?"

"Sorry, but I have to go." Jon said, looking sad. "I need to talk to this girl. Send my regards to Liz."

"I'll do more than that." I said, taking out my phone. Calling Liz, I waited until I heard an answer.

"Hello, Ezio?" Liz said, frantically. "Are you alright? That guy didn't hurt you, did he?"

"I'm alright, Liz." I said, reassuring her. "But I'm not so sure about Jon."

"You found him?" She said. "Why, is he hurt? Does he have a power?"

"He has a power, but he's holding back, which is causing an enormous strain on him."

"How bad is it?" Liz asked. "Is he in pain?"

"He's hiding it pretty well," I said, looking at him, "but he's not fooling me. Liz, get over here now. You know my GPS code."

"Ezio, how bad is it?" She asked. "Does he need me to heal him?"

"Yeah, and someone to convince him not to hold his powers back." I then paused, thinking of how to say this. "He doesn't even have 3 hours, so hurry." I then hung up, as Jon came back over.

"Well, how is she?" Jon asked.

"Fine." I said. "She's coming here. Now."

"You told her to come here?" He said, angrily. "Why the hell did you do that?"

"Because you're going to die in 3 hours if she doesn't get here." I explained, as he jumped back. "Liz is only here for you, so I'm not going to let her putting herself in danger like this be in vain."

Suddenly, there was a crack a few feet away, as everyone held their guns up at Lupin and Liz. "Everyone, put your guns down, now!" Jon said, as Liz ran over to him.

"Are you honestly so stupid that you would LET" *SMACK* "YOURSELF" *SMACK* "DIE!" She then smacked him again, knocking him over. She was always at her maddest when she was upset. Word to the wise, if she is actually showing that she is upset, it is the point that she is at her most upset. "EZIO! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING GOING WITH THAT TELEPORTER!"

"Hey, he didn't hurt me." I tried to calm her down. "Besides, I got a few more files, even one that can acquit Harry. But there was a condition for it. I'll explain after words." As she dragged her unconscious brother away, hoping to heal him. "Hey, Lupin, take this back to HQ, it will help a lot." As he Apperated out, the balaclava wearing guy just looked at me. "What?"

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

Okay, so it's 10:30. I was just about to use the Floo connection to head back to the Burrow, when suddenly, Professor Lupin Apperated in front of me and stopped me. "Harry, I have something that might help out tomorrow." He then handed me a file that had several different pieces of paper in them. "These prove that the Dementors were sent to attack you by one of Fudge's underlings."

"Thanks," I said, "but I have no idea what these mean." I only got that four Dementors were supposed to act as guards for this 'Umbridge' woman. Wait… Two Dementors attacked me back in the Burrow… "Ron, how many Dementors attacked you and Ezio back in Belfast."

"I have no idea, but it was more than two." He said. "I think it was, around, twenty." Suddenly, someone ran in from the front door. She was a purple haired girl, much shorter but faster, and clumsier. "Tonks. Hi."

"Tonks, this better be important." Sirius said, rather annoyed at yet another rude intrusion.

"How about this." The girl said, handing me a letter. "Cornelius Fudge upped your trial to Noon, tomorrow." Looking at the letter, I was kind of horrified. "Don't worry, my co-worker, Kingsley Shacklebolt, is on his way to your solicitor."

"Thanks, Tonks, isn't it?" I asked.

"Harry, this is my cousin, Nymphadora Tonks." Sirius said. "She's my cousin."

"Don't call me 'Nymphadora', Padfoot." She said, angrily. Her hair then suddenly became a vibrant red, and became longer, and curled. It was like her hair was on fire. "Or do I have to get your World of Warcraft account suspended."

"You play World of Warcraft?" Ron said. "And here I thought you were cool."

"I don't play that often, I'm only a level 5 Worgen mage." Sirius said, defending himself.

"He's bought all of the expansion packs." Tonks said, as her hair became purple again. "He's a level 5 worgen, level 37 night elf paladin and a level 28 Drawf thief."

"TONKS!" Sirius shouted, red faced. "At least I'm not as obsessed with that damn Pokémon game."

"Hey, It's a game I can play when I'm not busy." She defended. "Besides, it was one story."

"The one with the Ditto?" Sirius asked.

"Harry, you really, really don't want to know." Ron said to me. "Anyway, thanks for your help."

"Well, at least your luck is rubbing off on me." I said to Ron. "Anyway, we'd better head on. Hermione and Luna are staying here, right?"

"Oh, Harry, you're friends with Ezio, right?" Tonks said to me. "Give this to him and tell him to take it to Saint Mungo's." She then handed me a slip of paper that I put in my pocket. As we said our goodbyes to the others, I saw that Tonks was talking to Lupin, trying to chat him up. We headed through the fire, and saw Mrs. Weasley waiting for us.

"Oh, you're back." She said. "Where are the others?"

"Hermione and Luna are staying with their families," Ron explained, "Ezio went to meet someone, Liz got Lupin to take her near Trafalgar square, and Lupin is talking to Tonks."

"The meeting with Sir Humphrey went well." I explained, "But the trial was moved forward at the last minute. It's now at noon."

"Well, I'll take you to the Ministry of Magic, tomorrow." Mr. Weasley explained. "We can go by underground."

"No, you can't." Fred said. "The Underground was shut down earlier today, vampires in the tunnels."

"You can Apperate into the city, show him how to get in to the Ministry, and watch from the sidelines." George finished.

"Oh, right." Mr. Weasley said. "I haven't told you. I can't go into the court. Close connection, and I'll be fired if I support you publicly."

"Well, it will be useless talking now." Mrs. Weasley interrupted us. "Now, to bed, you two, you have to be up early tomorrow." As Mrs. Weasley ordered us to bed, I managed to get a quick talk to Ron.

"So, you want me to show up?" Ron asked me. "At your trial?"

"Sure." I said. "Remember what Sir Humphrey said? I need you to testify tomorrow about the Death Eaters in Belfast."

"We'll need to get into contact with Ezio, then." Ron said. "So… What's a Lombax?"

"It's a type of alien." I said. "There are a few files Ezio found in Belfast. You should read them when you get the chance."

"Okay." He said. "…Where are they?"

"Here." Neville said, throwing a flash pen at Ron. "How's Mr. Lovegood? And your godfather?"

"Mr. Lovegood is… Strange." That is literally all I could say. "Sirius is good, quite obsessed with the internet. When will he be addicted?"

"I think he is." Ron said. "How's Vivi?"

"He was sort of upset that Luna wasn't here, but I promised that he would see her tomorrow." He then looked at me. "Harry, can I come with you, too? If it's in front of the Wizengamot, I'll be able to see my Gran."

"Well, Ezio needs to go to Saint Mungo's." I said. "Can you show him there?"

"Where is Ezio?" He asked. "And Liz?"

"I don't know, somewhere in London." I said. "But they can handle themselves."

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"How's your brother?" I asked. Liz had finished healing him, and was now lying on a bench next to a fire. "Did you talk to him about his powers?"

"He mutates into different monsters." Liz said. "But he tries not to use them after he went berserk, some blood red drug he found and accidentally swallowed."

"Wait, what?" I said. "Liz, did you see that bottle of Macht I took back to the Odyssey?"

"That red bottle?" She said. "Could it be the same?"

"Macht causes Conduits to go berserk." I explained. "The Militia were going to use it as a super-steroid on themselves and a way to kill Conduits."

"Well, I guess I should tell him, ask where he found it." She then sat up, looking at me. "So, what did that guy want to tell you?"

"Well, he passed on a file, and asked for a favour." I said. "I already got Lupin to take those files Apollo gave me to Harry, they were evidence of attempted murder by Dementor. Although the favour is one you need to do."

"What is it?" She said. "Oh, god, you didn't promise sex, did you?"

"WHAT? NO!" I replied. "Liz, why would you think that?" She was giving me a look of, 'I'll bring up the Formal Night incident again'. "Liz, he asked if you would fix him up. I said that I'd ask you, then we'd arrange it for whenever."

"Is he badly injured?" Liz asked.

"His torso was bandaged, but he was pretty beat up. The bandages were dark colours, so he hasn't been changing the wounds."

"Okay, I'll do it." Liz said. "But I want to make sure it's where I can be safe."

"Liz, he can teleport between dimensions." I said. "You'll be safe." Suddenly, my phone rang, restricted number. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me." Apollo said on the other end of the line. "I got some info for you. Harry's trial was moved to noon, tomorrow. I'd recommend getting to the Ministry of Magic's headquarters early."

"Thanks, Apollo." I said over the phone. "Where is the M.O.M.?"

"It's near some governmental building. I'll pass on the GPS."

"You shouldn't be that active." I said. "You're injured, so take it easy."

"Yeah, someone passed it on." He said. "Called himself, 'Deepthroat'."

"Eww."

"So…" He began to say, getting nervous. "Did you ask her?"

"Liz will heal you, but it has to be a secure place." I said, looking over to see her reaction. "Where do you want to meet her?"

"I can sneak into the M.O.M. easily," Apollo said, straining himself. His injuries must be worsening. "it's getting to specific areas that I can't do. Sorry, but I can't get any more files. I'll be at the trial tomorrow."

"As will I." A third voice said over the line. Apollo was just as surprised as I was. "I assume that one of you is Ezio?"

"Okay, who is this?" I asked.

"I'm one of the greatest thieves in the world." She said. "Not one of the most well known. Kasumi Goto, at your service."

"How'd you tap a secure line?" Apollo asked. "There's no way you would be able to-"

"The Moon Queen's Heart." She said. "What do you know of it?"

"It was stolen from Barnow, one of the planets in the Andromeda galaxy."

"There's a package on top of Gringott's." She said. "Pick it up, and that's you're proof." As I heard a noise over Apollo's line, the sound of pulling objects from A to B, I also hear his gasps of surprise. "One of the best, not the most famous."

"What's your interest in me, Kasumi?" I asked.

"I can get you files on Sirius Black, from the Ministry, as well as a document of interest for Apollo, if he can help me get into the… What's it called… 'Hall of Knowledge'?" Apollo suddenly gasped when he heard that. "I'll meet up with you if you say 'yes'."

"Okay, where do we meet up?" Apollo asked.

"How about near the visitor's entrance to the Ministry of Magic?" Kasumi said. "I'll pass the files on to you, then we'll let Liz heal Apollo while I describe what needs to be done."

"Okay, meet you there." As I hung up, Liz was pretty gob smacked. "Someone tapped into the phone line."

"More than just tapped it." I heard Kasumi say, behind me. "I can hear anything you say through the phone line. I also hacked your phone and added my number. But if I need to contact you over something else, I'll say I'm from the Trafalgar Corporation and that you've won a prize. The password is 'Silence is Golden'."

"…You're good." I replied. "How long were you there?"

"Long enough." She said. "See you around." As she walked away, I saw her mess with her watch and then disappeared, but her steps were visible in the snow, so she was only invisible.

"Who's she?" Liz asked.

"Some thief." I said. "We'll meet Apollo tomorrow after Harry's trial." With that, we decided that the best thing would be to get some rest. Setting the alarms for 6, we headed off to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

**19/07/2011**

Damn, Ezio and Liz aren't picking up. I've been calling for an hour and- "Hello, Ezio?"

"Yeah, hi Harry." He sounded like he was out of breath.

"Where have you been?" I asked. "I've been calling for an hour, it's 9 o'clock am, and my trial is in 3 hours, let alone you have to be at Saint Mungo's by 3 pm."

"What?" He said. "Sorry, Apollo dropped me off in a battlefield, and there have been some serious damage caused by Death Eater attacks here. Not only that, someone stole my phone, and I've been trying to get it back for the last hour."

"Who's Apollo?" I asked.

"The Lombax." Ezio replied. "Harry, get this. There are a whole crapload of Shadows here, and some of the survivors here include Black Mages."

"…Black Mages?"

"Harry, there are more creatures here that are just like Vivi." Ezio explained. "Anyway, we'll be there as soon as possible, but it will be a while." He then hung up as I turned to Ron, Neville, Vivi, Raphael, Fred, George, Ginny, Cho and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and got ready to head out.

"Harry, only two people should go." Mrs. Weasley said. "It would be best, only send the ones that have to go."

"They can take care of themselves, Molly." Mr. Weasley said. "But it would be best for only a few of us to go. Harry, I received a letter that I have to go to work, with the whole exposure going on. I can't go with you at all."

"Okay, mate, I say only go with who you have to." Ron said. "If anyone has any business in London, can you just write it down?" With that, Fred and George wrote down something down, followed by Cho, then Ginny, and Vivi. "Say who should go with you, and we'll go as soon as possible."

"Okay, let me think." As Fred and George handed me the paper, I took a good look, then put it in my pocket. "Okay, I need someone to testify for me. Neville is likely to be believed by his grandmother, so he should come." As Neville stepped forward, Vivi rushed out and grabbed his leg. "Vivi, we're taking you to see Luna, so you can stay with her for the day. Okay?" As Vivi nodded, he let go, but grabbed Neville's hand instead. "Who else should I take, or should I go with Hermione?"

"You can take Hermione, but take someone else from here." Ginny said.

"Okay, Ron, can you stay here, watch the computer while I use Ezio's phone to call here? If I need something, I'll call you."

"Okay, mate." Ron said, disappointed. "But I can call Liz in an emergency. So make sure she knows."

"Where's Charlie?" I asked. "Would he be willing to come?"

"Charlie's off to the shops." Mr. Weasley said. "He'll be back in a moment, though." Suddenly, we heard a crash outside, which caused most of us to run outside to check. As we looked outside, we saw a scaled humanoid with large wings and a spiked tail trying to get up from the snow. "Charlie, what have I told you about flying so close to the house like that?" Wow, Charlie was ugly.

"Sorry." He said, before changing back to human. "Hey, Harry, how are you?"

"Can you help me with something in London?" I asked. "I'm going with Neville."

"Sure, what is it?" After I explained everything in detail, we all got ready to go through the Floo connection. "And we meet outside the Ministry?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Neville said. "Harry, you do realise that you'll just be sent flying if you stand in there and throw the Floo Powder down? It would be better to throw it then walk through the fire." As we did that, I went first, followed by Neville with Vivi, then Charlie. I was quite surprised who was on the other side.

"Harry, good to see you." I saw Victor Krum say, as he stood up. "How are you? Apart from the latest in the Daily Prophet." He then handed me a copy of the Prophet, which had the headline 'ASSASSIN ATTACKS FUDGE'. "They're saying that you hired him."

"It wasn't me." I said, looking at the paper. "So, that's Apollo."

"Harry, how do you know him?" Neville said.

"Ezio said that he passed on this file that proves that the Dementor attacks were intentional." I explained. "I don't know him directly."

"Yeah, but it's not going to help your case if you know his name." Charlie said.

"Hey, he can't tie me directly to him, so no fear." I said.

"That does look bad, Harry." Victor said. "It's a slander campaign, but it will work if that info goes public."

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "You should be in Scandinavia, practicing Quidditch."

"Yeah, but I should also help where I can." Krum said. "There was a huge scandal about my team involving some bets from a guy called 'Bagman', so we can't play until next year." I guess I should explain, later. "When Fleur let slip that she and her boyfriend were joining the Order of the Phoenix, I said, 'Why not'."

"Wait, Fleur Delacour?" Neville asked. "Is she here?"

"Fleur!" Victor yelled, out to the hall. "Harry's here and he brought friends!" Suddenly, I saw a sudden flash before me as Fleur came from above us. "Please, don't do that."

"Harry, it's good to see you." Fleur said, as she kissed me on the cheeks. "Are you okay?"

"Yah, I am." I said. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I thought I might as well join the Order when I found out Bill was joining."

"You're dating Bill?" I asked.

"They started dating back before the Third task." Charlie said. "Good to see you, Fleur."

"Charlie, it's good to see you." She said, kissing him on the cheeks. "I hope you've stopped crashing. And I recognise you." She said, looking at Neville. "Have I seen you at Hogwarts?"

"This is Neville Longbottom." I introduced him. "He gave me the Gillywig for the Second task."

"Well, bonjour, Monsieur Longbottom." She said, as she kissed Neville. "Oh, and who is the little guy behind you?" Only then did she notice Vivi. He was leaning out from behind Neville, but he wasn't scared of Fleur, rather intrigued. "Hello, there."

"…Hi." Was Vivi's only response. He just pressed himself into Neville's leg, and bolted for Luna as she walked into the room with Sirius.

"He's very shy." Fleur said. "Well, you have your trial in 3 hours, no?" She asked me. "It's going to be a while to get to the Wizengamot, especially because of those 'Shadows'."

"They're in London?" Neville asked. "How many are out there?"

"Quite a few." Sirius said, coming over. "They're vulnerable to most magic, but only Charlie can use it if he goes out with you. Be careful out there."

"We'll be fine." I said, showing off a pouch that Hermione gave me back in Belfast. "We have items that cause magical damage, and magic bullets that cast spells when they're fired."

"You need someone to cast the spell first." Hermione said. "I say that we leave a few of them here where Sirius can cast the spells."

"I'm coning with you." Sirius protested. "You all need to know how to avoid Shadows, so I can lead the way as a dog."

"Okay, let either Fleur or me charm the bullets." Victor said. "I have to check something out though, some Death Eaters hanging around the West End. Fleur?"

"I have to meet Bill and survey a town in Surrey." She said. "In fact, I should've met him by now. It was nice seeing you, Harry." As she ran into the fireplace, Victor grabbed a broom and an invisibility cloak.

"Be seeing you, Harry." Victor said, heading out the front door.

"Ron not coming, then?" Hermione asked.

"Well, Neville has to come, and Charlie was free, so I asked him." I replied. "So, should we go?"

"Sir Humphrey said he would meet you outside of the courtroom." Sirius said. "I can't go into the Ministry, so I'll lead the way to the entrance, then head back here. Let me know how it goes." As Hermione said goodbye to her parents, and Neville said goodbye to Vivi, we all headed out the front door, and made our way to the Ministry entrance.

Getting out, I took out the knife I found back in Swansea, and another knife I took from Sirius's kitchen, as Hermione readied her rapier, and Neville removed his sword. "Are you really going to run around London brandishing weapons?" Charlie asked us, as he transformed. "We will be stopped by police or Aurors."

"Yeah, but if we explain we're part of an anti-Shadow squad, we might as well get away with it." Hermione said. As we headed out, we instantly saw a policeman being attacked by a few Shadows. "Might as well get some publicity." We instantly rushed the Shadows and got into a fight, causing the snow to become walls of ice. As one Shadow lunged at me, another dog, I ducked under it, keeping a knife upward to slash it, which caused it to dissolve above me. Hermione was holding the Shadow that was attacking the policeman away, as Neville lunged at it, and cut it's head off. Charlie, however, used his powers to breathe fire at three Shadows, which killed them instantly.

"Wow, thanks." The officer said, as Hermione helped him up. "Hey, you're that Potter kid. I saw that Quibbler article online."

"Great, someone else recognises me." I said.

"It's not bad, Harry." Neville said. "Saving a copper can help sway public opinion in your favour."

"Look, this might not seem like a great deal of gratitude, but thanks." He said, shaking our hands. "That asshole Fudge promised to get a few Aurors to help with the monsters and the dark wizards. But he's focusing his resources on attacking you. Not only that, but he isn't doing anything about those vampires holding out in the underground."

"We'll pass word on to some friends who can help." Hermione said. "Is the Shadow attacks really that bad?"

"Yeah, but the wizards are worse. Killing the police, cutting power, they even cordoned off Trafalgar square, where there was a field hospital. We can only get supplies in through helicopter, but not that many."

"Okay, thanks." I said, as we headed out. Next stop, Ministry of Magic.

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"Why did you think it was a good idea to shoot a freaking gas tank?" I asked Jon. "That will only piss them off." He, Liz, a Black Mage everyone calls 'Leon' and I were currently running through the back alleys of London to get away from a few Death Eaters.

Leon was an okay fellow, pretty shy. He was about 5 foot 3, and appeared to be a teenager, compared to Vivi, who was around 4 or 5. He wore a large coat that went to his knees, wore thick boots, a sweater and baggy trousers, wore thick gloves, and wore a winter cap on his head. He chose to use a broom as a melee weapon, focusing to use magic to fight.

"Well, we needed a distraction to sneak past." He replied.

"Well, smart move, asshole, they spotted you." We then hopped over a metal fence as two Death Eaters Apperared in front of us. I threw a few Plasma Beasts at the ground, which attacked the Death Eaters and bought us some time to get away. We got into an open street, close to a few government buildings, where we ran into Harry and his group. Literally.

"Oof." Harry said. "Hey, Ezio. Liz. Who are the two people you came with?"

"Oh, Harry, this is Jon, Liz's brother, and the Black Mage is Leon." As we made acquaintances, I saw a rather large winged humanoid. "So, that's Charlie?"

"Yeah." Charlie said, getting up, and helping Hermione up.

"Well, how do we get into the Ministry?" I asked. "Is there a secret passage, or do you say a password?"

"See that phone booth?" Neville said, pointing at it. "You have to press a specific 5 keys to get in. The keys should spell out 'Magic'."

"So, 6-2-4-4-3, then?" I asked. "Okay, Harry, go in first with Liz, Hermione with Charlie, then Neville with me." I then turned back to Jon and Leon. "You really don't want to stay?"

"We have to go back." Leon said, leaning on the broom. "We can't just abandon everyone at Trafalgar to listen to a political hearing."

"Can you guys at least get some help to us?" Jon asked. As we all nodded, he lifted the large pipe he was using. "Okay, see you around."

As we were about to answer, I could see Harry talking to the dog that lead him here. "Okay, head back Sirius, and we'll contact you as soon as we can." Wait, that's Sirius? "See you later." As he headed down, I saw Sirius run into the alley, then Apperate away.

* * *

><p><strong>Harry:<strong>

Wow, this is a really big room. And it was hidden in London? Lining the walls were fireplaces that were probably used for the Floo Network. They currently had signs in front of them, telling people that the Floo Network was out of order. There were dozens of offices, all overlooking a central plaza, which had a fountain and a golden statue of several magical creatures bowing down to a wizard and witch. There were also several banners that had Fudge on them, looking down on the plaza, as if to say, 'Everything will be alright'.

"Liz, I have to ask." I said, as we were almost on the ground. "What do we do if Aurors try and take you and Ezio away? Muggles aren't usually allowed here."

"Relax." Liz said. "Allow me to handle it. I can pull off a good Bavarian Fire Drill." A…

"What?"

"Just follow my lead." As we got down, we were instantly spotted by two Aurors, who instantly came over to us and put their hands on their wands. "Gentlemen, what appears to be the problem?"

"Muggles aren't allowed down here." One of them said. "You have to leave, now."

"I'm sorry, but I wouldn't be a very good bodyguard if I abandoned my employer, now would I?" Liz said, looking angry. Wait, what the hell did she say?

"You, a bodyguard?" The other laughed. "How could a Muggle be protection?"

"I'm a Conduit, you bloated, blithering buffoon." She said. "I can resist magic, so if someone, say… you, try to attack Mr. Potter here, then I can get between you two, get hit, then kick your ass."

"You want to try it?" One of them tried to say, taking out his wand, before Liz used her spear to knock it out of his hand and hold the blade at his throat.

"Sit your five dollar ass down, before I make change!" She threatened him. As he complied, the other one tried to get a stunning spell in, hitting Liz in the arm. She just ignored it, but he felt the repercussion of the spell, as she knocked the wand upward, then knocked him to the ground.

"That's enough." We all heard a voice say, as Liz put away her weapon. A large black man in a grey suit caught the wand, and walked over to us. "I apologise for my colleagues' brutish behaviour, Mr. Potter. My name is Kingsley Shacklebolt." He said, walking over to me. "However, I must ask that you leave, if you don't have any official business here."

"Harry's here for his trial." Hermione said, as she and Charlie exited the elevator. "Harry, show him your subpoena." As I took it out, Kingsley looked at it, before turning to the other Aurors. "How could you attack someone who was using the Visitor's Entrance?" He abolished them.

"How did you know I was a Muggle?" Liz asked.

"You don't have a wand." Kingsley pointed out.

"They insulted us." One of the Aurors said.

"You insult everyone else, does that mean that they have the right to attack you?" Kingsley retorted. "Now, I am going to report you to Madame Bones, and if you cause anymore trouble, I will have you stationed outside the Centaur Liaison office. Are we clear?" As they nodded, Kingsley handed me back my subpoena. "Your trial is in an hour." He whispered to me. "I was able to inform Bones of how Fudge sent that expulsion letter when she hadn't had a chance to speak to you. I wrote her phone number on your subpoena." As an Auror came over to him, he turned around and handed him back his wand. Which was now two wands. Offended, the Auror retreated off somewhere, as Ezio and Neville came back down. "Another bodyguard?"

"Yes, the one with the eye patch is my colleague." Liz said. "We'll leave as soon as Harry's trial is over, but we will come back if there is any reason to." As Kingsley nodded to say farewell, I looked at the Subpoena, then went over to the fountain.

"Might I ask what that whole business about 'bodyguards' was?" Ezio asked. I handed him his Saint Mungo's slip which he glanced at, then pocketed for later.

"Liz was attacked by those brutes." Hermione said. "She retaliated, and then Kingsley showed up."

"'Sit your five dollar ass down, before I make change!'" I quoted.

"You actually watched New Jack City?" Ezio asked, sitting down next to the fountains. "Anyway, are the Aurors always that brutal?"

"Look at the statue." Hermione explained. "That explains the Ministry logic in an instant. 'Wizards are superior to any other in everyway'. If you're not a pureblood Wizard or witch, then you're lesser to them." She then pointed at the statue. "Notice that the only ones there that have wands are human?"

"It's actually illegal for anyone other than humans to use a wand." Neville said, joining in. "There are quite a few humans that protest this."

"Hell, remember how Kingsley said that he would have those guys in the Centaur Liaison office?" Charlie said, sitting down next to the fountain. "That's a euphemism for, 'Do that again and I'll have you fired before you realise you're out of here'."

"That explains those Death Eater inbreeds." Liz said. I then walked over to Ezio, and sat down next to him.

"Can I borrow you phone?" I asked, as Ezio handed it to me. Keying in the phone number, I waited for a few moments before I heard someone answer.

"Harry Potter?" I heard a woman say on the other end. "May I ask why you used a Patronus charm over in the Burrow?" I assume that it was Amelia Bones.

"Well, I used it because two Dementors attacked me and a friend when we were outside in the snow." I replied. "Not only that, but the friend was also attacked, along with Ron Weasley, back when we were at Belfast. If Fudge wanted me expelled, why wouldn't he try me for all the magic I used back there, or Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, or Seamus Finnegan? Explain that, Miss Bones."

"Well, Kingsley did explain it was me. I assume you have witnesses for the Dementor attack?" She asked me. "Because Fudge will crucify you if you didn't."

"I have Neville Longbottom." I replied. "And the guy who was attacked with me. Let alone most of the Weasley family, it was their house."

"Well, you have some good proof there." She replied. "But make sure that Fudge doesn't get them disqualified, or that one of your fans pulls another stunt." What did Apollo do, exactly?

"Well, I'll see you in court." I said, hanging up. As the phone rang again, I answered it. "Hello?"

"Is Ezio there?" I heard a voice say. I handed the phone back to Ezio, saying it was for him.

"Well, what do we do until then?" Hermione asked. "Head to court, or meet up with Sir Humphrey?"

"Meet Sir Humphrey." Ezio said. "He's outside the courtroom now. But he's being harassed by Aurors, saying he's not allowed in. We'd better hurry." We all headed to the elevator, asking to go to the courtrooms.

* * *

><p>FILES:<p>

**List of Requests:**

We need some supplies that we can use to make some potions that could be useful. There's a variation of Polyjuice potion that was brewed by this Japanese Wizarding family called the Hayabusas that allows you to assume body and voice. We already paid for the ingredients, just talk to someone for us to get the ingredients. [Signed by Fred and George.]

Is it possible for me to get a weapon? I'll use anything, but I prefer lightweight weapons. [Cho.]

Harry, see if you can find me a long range weapon, like a spear or whip. [Ginny.]

Harry dear, can you find something that I can use to make some good dishes, like this Lasagne recipe that Elizabeth showed me? [Molly. A list of supplies are listed, I can get them at a supermarket]

Is there a game that I can play by myself, when everyone else is busy? [Vivi]

**Prophet article:**

ASSASSIN ATTACKS FUDGE

Yesterday, around 6 o'clock in the afternoon, an assassin managed to sneak into the office of Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and attacked him with a knife. While Fudge wasn't seriously injured, he claims that the assassin said that the one that hired him was Harry Potter.

The assassin was wearing a large coat-cloak hybrid and was wearing a black mask with white blank eyes and a large white grin. It is also reported that the assassin has abnormally large feet.

[A report by Rita Skeeter, the usual bitch.]

* * *

><p><strong>Apollo<strong>:

Sitting up on some support beams, overlooking the courtroom as around 40 or so people entered, wearing purple robes adorned with the Ministry logo. The 'Wizengamot', lead by the Minister of Magic, Fudge, who has yet to show up. I spotted one member, Amelia Bones, pocket a mobile phone, before taking her seat. More and more members sit down, ready to act as both the Persecution and the Jury in this show court. The local expression is 'Kangaroo Court', I think?

"What?" I heard Fudge say, just 10 minutes before the trial. "What do you mean, 'They're here'?" He was shouting at his assistant and court scribe, Percy.

"Well, Harry Potter was spotted with several people coming in at 11 o'clock." He explained. "Also, his solicitor is only outside."

"Hot the hell did they find out?" He said, panicking. "Those new subpoenas were only supposed to go out in 5 minutes."

"Well, I believe that it was that person who broke into the files." Percy explained.

"The assassin?"

"No, someone working in the Ministry." He said. "We think he's working with the assassin." Oh, no… Deepthroat.

"If there is a traitor, I want him in Azkaban, as soon as you find him." Fudge said, before getting ready to take his seat. "And make sure that Potter doesn't show up!" Damn, he's cleverer than I thought.

"He won't stall them." I heard a voice say, only a few feet away. Suddenly, I saw an invisibility device switch off, to show a woman wearing a tight skin suit, hood and what appeared to be… Heat seeing goggles? "The downside of those cloaking devices is that they don't hide body heat."

"Kasumi?" I asked, taking off my own cloak.

"Apollo?" She asked me. As we both nodded, we looked down on the people below us.

"How'd you get up here?" I asked. "I can teleport, you can't climb up here."

"I didn't climb." Kasumi said. "The benefit of stealing from Muggles is that they don't believe in magic." Oh, she's a bi-Witch! "So, when do you want to do it?"

"After the trial." I said.

"No, when do you want to interrupt?" She said. "Fudge is planning on arresting them, no matter what. And I have a wild card that no one can see coming."

"Well, this could be an interesting trial." I said, pulling off my mask, to get a better look.

"A Lombax?" She asked me. "Wow, never seen one in person."

"How'd a Witch get into space?" I asked. "Or is magic a skill that Cerberus needs?"

"I'm not with Cerberus, but my partner is a former member." She said. "He managed to get us a private ship which we use for our heists."

"Like the Moon Queen's Heart?" I asked.

"I have it's pair. Do you know where I can fence it?"

"Not really." I replied. "But the trial is starting soon, so we'd better put our disguises back on." I teleported a bowl of popcorn into my hand, getting comfortable. "Get your own." I said to Kasumi, as I knew she was trying to grab some.


	16. Operation Hogwarts 6: Objection!

As we got out of the Elevator, we instantly started looking for Sir Humphrey. "Get out of my way!" I heard him shouting at two Aurors. "I'm supposed to be here!"

"Sorry, sir, but only the Defendant is allowed into the court." One Auror said, holding his hand up. "You have to leave, now."

"He doesn't." Hermione said, interrupting. "This man is defending Harry in court, and if you prohibit him from entering, you are in contempt of court."

"These orders are directly from Minister Fudge." The other said. "And we don't disobey orders."

"But," Hermione said, raising a finger. "what Fudge has told you to do is an illegal action, and by obeying it, you can be thrown into Azkaban. Also, what would Madame Bones do if she found out that you are denying a fourteen-year-old, with no understanding of the court system, access to his only defence?" They were slightly taken aback by this. As we heard the trial beginning, I just bolted into the court, to see Fudge was trying to say that the hearing would be held without me there if I didn't show up.

"Sorry I'm late, I had some issues with the guards." I said. I was quite surprised that Percy was there.

"Mister Potter." Fudge said, in a venomous tone. "Take a seat." There was single chair in the centre of the court, that had loops in them for offenders that had to be held down.

"I'd love to, but I need to speak to Madame Bones?" As I saw a woman perk up, I just walked over. "Hi, can you come with me, just for a second?"

"I will not allow it." Fudge said, getting up. "You will be found in contempt of court if she comes."

"So will you, since you told the guards not to let my solicitor into the court." I said. As I said this, Mrs. Bones got up and got out of the stand. She just walked out into the hall, and I only heard some small chatter before… Well, it was the sound of ultimate suffering. She came back in, followed by Sir Humphrey, who came over to me, and Hermione, Liz and Charlie, who got into the stand. However, there was already one other person in the stand, Rita Skeeter. She and Hermione made some snipes at each other, ending when Hermione said, slightly louder than the others, 'Animagus', causing Rita to gasp in horror.

"Neville and Ezio have to testify, so they are only allowed in for that." He whispered to me, as I sat down in the chair. "Ezio handed me the files, I'll use them when they're needed."

"May I say something?" Madame Bones said, standing up. "As Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge was supposed to act in a sensible and unbiased way leading up to this trial. However, because of his obvious contempt for Mr. Potter, and his actions leading up to the trial, I hereby use my powers as head of the Auror and Justice department to force Cornelius to excuse himself from this hearing." As she said that, there was a huge uproar from the Wizengamot, as she tried to calm them down. "However, if someone can come up with a valid reason for him to stay, I will allow him to stay."

"I have a reason." Said a woman, that bizarrely looked like a toad. "Mister Potter is a notorious liar," I was held back by Sir Humphrey when she said this. "and cannot be trusted. He could've used the Imperius curse to control the guards."

"Except," Sir Humphrey spoke up, in defence, "That Mr. Potter would have set off the Trace again. The notion that the guards were under the Imperius can easily be disproved by Madame Bones, who saw the guards' eyes, and can attest that they were not under the effects of the Imperius. The statements about my defendant being a liar are made in a tabloid newspaper that is controlled by Fudge, a public political opponent of Mr. Potter, and are biased in Fudge's favour." As he motioned for another reason, she withdrew herself, in defeat.

"Well, we can begin when Fudge moves to the stands." As he got out of his seat, defeated, he tore off his robe and headed to the stands, and sat as far away from the others as possible. "Mr. Weasley, can you read out the charges? Again?"

"One charge of underage magic, one charge of knowingly using magic in front of a Muggle, and one charge of attempted murder by proxy."

"What?" I asked.

"Hiring an assassin." Sir Humphrey said.

"Wait, I never hired an assassin." I protested.

"Mr. Potter, how do you plead?" I just leaned over to Sir Humphrey and discussed my options. After, I stood up, and pleaded not guilty on self defence on the first two charges, and not guilty on the last.

"Mr. Potter," the woman who tried to save Fudge started. "Is it true that you used the Patronus charm willingly in front of a Muggle on the 17th of July, 2011?" However…

"Oh, come off it, Dolores!" A woman shouted, in anger. "Muggles have known for a full week beforehand. If he used a spell in front of a Muggle who knew beforehand, it wouldn't have mattered."

"I ask the defendant to answer." She replied.

"Yes, I did, and in answer to the older woman's question, yes, the Muggle already knew."

"Can you identify the Muggle?" Dolores asked me.

"His name is Ezio O'Malley, he's one of the witnesses that I brought with me." I replied. "In fact, he had previously been attacked by a Dementor back in Belfast, where I met him."

"What was your reason for performing the Patronus charm?" She asked.

"We were attacked by Dementors." I replied. "We were outside, when he suddenly reacted in surprised horror, before we were both grabbed by two Dementors. I grabbed my wand, and used the Patronus charm to knock the Dementors away, and one of them flew into a house. The residents of the house were all Wizards, so you can ask any of them, and they'll validate my story. One of them even works at the Ministry."

"And, who is this employee?" Dolores asked me.

"Arthur Weasley." I said.

"What?" I heard Percy say, dropping his quill.

"Oh, don't you know?" I asked. When I saw he couldn't answer, I just continued. "The Dementors attacked me at the Burrow. Did no-one tell you that?" It was then that I saw panic in both Dolores and Fudge's faces. I wonder if it was because they planned this?

"Where, may I ask," the older woman ask me, "did a 14 year old boy learn how to perform the Patronus charm?"

"Actually, at Hogwarts." I said. "Back in my third year, when Sirius Black was after me, the Dementors attacked me on two occasions. One was on the train ride to Hogwarts, and the other was during a Quidditch match. I was saved by Professor Lupin on the train, and I fell off my broom the second time, causing me to fall, before being caught by Professor Dumbledore. Professor Lupin was the one who taught me the spell to aid me in protecting myself." The room was filled with chatter, as Madame Bones called for order.

"As we ready our first witness, I propose that we go to recess to give ourselves time to think over the testimony." As she banged a gavel, Liz came out of the stand and over to us, along with Hermione.

"Did you see their reactions?" I asked. "Dolores and Fudge?"

"That's Madame Umbridge, Harry." Hermione said. "But, yes, they panicked.""Over the location of the attack." Liz said. "The date was fine, but there could be another Dementor attack on the same day."

"Find out where." Sir Humphrey said. "I have to go get a subpoena for Arthur Weasley to appear in court. By the way, Harry, I talked to the head of the Daily Prophet, told him that he had to stop the libel."

"Thanks." As Liz walked away, she messed with her phone, and Sir Humphrey walked away, I talked to Hermione.

"Where do you think the other attack was?" Hermione asked me.

"My guess, Little Whinging." I replied. "I think that the Umbridge woman knows more than she's letting on."

"I'll pass it to Liz." As she ran over, I was wandering how bad this could get.

* * *

><p><strong>Ron<strong>

"Hey." A voice suddenly said, out of nowhere. I was currently being taught how to play poker by Raph. "Hey, Ron."

"Oh, Hi Liz." It was coming from the computer. "How are you doing that?" As Raph reached over, I saw the mouse change the window to one that showed Liz's face.

"It's a good thing you're handsome." She said on the camera. "Hey, can you check something?"

"Sure, what is it?" I said.

"Harry thinks that there was more than one Dementor attack two days ago." She explained. "Can you check to see if there was any more? Probably in Surrey?"

"Okay, I'll get back to you." I said, and clicked the browser. I looked for news stories, but couldn't find anything.

"Hello, is anyone there?" I heard a French voice say on the webcam. I switched to the webcam again, to see who it was. "Ron, is that you?"

"Oh, hey, Fleur." It was quite a surprise to see her. "Where are you? And how did you get our contact details?"

"We're at Sirius's house." Bill said. "Ron, you know my girlfriend?"

"You're dating?" I asked. "So, how was the date?"

"It wasn't a date." Fleur said. "We were investigating possible Death Eater attacks. But there was a Dementor attack at the site. Poor kid was almost Kissed." What?

"Where was this?" I asked. "Was it, by any small chance… Near Surrey?"

"Actually, it was." Bill said. "How'd you know?"

"Liz said that the Dementor attack on the Burrow was probably planned." Raph said. "They were horrified when the Burrow was mentioned in court."

"Wait, Bill, your family was attacked by a Dementor?" Fleur said. "Was anyone hurt?"

"No." I said. "Can you tell me, specifically, where, even who?"

"It was in town called Little Whinging." Bill said. "I don't know the victim's last name, some 15 year old called Dudley."

"That's all we need to know." I then hung up, and called Liz again. "Hello, Liz?"

"Yeah, Ron?" She asked. "Recess is almost over, what is it?"

"The Dementors attacked someone called Dudley Dursley in Little Whinging, Surrey. He isn't dead." I said.

"Ron, how do you know his last name?" Raph asked me. "Bill and Fleur didn't know it."

"Because that's Harry's cousin, who he ran away from before the Drophyd attacks." I said. "Will that help?"

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"Yeah, it will." Liz was saying, into her phone. "Gotta go. Bye." Liz then came over to Sir Humphrey, and said something to him. He had a grave look about him. Coming over, he just whispered something to me.

"There was a Dementor attack in Little Whinging, the victim was Dudley Dursley." I was slightly upset, but I could use it to destroy Fudge.

"Court is now in session." Madame Bones said, sitting in Fudge's old seat. "Is there anyone here that has anything to say?"

"I do, Madame." Sir Humphrey said, raising his hand. "We just received word that there were two Dementor attacks, on the night of the 17th, one at the Weasley residence, and the other at the hometown of Mr. Potter." Everyone was muttering, before Madame Bones called in order. "Madame Umbridge, I want to ask, the Dementor attack you were referring to, was it by any chance the one in Little Whinging, in Surrey?"

"Yes, it was." She said. "I was not aware of another attack."

"However, you were aware that the victim, who was luckily not fully Kissed, as I have just found out, was Mr. Potter's Muggle cousin, Dudley Dursley, who was aware of his magic?" He said, before taking out a piece of paper. "Two Dementors attacked Harry at the Burrow, two attacked Dudley Dursley, and you had four Dementors assigned as your personal guards, am I correct?"

"I-I was not aware of this." She lied.

"But this is your signature, is it not?" He said, holding it in front of her.

"N-No, it isn't."

"Can I suggest that we compare her signature to the one on the statement?" I asked. "If she is innocent, then she doesn't have anything to hide. Or even one that she sent to someone else?"

Madame Bones then summoned the piece of paper over to herself, and took out a piece of paper, carefully looking at the paper, she then compared them, before looking up. "This was forged." She said. Umbridge just gave a sigh of relief, before turning to Sir Humphrey.

"Where did you get this piece of paper?" She asked. "Did you find it, or did you have it passed on?"

"We received it from an informant." Sir Humphrey said, taken aback. "An individual called, 'Deepthroat'."

"What!" Both she and Fudge screamed. "How did Deepthroat give this to you!" Fudge demanded, while Liz and Hermione both snorted like hell.""Care to explain?" Lucius Malfoy finally spoke up. "Who is this 'Deepthroat'?"

"He's been stealing files from the Ministry." Percy explained. "We think he's a Ministry employee."

"Can we please get the witness in?" Someone else asked. "Deal with the order at hand."

"Okay, can you bring the first witness in?" I was asked to move out of the chair to another stand, while Ezio was lead in. "Can you please state your name?"

"Ezio O'Malley." He said, taking a few breaths.

"Mr O'Malley, can I ask, what happened on the night of the 17th?" Madame Bones asked him.

"Well, I was standing outside with Harry, just having a small conversation, when two Dementors attacked Harry and me." He said. "I was held up, while Harry attacked a Dementor with a flash of light. Then, with another flash of light, I was dropped onto the ground. Harry then blasted one Dementor into the nearby house's front window, where it was killed by several flashes and a final blow from Ron, who cut off it's head. Harry killed the other one, using my weapon that I had at the time."

"Mr O'Malley," Said the older woman, "How are you certain that it was a Dementor? You are a Muggle, so how could you see it?"

"Do you see me eye?" He said, looking at her. Suddenly his eye went purple, to everyone's interest. "This is a power I have, called a Shadow Eye. It allows me to see things that I normally wouldn't like how you," he said, pointing at the woman who asked the question, "Mrs Longbottom, nee Whiteflower, you have a tattoo on your thigh of a Lilly." She was horrified when he said this. "Mr. Fudge's last drink was a 50 year old bottle of Irish Whiskey, Mr. Malfoy has Chlamydia, Miss Bones drinks Pinot Grigio in her office," He then turned to Rita Skeeter, "Miss Skeeter is an Animagus, and Mrs. Umbridge's face is the result of plastic surgery gone wrong." Everyone was horrified. "Any denying it?" No one answered. "Anyway, I was able to see the Dementors attacking me because I was using this power at the time. I also felt a horrifying cold with every breath it took."

"How did you get this power?" Mr. Malfoy asked me.

"I'm a Conduit." He said. "I got it when those aliens attacked. Elizabeth Richards, the woman in the stand there, is a Conduit too. She is a healer, can reverse most injuries."

"How did you lose your eye?" Miss Longbottom asked.

"I object." Ezio said. "This has nothing to do with the trial."

"The woman should be a healer, she should have fixed it!"

"I have to agree." Miss Bones said. "The Witness will explain his injuries."

"A piece of off world technology exploded in my face." He said. "A bit went into my eye. The metal it was made of has the effect of cancelling a Conduit's powers, so until I get every small fragment out, I can only use the Shadow Eyes power and she can't heal me."

"Well, that explains that." Miss Bones said. "The witness is excused." As Ezio joined the others on the witness stand, his phone suddenly rang. As he answered, he was quite surprised by what was said. "We will take a 15 minute recess." The Wizengamot excused themselves, as Ezio came over to us, slightly confused.

"I never told you about how I got those files." He said. "But how'd you know about Deepthroat?"

"…We didn't." Sir Humphrey said. "I just wanted to get some pressure off of us, so I said it was the guy from the Watergate scandal."

"So, let me get this straight." He whispered, in an angry tone. "You said you got a document with a forged signature on it, one that proves that there were two Dementor attacks intended for Harry, and you said it was someone you heard about from a scandal around 40 years ago, in the US, and you just barely connected it to an actual whistleblower?"

"Yeah."

"Awesome." He said. "Now, how do we deal with the notion you hired Apollo to kill Fudge?"

"You know him?" Sir Humphrey asked. "Do you know how badly this can destroy our case?"

"He was the one that passed on the documents. That's all I know of him." Sir Humphrey didn't believe him. "He's an alien, looks like a cat." He then received a message, and was slightly upset. "Great, now he's pissed off."

"Well, now what?" Sir Humphrey asked. "How do we get him to testify?"

"I don't know." Ezio said. "But we may have gotten Harry off the other charges." Suddenly, we saw Madame Bones walking over to Rita Skeeter, and the two discussing quietly. However, Bones did glare at Fudge, in obvious anger. "If we're lucky, Apollo will make a spectacle out of the court. Or Kasumi, whichever one does it first."

"Who's Kasumi?" I asked.

"Silence is Golden." Oh, the Trafalgar Corporation. "Anyway, Neville might not have to testify."

Recess was over faster than before, and Madame Bones was at her seat as soon as everyone else was present. "Everyone," He said, "While there was one more intended witness, Neville Longbottom-"

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS HE DOING HERE!" Mrs. Longbottom blew a casket when she heard that.

"Would you like to do that again, while showing your tattoo?" Madame Bones said. "-Will not be testifying, as we will go straight to a vote. The charges of Mr. Potter hiring an assassin to commit murder by proxy have been dropped due to lack of evidence, and witness testimony."

"Whose?" Fudge said, taken aback. "Who said that that assassin wasn't hired by Harry Potter."

"Mine." Fudge, who was literally at the back of the stand, jumped to the chair at the centre of the room out of sheer fright. I was quite impressed. More impressed by the guy in black, behind him. "You denounced me as a cheap assassin?" He was holding up today's Daily Prophet. "I don't know whether to beat your face in for that, or because you said I was only 20 Galleons a hit!" Fudge just bolted out of the room, as the guy chased him. "GET BACK HERE, YOU FAT, LYING BASTARD!" The guy bolted out, much faster than Fudge.

"S-Somebody, stop him!" Umbridge shouted in a panic.

"Stop. Please. No." Ezio said, completely deadpan. "Can we go to the hospital now, the eye socket is itching." Eww…

"Mr. Potter?" Madame Bones called, before we left. "We haven't made the vote yet." As Madame Bones called a vote, only about 3 people voted to convict me, while the rest voted in my favour. Miss Umbridge was trying to chase Apollo, who was slightly confused when he couldn't find Fudge, before teleporting away. "I hereby declare Harry James Potter, Not guilty." With that, we were allowed to leave. We met Neville, who was having an argument with his grandma. We let them be as we headed to the elevator.

"Well, that was fun and all." I said. "Get me cleared of crimes I did in self defence, and one I didn't commit, prove that someone tried to kill me, again, stopped the slander, and got Fudge chased by an angry alien."

"That's an alien?" Charlie asked us. "Fuck me."

"Now we have to prove that Voldemort is back and get the Aurors to help around London." Hermione said. "Is it too late to talk to Madame Bones?" Suddenly, Ezio's phone rang, and he picked it up. "Hello, Kasumi." He said. "Yeah, we're out of the court, heading up. Why?" As he hung up, the elevator opened up, as Neville came over to us. "Hey, you're not going with your grandmother?"

"No." He said, calmly. "I have to show you where Saint Mungo's is, remember? Also, I promised Vivi I'd be back soon." Wow, he keeps his promises.

As we got out, we were all amazed by the screen that was there, and the fact most of the lights were out. However… "Oh my god."

"What is it?" Hermione asked. "Harry?"

"That's the graveyard that Cedric was murdered at." It was video footage from a few weeks ago, there was a date and time on it. Suddenly, Cedric and I could be seen on the screen. It was the night that Cedric died. "Can we leave, please?"

"Yeah, I don't want any problems." Charlie said. "Let's get out of here, now." We all headed to the phone booth, making sure I wasn't spotted. I chose to use my invisibility powers to get away. I could just hear the moment when Wormtail killed Cedric, before the elevator closed. I got in with Ezio, and slumped down on the floor until we got out, then sat against the wall, waiting for the others.

"Let's get back, as soon as possible." I said, as Liz and Charlie got out of the phone booth, after Hermione and Neville.

"Hold on, Harry, we all have business around London." Ezio said to me, as he took out the Saint Mungo's slip. "I have to go to Saint Mungo's, remember? Someone has to show me, maybe Neville, where it is. Hermione has to find some info out, we need to look anything about Horcruxes, remember?"

"Oh, right, I completely forgot." Hermione said. "I should have wrote it down."

"You and Charlie can go get some things for the others." Ezio pointed out, reaching into my pocket. "There should be a supermarket near Grimmauld Street, where Sirius lives, and Cho and Ginny need something to protect themselves without using magic."

"What about Liz?" I asked. "She's free."

"Actually, I made a deal with Apollo for that slip." Ezio said.

"Apparently, he's badly injured." Liz spoke up. "He needs someone to heal him. But the way he was chasing Fudge, he seems fit as a fiddle."

"Notice that when he chased Fudge, he was using Apperation to keep up?" Neville said. "He was also holding his stomach, pretty tightly."

"He doesn't Apperate, he teleports." Ezio pointed out. "But he was. Come to think about it, where is he?"

"Right here." A voice said, from behind Ezio. The guy who chased Fudge was there, clenching his stomach pretty tightly. "Damn bastard threw a metal ball right into my chest." A bludger? "That really hurt." He then coughed heavily, before taking off his mask and lowering his hood. Everyone was shocked, excluding Ezio, that he looked like a cat. He coughed again, however, this time he was coughing blood.

Liz just ran over and put her hand over his wound. "Dammit, he's punctured his lung. Blood is getting in." As she eased him onto the ground, everyone could see the wounds closing on his chest. "Damn, I can't do anything about the blood in his lungs, we need Mrs. Tonks. How are we going to get him back without getting arrested?"

"Charlie, you can Apperate back to Order HQ, right?" As Charlie nodded wildly, I ran over to Liz. "Hey, we're going to get you back to our base of operations, okay?" Apollo nodded weakly, before coughing more blood. "Get him back as soon as possible." Charlie grabbed Liz and Apollo, before Apperating back.

"Well, I guess Kasumi will be pissed that we didn't let her know about this." Ezio said.

"Actually, I was hoping to talk before he went away." Kasumi said, taking off her cloaking device. "But he's seriously injured, so I can't object."

"How long were you there?" Neville asked.

"Only a minute." She said. "I was able to Apperate out as I saw you all leaving. I was actually hoping that you would stay and watch the video footage that Keiji was showing."

"Why would I want to watch something that is just my nightmares?" I asked.

"Not just the video footage, but everyone's reactions." a male voice said, as he Apperated next to Kasumi. "Keiji Okuda. I see you've met my wife, Kasumi Goto?"

"Why don't you take each other's last names?" Neville asked. "Surely, if you're married, then she would be Kasumi Okuda?"

"They're Japanese." Ezio said. "Taking your husband's last name is primarily a western tradition, it's actually pretty rare in Japan. So, you're a witch that uses computers and cloaking devices for your heists? Why not use magic?"

"We do." Kasumi said. "Using the tech is something I picked up after I started dating Keiji. I used to just Apperate in to a place and Apperate out, but Keiji was more about challenging himself."

"I took Muggle Studies at school, back in Japan, where I fell in love with tech." Keiji joined in the conversation. "The Principal there said that magic was superior to technology in everyway, and he used that as justification for discriminating against Muggle-borns, including Kasumi, who I met at the time. I disproved his 'Magic is superior' attitude by stealing a valuable jewel that he wore at all times. While the teachers were angry, wanted me expelled, he said that I gave it back, so there was no damage done. He was shocked by the fact I pulled it off without magic, so he accepted defeat pretty quickly."

"How did you get that footage?" I asked. "There were no cameras there at the time of the murder."

"Sorry, thieves' honour." Kasumi said. "But I can say this, Harry, you have a guardian angel looking out for you." As she looked at her watch, she was quite surprised. "Sorry, got to go. Some other business we have to attend to."

"We'll get those files for Black as soon as possible." Keiji said. "We'll meet you around Grimmauld Street."

"How-"

"We can trace cell phone calls." Kasumi said, before both she and Keiji Apperated away.

"Okay, where can we find a library of magic knowledge?" I asked.

"Diagon Alley." Hermione said, before grabbing me. "Neville, go with Ezio. You can find Saint Mungo's." As Neville grabbed his sword, and Ezio took out his beam Katana, they ran off in one direction, while Hermione and I ran towards Diagon Alley.

* * *

><p><strong>Sirius<strong>

Sitting down, with a cup of tea, chatting with Moony, Bill, Fleur, Nymphadora, and Hermione's parents, Francis and Jane. The good thing about being a few point character is that you can call someone what you really think about them without them knowing. Nymphadora's a pervert. "So, the other Dementor attack was at Harry's house?" Tonks said, charming another cup of tea to appear. "Who was attacked?"

"Harry's cousin, Dudley." Bill said. "I never found out his last name, but when I spoke to our contact there, they said he was a rude young man."

"It was Dudley Dursley." Moony said, speaking up. "Harry's mentioned him before. He's Harry's cousin."

"Petunia actually had a kid?" I asked. "Who married that miserable old cow?"

"Really, do you have to be disrespectful to someone who almost lost their child?" Jane admonished me. "A mother doesn't need that kind of thing being said about her or her child."

"Harry's cousin is a bully and a fatass." I said. "He's a spoiled brat who threw his playstation out the window because he didn't want to go on a di-" I tried to say, before Tonks hit me with a spell that caused me to lose my voice.

"I have to say, while I don't particularly like tea," Fleur said. "this is quite good. You made this, Jane?"

"I like looking into how to make different forms of tea in my spare time, even making my own teabags." Jane said, before taking a sip from her own cup. "This one was made with green tea leaves, thyme and lemon zest."

"I can definitely taste lemon." Tonks said. "So, how did the trial go?"

"I don't know." I said. "They haven't gotten back to me yet." Suddenly, there was a loud series of explosions from upstairs. "Luna, Vivi and Xeno playing exploding snap?"

"Xeno's using the computer in the sitting room to edit the Quibbler." Francis said. "He discovered Photoshop, so that's helping out immensely. Luna and Vivi, however…" More explosions. I don't think I've ever heard that many blasts from an exploding snap game. "are playing Pick up 52." Oh, crap. The beds.

"Well, at least there isn't that much excitement here." I said, before being disproven.

Charlie Apperated in with one of Harry's friends, Liz, and- "IS THAT A CAT!"

"Oh, just get Andromeda before he chokes on his own blood!" She shouted. Tonks just ran out into the living room, and with the sound of a fire, she was back with Andromeda.

"Oh, please don't tell me that there was a Polyjuice accident?" She said.

"No, that's what he actually sounds like." Liz replied. The cat-like creature then coughed a large amount of blood onto the floor. "I can close his wounds, but I need you to deal with the blood in his lungs." As Andromeda took out her wand and cast a spell, Liz just looked at me. "Harry got off the charges. And this idiot chased Fudge and got hit by a metallic ball to his chest after being called a cheap assassin."

"A Bludger?" I asked. "Did you have to take him here?"

"He gave us some files that got Harry off." She said.

"I have most of the blood out of his lungs, and my scan spells show me his remaining injuries." Andromeda said. "Your healing powers are as top notch as any world-class Healer. You should be a doctor."

"That's my intention." She said. After they finished, they carried the cat into an upstairs bedroom to let him rest.

"Well, this is really strange." I said. "Well, might as well call Harry, congratulate him and all."

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"So, why are we standing outside closed department store?" I asked Neville. Neville just stepped forward and looked at a mannequin in the window.

"Excuse me?" Neville said to the mannequin. "My friend here has an appointment here."

"Does he have a notice?" The mannequin said, turning to us.

"You have the note, right?" Neville asked me. As I took it out and showed it to the mannequin, a sudden flash hit the glass.

"Alright, head on in, and show that slip of paper to the Welcome Witch." Neville lead the way, walking straight through the glass, with me behind. It was just like any Muggle hospital, a desk with receptionists, patients, old magazines, directions to a canteen. However, I first noticed just how strange it was when I heard from the desk…

"Or, Mr. Thompson, how many times must I tell you, transfiguring your groin like that has serious repercussions!" A blonde woman said, from behind my desk. "Will you at least think before you try that again?"

"Neigh." Was the only response from the man, as he headed to the elevator.

"Oh, Christ." Was my only response. Just walking up to the woman, I held out the slip of paper and gave it to her. "I'll be quick."

"Oh, you will be." She said, taking a look at the slip. "Healer Tonks let us know you were coming, Mr. O'Malley. Not everyday that a Muggle comes here. You're on the first floor." She said, pointing at the elevator. "Mr. Longbottom, you're a bit early for visiting. Can you come back in an hour?"

"I'm only showing Ezio how to get here." Neville said. "I'm not visiting today."

"How long have Neville's parents been in the Psyche ward?" I asked.

"Mr. O'Malley, doctor-patient confidentiality does exist in the Wizarding world, unlike journalistic professionalism." She rebuked me.

"They've been here for 14 years." Neville said. "They suffer from permanent spell damage." He then shuffled on one spot, nervous. "They were tortured into insanity."

"Wow, no wonder it's a touchy subject." I said, scratching my head. "If I knew that, I wouldn't have asked."

"They're not the only ones we treat for it." The receptionist said. "There are several people we have that are permanent residents here. I can't say much else."

"You do treat Muggles, right?" I asked. "It must be for very serious reasons."

"Saint Mungo's is kept hidden from Muggles to give our patients some rest." She explained. "In fact, Minister Fudge negotiated that we not reveal our location to the Muggle community for our patients' safety. We only treat Muggles in situations of serious magical damage, like a Ministerial Aide to John Major, who was the victim of an ill performed Imperius curse."

"What the hell was that last guy doing to himself?" I had to ask. "Foreplay gone wrong?"

"I can't gossip, I'm sorry." She said. "Sorry, but I have to deal with another patient. Mrs. Thompson. Your husband is on the second floor."

"Baa." I really, really, really, really do not want to know.

"So, who tortured your parents?" I asked, as I got into the elevator with Neville. I just got a glimpse of Mrs. Thompson, who was covered in wool. I need bleach.

"Barty Crouch, Jr, and this couple called the Lestranges." He said. "One of them, Bellatrix, actually gloated, saying they were Blood Traitors."

"Wait, wasn't Barty Crouch disguised as Moody last year?" Neville just gave a weak nod as I asked. The elevator opened up, as a woman came over to me.

"Mr. O'Malley?" I nodded. "Please come this way, the Healer will see you in a moment." Suddenly, my phone rang, and I answered it. I quickly apologised, saying it will be quick.

"Hello, Ezio?" It was Liz. "Apollo will be okay. He's just resting here."

"Oh, that's good." I replied. "How much of a surprise was it, then, when you Apperated in?"

"Sirius almost blew a casket." She replied. "Andromeda was able to get the blood out of his lungs quickly, and I'm watching over him now. So, are you at the hospital?"

"Yeah, I have to go in now." I said. "I'll call afterwards." As I hung up, I went over to the doctor, who was readying his wand. "Oh, this will be fun."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"So, is everything here?" I asked, talking to the pedlar, as Hermione headed off to the library.

"Yeah, it's not like I'm a cheat." He said. "Everything's there." However, Keiji Apperated behind me and shook his head, saying he was conning me.

"Mind if I take a look?" I said, as he implored me to look into the box. As I took a quick look, I heard Keiji hitting the con in the back of the head, before dropping a few things into the box.

"Thanks." I said, before he Apperated away. Putting the box away, I headed out to a stand where some old man was selling weapons. Buying a steel fan for Cho, and a whip for Ginny, I looked at the list. "Lasagne ingredients and a game for Vivi." I headed to a nearby store and bought the Lasagne ingredients, before heading to the library.

"Harry, we have to get back to Sirius' house, now." She said, before grabbing my arm and leading me out of the street.

"But we have to get something for Vivi." I said, taking out the list. "I got weapons and the Lasagne ingredients, plus Fred and George's package, and I don't want to upset-"

"You're a Horcrux." She said to me. "Harry, a Horcrux is a magic item created to allow a wizard to live forever. Harry, you've been having nightmares of the night Cedric died, sometimes, have you ever seen something through another's eyes?" Oh, shit.

"Yeah, all through last year." I said. "What's wrong with me."

"Harry, I think that, the night your parents died, Voldemort's killing curse rebounded." She then took a breath. "A part of his soul is trapped in your scar, and that's why it burns when he's near."

"How do we remove it?" I asked. "And how many are there?"

"I don't know." Hermione said. "But we know that we need to destroy them to kill him."


	17. Operation Hogwarts 7: Suicide

Hermione and I ran straight back to Sirius' house, and we waited outside while it appeared from between houses 11 and 13 on Grimmauld Street. We entered the house, and heard three people arguing. I turned invisible, while telling Hermione to stay back. It was then that I saw that Sirius was arguing with Dumbledore.

"How could you not tell me that they were back?" Dumbledore demanded. "I was just as worried as you were about them!"

"You're the reason they're in this mess!" Sirius shouted. "When Harry found out about the will, he exploded with anger. Tell me Albus, what was your reasons for disobeying James and Lilly's last wishes, or was it you playing another game with people's lives!"

"Lilly put protective wards around Harry before she died." Dumbledore explained. "When Voldemort tried to kill him as a baby, the spell rebounded due to the wards. When Harry fought Voldemort for the Philosopher's stone, the wards prevented Quirrell from touching Harry without being hurt."

"So, why does this excuse you from disobeying the will!" Sirius asked.

"The wards would only protect him if he was around someone with Lilly's blood." Dumbledore said. "The only living person was Petunia Dursley, Harry's aunt. I've primarily been concerned with Harry's safety, making sure that Voldemort doesn't kill him. As for why I didn't inform Harry about all of his parents' properties, I didn't want him to become arrogant."

"Would you prefer it if he was broken?" Sirius asked. "They abused Harry, Albus. You could have checked up on him, not left him to be spied on by Mrs. Figg." What?

"I admit, I have made mistakes, and I'll apologise when I see him." Dumbledore said.

"Apology sort of accepted." I said, as Dumbledore turned around. And that's when I punched him in the face. "I don't trust you, though. That felt good."

"Harry, what did you do?" Hermione shouted at me.

"I punched Dumbledore in the face. I said I would do it in Chapter 13." I said. "I know about all my property, I've spoken to my parents' solicitor, who cleared me of charges of underage magic." As I got up, I turned over to Sirius. "You wouldn't believe what I found out, though." Hermione and I then explained what happened as we left, and what we discovered from that slip of paper. "Basically, someone in the Ministry tried to kill me, and frame Fudge's undersecretary."

"So, who could it be?" Sirius asked. "Perhaps it was Lucius Malfoy."

"He was at the trial, but I can't deny the possibility that he was involved." I said. "It definitely has to be a Death Eater."

"Two more questions." Dumbledore asked me. "Harry, how did you get in here without using an invisibility cloak? And what is this about you hiring an assassin, or was it one of Fudge's lies?" To answer the first question, I just turned invisible in front of them.

"I can control light." I said. "Turn invisible, see past and create illusions, use it to attack, all that kind of stuff." I then turned back, and leaned against the wall. "As for the assassin business, someone called Apollo attacked Fudge to get him to stop the slander against me."

"Wait, that cat thing that Liz and Charlie brought here?" Sirius shouted. "By the way, why bring him here? I had to clear all the blood away."

"Cat…?" Dumbledore just muttered.

"I'll explain afterward." Hermione said.

"Hey, we owe him." Harry said. "He got me proof that I used at my trial. Hell, he even chased Fudge after the trial. It was hilarious."

"He's still unconscious." Luna said. "He won't wake for a while."

"Luna, have you and Vivi cleaned up the mess?" Sirius said.

"Yes, we've removed all of the burn marks on the walls." She sai-What the hell did she say? "We put the exploding snap cards away. No more 52 pick up." Wow, I hope they didn't hurt anyone.

"Right." Sirius said. "Harry, do you know how to call Ezio? We got contacted by a guy named John, looking for him."

"No, sorry." I said. "He can't be that long out of Saint Mungo's so she should be here soon." _How soon is this?_ We turned around as Ezio and Neville came in through the door, with Ezio still wearing the eye patch. "What, you got the metal removed, but not the eye fixed?"

"Actually, they couldn't fix my eye due to those bastard Aurors that kicked us out of the hospital." Ezio said. "It was the same two that Liz beat the crap out of this morning."

"What, they just grabbed you and tossed you out the front door?" Sirius asked. "And what is this about Liz attacking two Aurors?"

"That was self defence." She said, coming down. "They attacked me. So, how much does it hurt?" Ezio didn't say anything, just looked at her. "Okay, later." I'm going to miss hearing his voice. _You won't stop hearing it._

"And, actually, they tried to grab us, but I broke their legs." Ezio said. "Although something strange did happen."

"What?" Dumbledore asked.

"Oh, you're Dumbledore, right?" Ezio said. "The bearded bastard." I just coughed to tell him to shut up, as Dumbledore looked at me. "Anyway, someone else used telekinesis to rip one of their arms off, some guy named Dalwish was on the receiving end. But whoever it was, powerful Conduit. Didn't sense him at all."

"Dalwish… Was that the one whose wand Kingsley snapped?" Liz asked.

"No, the other guy, never got his name." Ezio said. "I just left because the Healers went berserk during the fight."

"Hey, Harry." Sirius said, looking at the computer. "Check out this headline." 'Footage of Diggory murder shown at Ministry of Magic.' Oh, god. "Harry, I know this must be hard, but read it. There's a mention about how Fudge has received calls to resign."

"Who'll replace him?" Hermione asked.

"They don't know yet, he has refused." Dumbledore said. "But due to the scandal, the Aurors have been freed up to help around town."

"Ezio, someone called John was looking for you." Sirius said. _Thanks._ Ezio then took out his phone, then headed upstairs, to make a phone call.

"I'm going to head back to the Weasleys'." I said, heading to the fireplace. "Call if you need anything." Heading through, followed by Neville, I was quite surprised to see that only Mrs. Weasley was here.

"Oh, Harry, Arthur told be about the trial." Mrs. Weasley said. "And I guess it was lucky that Neville wouldn't have to testify in front of his own grandmother."

"We argued outside the court." Neville said. "She was angry that I didn't stay at the safe house, or near the town. I just said one thing to ruin her argument."

"What?" I asked.

"That I was almost killed five times while I was in that town. Three at her safe house." Wow.

"Well, I have to ask." Mrs. Weasley said. "I heard about the film shown at the Ministry Plaza. Are you alright?"

"I don't want to talk about it." I said. "Oh, here's the ingredients that you asked me for."

"Oh, thank you, dear." She said. "Elizabeth showed me a recipe on the internet for lasagne, and I wanted to try it. I'll get started as soon as possible."

"Where is everyone else?" Neville asked.

"Well, Bill and Fleur are out using their magic to help around town, Charlie, and Raphael are building a new wing for the house, Ron is playing on the computer, Fred and George are making more of those bloody jokes," she said, slightly angry, "Seamus is helping them, and I have no idea where Ginny and Cho are."

"Right here." They said, before appearing out of nowhere. "Hello, Harry." Cho greeted me. "So, did you get what I needed?"

"Oh, sure." I said. "Here, it's a steel fan. And Ginny, here." I handed Ginny a whip, while Cho flicked the fan out.

"Harry, I like it, and I get that it's for cutting, but…" Cho said, slightly embarrassed, "I'm Korean."

"What are you complaining about, Cho?" Ginny said, heading towards the door. "It's a brilliant weapon for you. Not only will you look good, but you can attack anyone who harasses you, before they know what hit them. Come on, we need practice with these."

"Hold on, I need to ask Harry something." Cho said, as Ginny grabbed her coat and ran outside. "Harry, hold on." Without holding me, she pulled me in a room that looked the same as a Quidditch store that I liked to look around. "See this?" Cho said. "Whenever I go to Diagon Alley, I like to hang around this store."

"Are we actually here?" I asked. "Is this the actual store?"

"No, it looks just like the store." Cho said. "Notice the faint blue tint of the room? That's a way of denouncing copies. If something happens in the actual store, then this room changes. And if someone comes in here, I can watch what they're doing."

"Then can you watch what's happening at Hogwarts?" I asked. "See what's happening?"

"I used to." Cho said. "But something is preventing me from going there. I can't see it, or go to any of the rooms. I want to see, but the closest I can go is the Hog's Head."

"Can you travel from place to place?" I asked. "Like, exit one room and go to the original?"

"That's how I got here." Cho said. "Harry, I want to tell you something." She then walked over to the counter and got on top of it. "I like you, and I know you like me." She said, looking guiltily. "But I still love Cedric, and I know that I'll only want to feel closer to Cedric by dating you."

"Are… Are you breaking up with me?" I asked. "We've never dated."

"I know." She said. "But I spoke to Cedric here, in this duplicate. I can speak to the dead while I'm here. And I was able to make peace with Cedric, so I don't want to dwell on the pass. He asked me to do that. Just promise me three things." She said, getting down. "One, if we ever start dating, it should not be so that we can remember Cedric." I nodded, wanting to show respect to Cedric's memory. "Two, you have to, with Ron, apologise to the Patils for how you treated them at the Yule Ball." I nodded. I've been meaning to make it up to them for my dickish behaviour. "And thirdly…" She said, giving me a look as if to say, 'This is the most important', "Even I can see that Ginny has a massive crush on you, and you have some feelings for her, you just haven't realised it yet." She then gave me a small smile. "There's a nice little tea shop in Hogsmeade that students go to on dates. When we go back to school, take Ginny on a weekend." Oh, that's what she meant. I gave a quick nod, as the room shifted back to the Weasley kitchen. "Now come on. I want to know how to fight." As we ran outside, I just noticed that, while we were gone, Vivi, the Lovegoods and the Grangers had arrived. "Oh, hi you lot. We're just going outside for a bit. Anyone want to come?"

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"Hey, Jon, you called earlier?" I asked Liz's brother into the phone.

"Yeah, I have no idea what you did, but the Aurors are actually helping." He said, obviously angry. "Not only did the Death Eaters leave us alone, but paramedics got in and took a good deal of the injured to several hospitals. If you ever need our help-"

"Look, if you find out anything about what the Death Eaters are doing," I said, "Let us know. That guy that you left the message with…"

"Padfoot?" he said.

"So, you spoke to Sirius Black." I said. "Nice guy, even though he's a wanted murderer."

"What?" He said. "Look, we'll pass anything on. By the way… Someone called Miranda asked about you. She says she has info about the Death Eaters. I'll email her number." Miranda? "Sorry, got to go." He then hung up, as I got to the top of the stairs, as Mr. Lovegood was heading down with Vivi.

"We're heading to the Burrow." Mr. Lovegood said to me. "We'll see you there." As Vivi just gave me a quick glance, he ran down the stairs. I then entered a room that I saw held Andromeda, while Liz ran up to greet me. "So, when should I heal your eye?" _I have no idea, maybe back at the Burrow._

"So, how was the treatment?" Andromeda asked. "Wait, you're… Did they even heal your eye?" _I have my powers, so the Element Zero was removed. I have my powers back, though._ "But they didn't heal your eye. I asked them to have it healed."

"Well, he was attacked by two Aurors who picked a fight with me earlier, before Harry's trial, and Ezio was asked to leave before any patients got scared." Liz said.

"I broke their legs." I said. "But someone else ripped an arm off." Andromeda was taken aback by what I said. "So, how is he?"

"He's unconscious, but he should be up in a while." Andromeda said. "When he'll wake up, he'll be the same as before." However, he started stirring as soon as she finished. _Damn, where am I?_ He then woke up, and looked around the room, feeling his chest.

"Hey, Apollo." I said. "How are you?"

"Fine." He said. "Who are you?" He was quite scared when he saw the older woman.

"Apollo, this is Andromeda Tonks," I introduced her. "the woman that Liz asked for help. Andy, this is Apollo Gandor."

"Nice to meet you." She said, extending her hand.

"Andromeda, huh?" He said. "I'm actually from the Andromeda galaxy." He then returned the handshake, before putting his hand to his head. "How long have I been out?"

"Only two hours." Liz said. "So, do you want to rest here, or is there somewhere you need to go?"

"Shit, I was supposed to be back by now." He said. "Sorry, I have to go. Thanks, you two. Ezio, I'll call you later, see how I can repay you." He then teleported out, after grabbing his mask.

"Quite an interesting individual." Andromeda said, grabbing her supplies. "You can instantly tell that he's from another galaxy. Well, I'll be on my way. If you need healing, just let me know."

"I'm probably going to need a heavy painkiller for later." I said. "Liz's powers don't involve numbing the pain."

"I'll deliver a potion to the Burrow." She said. "I'm still angry that they didn't treat the eye fully, because of those brutes in the Aurors. Was one of them that snobbish Dalwish?"

"Yes, it was." I said. "He's the one that lost his arm."

"Ouch." She said, before heading out of the room, as we followed. "Well, that should teach him not to attack others for frivolous reasons."

"By the way, Andromeda…" I said, as she stopped on the stairs. "You… Wouldn't happen to have any siblings, would you?"

"That's an odd question." She said, looking perplexed. "But, yes, I do. My two sisters, Narcissus and Bellatrix."

"Wait…" I said, shocked. "Bellatrix Lestrange? The crazy woman who tortured Neville's parents to insanity?" She then gave a weak smile. "I guess it must be hard, being related to such a horrible family."

"Actually, most of the Blacks are horrible." She said. "I come from a long line of pureblood wizards and witches. However, our standing about the theory of 'Blood Purity' were… Vastly contrasting."

"You thought it was ridiculous and they thought that they were greater wizards for not being related to Muggles?" Liz asked.

"Yes." She replied, before continuing down. "My cousins Sirius, Regulus and I are the black sheep of the family." _Or white sheep in this case._ "Both Sirius and I were renounced by our families for our support for Muggles, I for marrying a Muggle-born, and Sirius for running away from our families. Bellatrix was one of Voldemort's most loyal supporters, and her torture of the Longbottoms was her way of revenge for the fall of her master. Narcissus is currently married to a pig called Lucius."

"Lucius Malfoy?" Liz asked. "He was on the Wizengamot during the trial." _Who was he?_ "The white haired guy sitting next to Neville's grandmother."

"Wait, didn't Harry say that Draco Malfoy was the only other name on the Map when we looked at it." I said. "The other was a Hagrid."

"By the way," Andromeda said, slightly concerned. "why did you ask that question?"

"It might sound weird, but…" I then hesitated to speak. "When I was back in Belfast, someone drove my father crazy, and he killed my mother and himself. She bragged about it and everything. She looked just like you." She was actually horrified to hear this.

"But… How… She should be at Azkaban." She managed. "There is no way that Bella could have been on the other side of the Irish sea."

"Maybe Fudge is covering up a lot of details." Liz said. "A breakout at Azkaban right now would be disastrous."

"A lot of people said that, in terms of looks, Bella and I were exactly the same, but had contrasting personalities." Andromeda said. "We, physically, looked like the other."

"And you look like Helena Bonham Carter." I said, to Andromeda's confusion. "Muggle actress, played Mrs. Lovett in the film version of Sweeney Todd."

"I've only seen the play." Andromeda said, quite confused about how to take that last comment. _It was meant to be a compliment._ As we descended to the bottom of the stairs, we were met downstairs by Sirius and Remus, who were drinking some tea.

"So, how is he?" Sirius asked.

"He's both fine and gone." Andromeda said. "He was fine as soon as he woke up, then Apperated out of the room."

"Well, if he's gone, there's nothing more that can be said." Remus said. "Are you all heading out?"

"Liz and I are going to the Burrow." I said. "And you're going home, right?" I asked Andromeda.

"Give my regards to Ted." Sirius said, as Andromeda travelled through the fireplace.

"Liz, can I speak to you privately?" Remus said, before Sirius through some Floo Powder into the fireplace. "Go ahead, Ezio, we'll only be a minute." As I passed through, I could instantly smell the signature of…

"Lasagne?" I asked. "Oh, my god, that smells gorgeous!"

"What's wrong with you?" Mr. Weasley said, slightly confused. "It's only food."

"I grew up in Little Italy." I said. "I love lasagne, especially a well cooked one. Sitting around the table during winter, eating it with some fresh cut potato chips, grabbing helping after helping, ohh." I was in heaven, and rolling on the floor in deliria.

"Is he always like this?" Mr. Weasley asked Raphael.

"Wait, are you cooking lasagne?" He asked enthusiastically.

"Oh, don't you pass out, too." Mrs. Weasley said. "Well, Ezio, can you go and bring the others in? This is almost done."

"Sure, I'll get them." I said, walking out the back door. However… "What the hell is this?" There was a large red barrier, covering a small area of the snow. Harry, Seamus, Neville and Ron were sitting outside of it, while Cho, Luna, Ginny and Vivi were inside, being attacked by ice creatures, while Hermione was sitting on the sidelines on the insides. "What's going on?" I asked.

"Learning how to fight." Harry said, as Cho cut into one ice monster while Ginny grabbed another with her whip. Luna was focusing on using her powers to make the others stronger, while Vivi was using his magic to hit several targets.

"Luna!" Ginny said, throwing the ice creature over to the blonde haired girl, who just knocked him back with her flag, sending into a wall, where it shattered.

"Okay, knock it off, guys." I said. "Dinner's ready." As Ginny caused the barrier to fail, the ice monsters just shattered.

"Okay, we'll practice more, later." Hermione said. "I could use some food."

We all sat around the table, getting some minor talk over and done with. Hermione said that she has found out how her power really works. If she ever needs to find something, she can stand near an information source, like a library or a file cabinet, and think something basic about what she needs to find out.

"You mean, like, back in Belfast?" I asked.

"Sort of." Hermione said. "It was much faster than when I first used my powers willingly. I don't know why."

"I think I might." I said. "Remember what was near you back in Belfast?" Hermione looked confused, thinking about what was there. "You were standing next to a computer that had an internet connection. I think it was slower for you to use your powers because you were using the internet to Google something that you would never know from Hogwarts' library." I said, before thinking for a second. "Do they even teach any form of science at Hogwarts?"

"Actually, the closest we get to chemistry is Potions with Snape." Seamus said. "Where we blow up the classroom every time there's a practical."

"I was guessing that would be the case in a class with such a fool." I said, taking another digging of Lasagne. My god, how do they use that refilling spell? It is a godsend. "Anyway, what did you find out?"

"Well, I shouldn't explain here." She said. "After dinner." _Well, I have a flash pen that I've been meaning to look at, so after that too._ "Alright, I could use a rest from all that running around London."

"Well, we'll talk about it later." I said, as I got up from the table. "I have a flash pen, and I have to use it." I walked over to the laptop, which was left on, and plugged in the flash drive.

…Wow, ß must be pretty good at faking insanity. Well, afterward, we all headed upstairs, where Fred and George used a spell to keep anyone from hearing us, as Hermione explained what she found. Only Ginny, Cho, Luna, Liz, Raph, Seamus, Hermione, Ron, Harry and I were present, while everyone else was downstairs.

"So, Harry has a part of Voldemort's soul in his scar, and that's keeping Voldemort alive?" Seamus asked. "Wow, that's… How do we remove it?"

"I have an idea, but I don't want to resort to it." Hermione said, worried. "I want to look at all ways of removing the fragment before we do anything."

"What do we have to do?" Luna asked. Neville was with Vivi, we didn't want the little kid hearing this. "Is it that bad?"

"The only way of killing Voldemort…" Hermione began, "…Would involve destroying all of his Horcruxes. That would mean…""I die." Harry said, horrified. "Alright." He said, standing up, before-

"HARRY NO!" Ron yelled, grabbing Harry before he had a chance of putting his Combustor to his chin. "Harry, I'm not letting you kill yourself!"

"Then how do we kill Voldemort?" Harry asked. "We don't know how many Horcruxes there are, but if I die, I can weaken him."

"Harry, I have to ask." Raphael asked, raising his hand to calm everyone down. "Harry, you've been having nightmares since before Voldemort's been coming back, being able to see things that he forces in your head, showing a telepathic connection. Ezio, would it be possible for you to force your way into Voldemort's mind through Harry's?"

"Well, it sounds risky, I've only done it before, and that was with Seamus, and even then it was an accident, I just got my powers." I said. "But I could try it. Harry, are you okay with this?"

"I don't know." He said. "If he reverses it, he could attack you."

"But if this is telepathy through magic, Ezio might be able to break the connection." Liz said.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Oh, right." I said. "Well, basically, Conduits can stop magic from working if they think about it."

"Come to think about it, the nightmares have been happening less since I was in Belfast." Harry said. "But I'd really like it if Ezio at least tried something. Do it whenever." _Okay._ I just walked over to Harry, and looked him straight in the eye. _Just remain calm._ I then thought about him, looked at his memories, looked through his past… Wait, something weird. I saw a woman running, carrying a baby, before being killed from my perspective… This must be Voldemort's memory… Wait…

"Lucius, how could you have let Potter destroy my diary?" I hear a voice hiss. Before I know it, I shift from the room to a dingy old manor, overlooking a graveyard, looking straight at the face of one of the people from the Wizengamot. "Do you know how much of my power was sealed within, how I could have used it to return?" However, it was then that I realised that I could see from both eyes. I guess I must be watching from Voldemort's perspective.

"I-I'm sorry, my lord." Lucius said, cowering before the man. He was shaking horribly, probably after being punished. "I thought that I could use the diary to aid you. I gave it to that blood traitor Weasley's daughter, and the diary forced her to open the Chamber of Secrets. I thought that it would disgrace them, bring you back and kill as many Mudbloods as possible."

"But Potter has destroyed it!" Voldemort screamed, before pointing his wand at Malfoy. "Crucio!" Lucius keeled over in unbearable agony, as the sound of footsteps could be heard.

"My Lord," a voice said, as Voldemort turned around. Wait… "Lucius isn't worth wasting your energy." So, that bitch is Bellatrix? "We have more pressing issues to deal with, such as how Potter got off his charges, how he's brought some more 'Conduits' with him, and how you were proven to be back."

"What?" Voldemort asked. "When was this?"

"That's what I was trying to tell you…" Malfoy said, weakly. "Two Japanese wizards set up a Muggle projector which had footage from the night you came back. It was shown outside the Ministry Plaza, where reporters from the Quibbler, Witch Weekly, the Daily Prophet, and several Television stations saw and heard what happened." As Voldemort was about to curse him, Malfoy Apperated a few feet away. "There's more. While Fudge tried to cover up the breakout at Azkaban, someone called 'Deepthroat' posted proof on a website called 'YouTube' and now, he's been arrested by Bones. Everyone there was identified, and are now being targeted by the Aurors. Also, the Aurors are now fighting our troops in London, and now, we're losing control of the majority of our territory."

"Is there still no word of the spies in Ireland?" He asked Bellatrix. "Wormtail, Carrow?"

"Wormtail and Carrow are both dead." Bellatrix said. "Wormtail was killed by the Aeon you taught him how to summon, which has now bonded to a Mudblood. Carrow was killed by having his neck snapped, and had an explosion occur near the safe house." She said.

"Oh, next you'll be telling me that the Sword was taken from your vault, or the cup." Voldemort screamed. Suddenly, I saw a flash of several items, including diary, tiara, cup, locket, ring and a snake. However, I noticed something strange. There was a flash of light on Voldemort's face, that looked like Harry's scar, but only visible as light. It had a similar feeling as when I felt Harry. So, perhaps Voldemort is Harry's Horcrux? "Are you perfectly sure that no-one can steal them, Bellatrix?"

"My lord, they're in the Lestrange's Gringotts vault, there's no way they could break into it, no wizard or witch can." What about a Conduit?

"Well, hopefully, we'll be able to get them and perform the ritual without any trouble." Voldemort said. "Lucius, make sure that everyone is ready. We still have a month to prepare."

I was now suddenly back in the Burrow, lying down on the ground, next to Harry. As we got up, Raph helped me up (By lifting me onto the bed) while Seamus helped Harry. He's your Horcrux." I said, to Harry's confusion. "He accidentally turned you into a Horcrux, but, at a price, a piece of your soul is trapped in him. Oh, also, I know what the other Horcruxes are."

"So Harry's immortal until we kill Voldemort?" Ginny asked. "Then, let's take that shard out of him." She then grabbed Harry's Combustor then tried to shoot him, Cho twisted the gun into the ground, where it discharged. "Relax, it's not like it would-"

"Aaagh!" We heard Vivi scream. "Someone just killed Neville! Ah-ah-ah."

"oops." Ginny said, giving back the Combustor.

"Relax." Neville said, coming in. "The bullet hit the ketchup. So, what are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing much." Luna said. "We're just trying to kill Voldemort by removing a piece of his soul from Harry, so he has to die and be brought back." Neville was horrified to hear this. "Just kidding, we're playing Russian Roulette." Now he's really horrified.

"Okay, I'll just… I need to get this off… Bye." He said, before running off.

"Ginny," I began, as I walked over to her. "you do Not. Mess. With. A. Gun!" I said, while everyone else watched as I admonished Ginny, and taught her how to use a gun.

"Wait, did any of you use those phoenix potions?" Fred asked us.

"They can bring someone back from death." George said

"But only between four minutes."

"So, shove an knife through Harry's scar, then resurrect him?" I asked. "Sure."

"It can't be any knife." Hermione said. "It has to be a knife coated in basalisk venom, and the only cure is-"

"Phoenix tears." Harry and Ron said, simultaneously.

"Which is what this potion is made from." Fred and George said, taking out a potion.

"Or, we could let Voldemort kill him." Hermione said.

"Well, let's destroy the others." Harry said. "What are the other Horcruxes?"

"Hufflepuff's cup, Ravenclaw's Diadem, Slytherin's Locket, the Gaunt ring, Voldemort's Diary and his pet snake, Nagini." I said, to everyone's shock or confusion. "Also, they mentioned a sword in the Lestrange vault. Perhaps that was another Hogwarts heirloom?"

"Damn, he has Gryffindor's sword?" Harry said. "I'm not going to let that get turned into a Horcrux."

"Then let's contact our friends and ask them for help, tomorrow." I said. "You all rest, Liz and I have to regrow my eye." We headed downstairs, where we got the bottle that Andromeda dropped off, I downed it, felt numb and allowed Liz to regrow my eye. Although she might have been pissed that I passed out, I don't remember.

* * *

><p>FILES:<p>

**Subject ß 7**

Medical record of [BLACKED OUT], otherwise known as Subject ß, created on planetary daily cycle 53 of 152, intergalactic date 15th of the 3rd Month, 10,032 (Earth Date, 6th of July, 2011. Apollo)

Subject has had several injuries from a rough and adventurous childhood, with evidence showing that ß is into extreme sports, such as mountain climbing, desert races, free running and a hobby of performing races with either a hoverboard or by grappling hook. Several broken ribs, evidence of past bruising from rough falls, dislocated shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees and ankles, several fractures on his arms and legs, evidence of broken arms, spinal injuries, broken jaw, and minor scarring, with evidence showing that scarring would be worse and more visible if not for treatment with Nanotech, but also due to [BLACKED OUT]. And that was before he was captured.

As a result of extensive torture at the hands of the guards here, with a toxin with no formal name (produced naturally by tetramites to cause excruciating pain within their victims and slow them down while they're devoured), as well as constant supply of a powerful sedative, as a form of solitary torture, ß has suffered from extensive nervous damage which, while not prohibiting his own movement, renders him incapable of feeling pain. Has a tolerance to the sedative which is a common side effect seen within addicts of several drugs. However, such a tolerance also extends to other drugs, and he has been given several other drugs to restrain him to little success.

Very physically active within his cell, showing incredible feats of endurance, as well as strength with the aid of his telekinetic powers, being able to lift the metallic frame of his bed single handily as I show the same level of effort needed to lift an antique called a 'fountain pen'. Very well developed physique, and also shown to practice in a form of meditation that, when seen via infrared camera, appears to increase the body heat in the tip of his joints that I want to learn more about. Such meditation is not practised within the Polaris galaxy, so I should research this 'Tibet' place and figure out how to learn this for both myself and any patients that could benefit from it.

Powers are quite strange, but I believe that his damaged nervous system is actually crippling his true potential. While, as a doctor sworn to use my knowledge to heal the wounded, it pains me to say it, Subject ß should not be treated for nerve damage, for the safety of all on this facility. As for how he's able to use his powers, the nervous tissue of the brain is still intact, so as long as he doesn't suffer from brain damage, he will keep his powers. Lobotomy is not recommended, as the stray nervous signals will cause uncontrollable reactions of his powers.

Telepathic powers are quite strong, quite surprisingly, he is able to communicate by thought with several races with both much ore complicated thought processes (able to communicate with all members of a hive mind), as well as a single nervous celled organism (fan boys). He is actually commenting on this report, which is annoying, but also insightful as it shows his basic psychological report is accurate, and he is faking insanity to avoid answering the Emperor's questions. However, astral projection cannot be proved or disproved, so is inconclusive, at best.

Experiments on Conduit reactions with different forms of radiation are underway, with one form of radiation, a non-lethal radiation produced from hyper drives being able to weaken, but not outright remove, a Conduit's power. Experiments on ß have shown that his telepathic range shortened to within Empire space, but a single slip from our generators allowed him to deface a moon over the Imperial Space Station, the main stronghold of the Emperor, forming a statement that, with the aid of our spies over in the Milky Way, were able to identify it as Japanese and translate it for the Emperor. He was less than pleased to learn what it meant, but the point is, gravitational manipulation may weaken Conduits. (Translated phrase: 'Tachyon's a Bastard.' Apollo)

Dr. Janus Paracetamus.

Will continue to observe ß to see how his powers react to other forms of radiation.

(Last addendum. When they tried a form of radiation from this rare comet, everyone at the facility was killed, with the exception of Dr. Paracetamus and ß, who was unable to escape as the test knocked him right out. Ezio, we got this information from a contact of ours, but Tachyon may have found out how to create Conduits. This could turn ugly, so watch yourself. Apollo.)

[Oh, crap. Well, at least I can confirm a few things. Mass Effect Core radiation must have something about it that causes Conduits to become weaker, but that could be used to hold criminal Conduits. Or keep artificial Conduits in line…]


	18. Operation Hogwarts 8: Oceans

**20/07/2011**

* * *

><p>Well, I was resting after Liz used a potion on me to not feel the pain of having my eye regrown, and was sleeping on a couch throughout the night when suddenly- "Ow, my balls!" I screamed.<p>

"Rise and shine." Liz said, with a large grin on her face. "Breakfast is almost ready, and we have a big day today, sweetie. :D"

"Dammit, Liz, what the hell was that for?" I asked, getting up. "Jesus, were you wearing heels?"

"Sorry, but you're the only one who can contact that Lombax guy or Kasumi." She said, helping me up. "Can you call them and get them to help us in our heist?"

"What heist?" Mrs. Weasley asked us. "You're not going to break the law, are you?"

"What? No!" I replied, with faux offence. "We're just going to ask some friends to help us break into someplace called Gringotts, in order to steal something that gives Voldemort immortality, that's all." She just looked at us with amazement and shock. "Hey, Ginny. How are you? I think I broke your mom."

"Please tell me it's reversible." She said, sighing as she grabbed a slice of toast out of her near comatose mother's hands. "By the way, why are you still wearing the eye patch?" Oh, right.

"Well, after we steal the first Horcrux, how do we destroy it?" I asked. "We don't have access to a Basilisk, or veno-"

"AAAGH!" Ginny screamed, as she dropped her toast. "EZIO, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR EYES!"

"There's nothing wrong with my eye, I can see perfectly." I complained.

"Then why is your right eye purple, or looks like it's from a cat?" Ginny asked, worr-oh shit. I can see info from her. Her age, birthday, illnesses, the fact she's a witch, Conduit and Biotic (What the hell are Biotics, anyway?), current mood, and… I can now see from her perspective, and my eye IS purple. I just bolted for a mirror and looked into it. My right eye was now permanently trapped in Shadow Eye mode.

"Okay, so my Shadow Eye power is now permanent in this eye." I said, before fainting.

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

* * *

><p>"Dammit, what's Ginny screaming about?" Ron said, as he and I got up, looking on as Fred, George and Seamus were messing around with a computer. "And what are you three watching?"<p>

"Dad bought a movie on iTunes." George said, looking away. "An action movie called Die Hard. You have to see this." He said, as he handed us a computer. "See the guy wearing the suit? His character's name is Hans Gruber."

"So, what do you want us to see?" Ron said, as George hit play, making us watch the scene where Hans was talking to one of his henchmen, but I don't get the importance. "Oh, my… God."

"What?" I asked. "It's not like you recognise…" I said, before stopping. "Wait, is that Snape?"

"A British born actor, trained in classical theatre, like Shakespeare." Fred said. "His name is Alan Rickman."

"Let's see how much we can tease him about this." Seamus said, as Cho suddenly appeared into the room.

"Hey, where's Raphael?" She said, looking around the room. "Did he even sleep here?"

"Oh, don't worry, Raph's here." I said, lifting a few sweaters off of the sleeping giant. "Fred, George, I'm impressed. How did you two manage to hide a man almost the height of Hagrid under a pile of clothes?"

"Practice." They both said, before turning back to Cho. "What was Ginny screaming about?"

"Well, something went wrong when Liz healed Ezio's eye and now it's a purple colour and cat-like. He's fainted and I thought that he might help." Cho then tried shaking Raph, before shaking him really hard, then slapping him.

"Hey, what was that?" Raph said, getting up. "It's not like there's an emergency, is there?"

"Ezio's right eye is permanently disfigured, and he's fainted." He just bolted out of the room, falling down the stairs. "Must be nice to have a nice, protective brother."

"I wouldn't know." I replied. "Maybe Ron would know."

"Yeah, when they're not pulling jokes on you." He said. "But they're pretty protective."

"Yeah, there was this guy on the Slytherin Quidditch team who did some nasty stuff to Ron, a few curses when no one was looking." Fred started.

"Unfortunately for him, we were watching." George said. "Let's just say… He's now scared of pink elephants."

"That was you?" Hermione said, coming in. "And I can understand the both of them getting protective of the other. Both of their parents were killed back in Belfast." She then walked in, and sat down. "Well, shall I explain how my plan is to break into Gringotts?" She said, taking out a few sheets, and describing the wards. She recommended that we teleport in and get a Goblin to open the vault, explained the possible wards protecting the vaults, and how we could destroy the Horcruxes.

"So, how can the sword of Gryffindor destroy Horcruxes?" I asked.

"It's Goblin steel." She said, causing a whitish box with a few diagrams to appear describing it. "Goblin steel has the unique magical quality to absorb what doesn't destroy it, and using it to increase it's durability, so basically, 'What doesn't kill it makes it stronger'."

"Well, I shoved it into the roof of a Basilisk's mouth." I said. "That should've coated it with Basilisk venom."

"Well, let's get something to eat." Hermione said, as she headed out. "Also, we should try and do things around London in order to sway public opinion in our favour."

"Well, we probably need to make sure that Ezio's okay." Neville said, as we all headed down. "How is he?"

"Awake." Liz said. "He's still in shock, though." Ezio was sitting down, with a pale face, while drinking some brandy. I guess alcohol acts as a pretty good mood settler.

"Damn, I need some good news to calm me down." Suddenly, Ezio's mobile rang, causing him to take it out, while getting another glass of brandy. "Hello?" As he was taking his next drink, he spat it over the table in shock. "Oh, thank god!"

"What?" Liz asked, with an interested look in her eyes. _It's Zeke. He's alive!_ "Put it on speaker, then!"

"Zeke, that was the fatter American, right?" Ron asked.

"Ya had to say that just as I could hear, huh?" Zeke said, through the phone. "So, I know some stuff about how Harry's been doing, using a basic internet connection. But what about the rest of you?"

"Well, I lost an eye and had it grown back," Ezio started, "Now it's constantly stuck using my powers, while Harry's become an internet celebrity and was acquitted for a crime he committed that he did to prevent from being murdered, we met two new Conduits, who are also Wizards and the group's classmates, we're now going to run around London and do as many favours as possible. Also, we got another Aeon and we made sure Liz's brother was alive. You lot?"

"Well, the Beast has destroyed Empire City, and are killing a large number of people." Zeke began, "Cole's lost a large number of his powers, Drake's lost an arm that's regrowing at a smaller than average rate, Sully has a broken leg, Elena got a photojournalist girl to join us, Chloe's been experimenting with her powers, and we've met three aliens." Wait, what? "Look, at least you and your side are okay. Anyway, you guys may need to hear this. Halley got back into contact with a guy named Boris, and he said that a large snowstorm that's over Europe is going to cause a large number of problems."

"Like what?" Raph asked. "Abominable snowmen, polar bears, a new ice age?"

"The snowstorm might completely devastate our planetary biome." Zeke said. "Listen, they think something is Scotland might be the cause. If you guys can get up there, you have to find a way to stop it."

"Alright, but I have to ask." Ezio said, leaning over. "Can you describe the aliens?"

"Well, one of them's a Lombax." Zeke said, to Ezio's shock. "She's unconscious, but alive, thanks to one of the others. The one that helped her is an alien from our solar system, a species called an Asari, with, strangely, a French accent. The last one is a Quarian, we don't know that much about her, she keeps to herself. Sorry, got to go, another damn pirate ship."

"I'll send you my email." Ezio said, as gunfire could be heard on the other end, before it got cut off. "Well, at least they're alive."

"We have to see what we can do around London." I said. "Ezio, can you ask around, see if someone needs our help?"

"Sure, I'll start with Jon, then we'll see about maybe Kasumi, or ever the Aurors." Ezio's mobile then rang, which he then answered. "Hello? I'm in contact with the Order of the Phoenix, but I'm not a member. Might I ask who's calling? Okay, what do you need our help with?" Ezio then took out a pen and wrote something down. "Okay, sir, we'll get someone to help as soon as possible, just hold on." He then hung up, before handing us the slip of paper. "Someone called Ollivander called, saying that Death Eaters are attacking his store. He asked for our help."

"Sure, Ollivander made all our wands, so we have to help him." I said.

"But who'll you take?" Hermione said, as an email came in. "I'd recommend a Conduit, at least, as well as someone who can take wizards on equal terms. We also have trouble over at the Houses of Parliament. A riot is breaking out because an Auror seriously injured a girl who had Conduit powers. Someone who knows about us asks if we can help."

"I'll go and handle the riots, use mind control to force people to chill." Ezio said. "Harry, you have to rely on your Conduit powers, as well as the other underage wizards. So, figure out who to take, and head out."

"I'm going with Ezio, might be able to restrain people who get into a fight." Raph said, as he walked over to Ezio. "Maybe Liz, in case someone is hurt?"

"You don't mind me taking the healer, do you?" he said, as they got suited up and headed for the fireplace.

"While I would say that, as a Conduit makes me and Ginny immune to unforgivable curses, and I think we'd both need the fighting experience, I say take someone with more experience." Cho said, while sitting down.

"Uh, what are you talking about?" Ginny said, grabbing her whip. "They're Death Eaters, all they know are unforgivable curses. If we take them on, we have to use stealth, but we can take them on."

"Well, I can automatically shift into a room I've already used my powers in, so I could get us to Diagon Alley in a pinch."

"Alright, what's your say, Harry?" Ginny said, excited.

"Harry, you're not really going to take Ginny to fight Death Eaters, are you?" Mrs. Weasley, in her usual anger voice (Loud and terrifying), asked me.

"I can handle it, Mum." Ginny said. "I can create a barrier to protect ourselves, and I can send it forward as a charge, knocking them out."

"Cho, whenever you're ready." I said.

"Can you guys get me something from a sweet shop?" Ron asked us. "You know, maybe something for Vivi."

"Ron, you greedy cow." Ginny said, as Cho pulled us back into the Closed Space of the Quidditch shop. There were a few people there, cowering behind the windows and the counter. "Alright, how do we do this?" Ginny asked.

"Well, we can't look outside, unless we get out." Cho said. "Ginny, I'd recommend that you create a barrier or two outside, while Harry jumps out through the window and shoots the Death Eaters, then draws them away while Ginny and I ambush the remaining Death Eaters. He does have a gun."

"Wow, sounds like something out of Die Hard." Ginny said. "By the way, did you know that Professor Snape looks like an actor called Alan Rickman?"

"Fred and George showed Harry earlier." Cho said. "I actually commented about it to him, when he said that some antics of mine were disrespectful, and that I shouldn't be watching old westerns. I replied with a line from the movie, and he gave me three months detention."

"You actually said that at the age of 11?" Ginny asked.

"Well, we should get down, and Cho, get us in there." As we all took cover, Cho placed us into the store, as everyone looked at us. I just signalled for everyone to be quiet, as I snuck over to the counter, looking at the window. Giving a quick nod, Ginny readied her barriers as I jumped out through the window, shooting two Death Eaters. There were two left. I hit the ground, as Ginny summoned a wall, which saved me from a few curses. I took a step back, and turned invisible, while running away.

"The snow! He's leaving tracks!" Dammit, I forgot about that. Running into a trench, as I heard the sound of a whip cracking, as a man's yelp filled the air after. A wand landed next to my feet, as Ginny flicked her whip again, striking the Death Eater in the face, followed by a barrier smacking him against the wall. "You filthy freak." The other one said, taking his wand and hitting Ginny square in the chest with a killing curse, which hardly worked, to Ginny's delight and the Death Eater's horror. Cho then slid over to him on some ice, before leaving a slash in his wrist, then cutting his wand in half, followed to some cuts to the chest, before a kick to the groin, pulling him down to have his head around her thigh level, followed by a powerful kick to the head that knocked him out. As for me? I just picked up the wand and snapped it, before heading back to meet the others.

"You're Harry Potter, aren't you?" A man said, as he came out of the Quidditch shop. "And Cho, what are you doing here?"

"Helping." She said. "How are you, Bradley?"

"Now that those Death Eaters are out of it, relieved." He said, as he lead us back into the store. "How'd you know that we needed help?"

"Actually, Mr. Ollivander asked us for help." Ginny asked. "I'll go check up on him." She then ran out of the store.

"You have no idea how much help you've been just by dealing with those four people." Bradley said, as he rested in a chair. "If there is something, anything I can do, let me know. You've saved not just our lives, but our shop."

"How much danger was the shop in?" Ginny asked.

"The boss was going to close it if the attacks didn't lighten up." The cashier said, as everyone else got up and left the store. "But you've taken out the attackers, so we'll be as right as rain."

"Well, if we need any help, we'll ask later." I said, as we headed over to Ollivander's shop.

"Well, at least you're okay." Ginny said, helping Mr. Ollivander get up. "He's sprained his ankle, but he'll be okay." Ginny said, as Mr. Ollivander limped over to us.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Chang, thank you both. And Miss Weasley." He said, shaking our hands. "I never thought you were in the Order, or were able to perform some formidable wandless magic."

"Actually, that wasn't magic." I said, scratching my head. "It's actually something strange-"

"Mr. Potter, you are not the only Conduit I've seen in my time, or the only one who has both Conduit powers and magic." He said, which caused all of us to jump back in surprise "Your Conduit power is a cross between your native magic and the added potential of your Conduit nature."

"You know about Conduits?" I asked. "How?"

"How else am I to make my wands of such magnificent quality?" Mr. Ollivander said. "My Conduit power allows me to craft excellent wands by manipulating the cores of the wands to make them more powerful. I actually got it after I started working on wands, so your wand is actually more powerful than You-Know-Who's."

"So, how many Conduit-Wizard Hybrids are there?" Cho asked.

"A few." He said. "That's all I'm saying. I'm sorry."

"Well, can you bind the Death Eaters and call the Aurors for us?" Ginny asked. "We can't because we'd be in trouble."

"There is one thing I have to do." He said, as he pulled all the wands over to himself. "Miss Chang, Mr. Potter, as a wandmaker, it pains me about how you broke these wands. However, I also hate that something that was made to help someone grow in potential, for such a pitiable hatred." He then snapped the last two wands, dropping them to the ground. "That should teach them."

"Okay." I said, as we all headed out of the store, giving a quick wave to Mr. Ollivander. Cho grabbed us as we were pulled to the Burrow, where we were greeted by Mrs. Weasley.

"Well, you were quick, how was it?" She said. "Was anyone hurt?"

"Yes, we hurt the Death Eaters." Ginny said, creating a small barrier. "But Mr. Ollivander sprained his ankle, nothing that a rest wouldn't deal with."

"Well, at least no-one was hurt." She said. "Well, the others are doing things around the house." Cho and Ginny went off around the house, as I sat down next to Hermione and Ron.

"So, how bad is the situation?" I asked. "The whole snow storm?"

"Well, it's reached Spain." Hermione said. "The rate of the snowstorm appearing shows that it appeared on the morning of the 18th."

"Wait, you mean that the snowstorm appeared on the day he left Belfast?" Ron asked. "How fast is it spreading?"

"I don't know." Hermione said. "But if we don't stop it, everything on this planet will die."

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

* * *

><p>We all ran into the large park outside the Houses of Parliament, as we saw a large amount of youths throwing petrol bombs at a group of men who were carrying wands. I stopped one from killing an Auror, as a young man ran over to us.<p>

"Hey, what the hell are you doing, man?" He said, angry at how I stopped it. "That wanker deserves to die!"

"Will you explain to us what the hell's going on?" Raph said, glaring at the youth, threateningly.

"Damn, a giant?" He said, as I pulled the cricket bat out of his sign. "Wait, you're not Wizards? You have powers? Listen, those Aurors attacked someone from my block, a girl who could fly." He said, as he tried to back away.

"So, tell us what happened, specifically, Omar." I said.

"Wait… Oh, that eye trick." He said. "How can you do it in only one eye? My mate has to do it in both?"

"I had my eye ripped out and then regenerated." I replied.

"Well, the flying girl was performing a few tricks with her powers, showing off to the kids, when an Auror hit her with a spell, knocking her out. She crashed into the ground really badly, and is still in hospital. This was a protest about how the Aurors think they can run the place."

"What the hell is that!" Someone screamed from the crowd. "Oh, shit, it's a giant!" It wasn't a giant, it was a troll. The Aurors had brought out a troll for a freaking Muggle riot.

"Get as many people out of here, that troll will kill them if they try to fight!" I ordered the kid. It was one of the few times I used my mind control powers, I did not want him to mouth off. He nodded, grabbed one of the other rioters trying to head to the troll, and got him to back off and got some more people to run. "Alright, how do we handle a troll?"

"I'll distract it." Raph said, running over to the troll and drawing his attention. However, the Aurors that brought the troll were throwing curses at Raph, which was distracting him.

"I'll handle the Aurors, handle the crowd, heal any injured." Liz then ran to the crowd, getting as many people to head away from the troll, as I ran to help Raph. Catching a stunner, which then got bigger, but I decided to do something new. I split the spell into parts, then sent it at an Auror, which caused it to hit him like a shotgun. The other Auror then turned on me, as I pulled his wand and snapped it, before throwing him into two other Aurors.

Raph got back up, before blocking a blow from the troll's club, breaking the club into pieces. "Okay, game time." He said, before running into the troll's legs and breaking one with a single kick, causing the troll to collapse. Running over to a nearby tree, then back again, Raph launched himself off of the troll, before coming back down on it's back, striking it with his elbow and knocking it out. As Liz got the last of the crowd to back off, I was cornered by the Aurors, with only some still having their wands.

"Everyone, back off!" A male voice said, while being backed by a large number of police officers. Eventually, the police all cleared a way for… David Cameron? "Back off, or I'll have Amelia Bones deal with you personally." All the Aurors panicked when they heard this, all grabbing their balls in pain. Except for one guy, who was crying. That was one of the Aurors who were punished outside of the courtroom, I think. "I'm sorry for these men's brutish behaviour."

"Well, at least one man in office hasn't gone mental." I said, sticking my hand out. "While it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cameron, these are not the best circumstances."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr. O'Malley." _Wait, you know me?_ "Well, after the Euphemia informed us about how they helped deal with the Drophyds, mainly stopping the majority of the attacks, I had to find out more about who helped, and they mentioned you three."

"He killed it!" One of the protesters yelled. "He killed a troll!"

"Well, I might as well find a way to get that thing out of here, before it starts smelling." An aide said, as he walked off and took out his mobile.

"Well, not only did you calm a riot, but you prevented it from getting out of control." Mr Cameron said, as Raph and Liz came over. "I am truly impressed."

"As am I." Mrs. Bones said, coming over. "I'll deal with the Aurors later." All of them Apperated out, while she gave a sly smirk. "I love that reaction. Anyway, I was unaware that you were members of the Order of the Phoenix."

"We're not, we're affiliated, not members." Raph said. "By the way, who the hell let those idiots take a troll to calm a freaking riot?"

"It was that idiot, Fudge." Amelia said. "I tried to get him not to send it out, but he and that damn Umbridge woman used their authority to get it out here."

"That is just the height of incompetence." Mr. Cameron said, as he lead us away from the park and into the parliamentary building. Never thought I would ever be in here. "What is that man thinking, or is he even thinking at all?"

"I doubt it." Liz said.

"He's trying desperately to stay in power." Amelia said, taking out her wand and pulling over a copy of the Daily Prophet. "First there is proof that Voldemort is back, and also, someone has taken over the Daily Prophet, someone with more shares than the Ministry of Magic."

"I bet they're actually saying nice things about Harry then?" Raph asked her.

"You can take a look." she said, handing Raph today's Daily Prophet. He then handed it to me, as I took a quick look, then handed it to Liz. "Anyway, thanks for making sure that more people don't die. If we can pay you back, let us know."

"Well, there is one thing." I said, looking at her. "Explain to me how someone could forge Dolores Umbridge's signature. Is there no tests to make sure that forged signatures could be identified?"

"Well, unfortunately, no." She said, crossing her arms. "But we are investigating possible leads, such as Lucius Malfoy. We think might have forged it, as a way to kill Harry."

"Miss Bones, I also have a question." Mr. Cameron asked her. "How was it that Sirius Black, someone who fought against the Death Eaters during the last Wizarding war, was convicted of a crime he was innocent of committing, and a known Death Eater was allowed to work in a high position of magic government?"

"And why was it, that when Sirius broke out two years ago," Liz asked. "that Dementors were allowed into Hogwarts, even when they attacked a student twice? How were they allowed so close to the student population, being on the beginning of term train? And how was Fudge allowed to have the only person who could testify in Harry's favour killed on the spot by a Dementor?" We all looked at her in amazement, as to how she could be so upfront. "I want to become a nurse. First rule of medical treatment, get as much information from the patient as possible."

"Well, Sirius wasn't given a trial, it was during the height of the Wizarding war, and so people were sent to Azkaban with no trial." Amelia said.

"But from information searching, I found out that Barty Crouch, Jr. and the Lestranges were given trials." Raph said. "Was that because they did something particularly heinous, or was it a show trial."

"It was, unfortunately, a show trial." Amelia said. "The former head of the Magical Justice Department was Barty Crouch, Sr. The point of the trial was to publicly disown his son. Also, Sirius was quite insane at the time, so he couldn't argue his defence. As for how Lucius was allowed a Ministry position, a lot of Death Eaters claimed to be under the effects of the Imperius curse while serving Voldemort. When Sirius Black broke out, two years ago, I protested the decision that Dementors be brought in, specifically because of what happened to Harry, and I agreed with Dumbledore that they should be removed from the school, but Fudge refused, and kept them near, not around the school." David Cameron, current prime minister of Britain, was listening with all of his attention, obviously horrified about what he is hearing. "As for how Fudge was able to have Barty Crouch, Jr. Kissed on the spot, then it is obvious that he had it as a guard in case he was attacked. I think he decided to have him Kissed when he realised that his testimony could damage his political standing."

"My god." Mr. Cameron said. "I admit that my political standings might be less than perfect, but Cornelius is a complete idiot who should have never been elected."

"He wasn't elected," Amelia said, "He was the only person who would run, and he had the backing of Dumbledore, who was his adviser until recently. Dumbledore wanted the Triwizard cup ended prematurely after Crouch Sr.'s death, but Fudge wouldn't allow it. Said it would lead to a political disaster."

"Fudge is an idiot, get him out of office." Liz said. "He's running straight into Voldemort's trap."

"Well, I have a meeting with Mr. Fudge, later." Mr. Cameron said. "I will confront him about all of this. But if there is anything I can help you with-"

"It's okay, Mr. Cameron." I said. "We'll ask for help later. When we need it." Mr. Cameron then walked into the House of Commons, probably to do some political shit. "Nice guy, actually. I hate the Tory's political standings, but he's a nice fellow to know."

"Yes, the thing about Muggle Politics is that they listen to the best choices at the time, not knowing what the later decisions they make will do." Amelia said, as she watched him go in. "Now, I want to ask you something, Mr. O'Malley." I was quite surprised about this. "The individual that chased Fudge, how do you know him?" Oh, shit.

"Listen, I'll only say this. We met back in Belfast, and we're helping each other. That's all."

"Well, I have two messages to pass onto him." She said, looking at me with a look that I recognise as a Detective's glance. "Tell him that he will be in a lot of trouble if he tries that again. And also, ask him how he Apperated into Fudge's office."

"That wasn't Apperation." I responded. "Apperation is using magic to travel from A to B, by breaking the body and mind up into several parts. It's how I turned a group of Death Eaters into salsa by attacking them mid transport. What Alpha can do is teleportation, where he transports his whole body at once, which is easier than Apperation, and thus allows him to travel at larger ranges."

"And what is the range of Alpha's powers?" Miss Bones asked. "And what is his actual name?"

"I am not going to say." I responded. "I respect his privacy. And he has pulled me to another planet."

"Well, I have to go." Miss Bones said, slightly surprised by the last response. "But I'll contact the Order again if I feel they'll be more help than the Aurors."

"Don't overwork us, please." Liz said. Miss Bones was not amused. She then Apperated away, as we headed back to the street.

"Hey, you lot?" Omar said, as we walked past him. "Look, I have to say, thanks for helping all of us. I think that if anyone actually tried to fight that monster, they'd me all dead."

"Yeah, well, at least you're more civilised than the Aurors." Liz said. "By the way, where is that girl, the one who was attacked by the Aurors?"

"She's in the hospital, a nearby one, I don't know where." Omar said. "Somewhere called Saint Mungo's. Someone said that they'll have her back to normal in no time."

"I know where it is." I said, to Omar's delight. "It's a wizard's hospital, where they mainly treat magical illnesses, but they can treat non-magical injuries. She'll be fine in a day or so."

"Well, that's good." Omar said, looking relieved. "Tina's a strong girl, so I would expect nothing else from her."

"How do you know her, is she your sister?" Raph asked.

"No, she's my girlfriend." Omar said. "We started dating over 2 years ago, both planning to go to the same college, but we have to wait until our results come back. Both of her parents were quite surprised to discover she could fly, but they were delighted about how she wanted to use it to do tricks."

"Have any of her parents shown powers?" Liz asked. "Because males pass down the gene that grants Conduits powers at 100%, only one in four for mothers."

"Well, her sister when she texted her sister about it, she found out that they both have powers, so it could be that their dad have it." Omar said, as he saw me writing something down.

"Okay, Omar, here." I handed him a piece of paper. "This is my mobile number. If you need our help, from us or some friends of ours, call me and I'll see what I can do."

"Okay, what's your name, mate." He said, keying it into his BlackBerry.

"Ezio O'Malley, the big guy is my brother Raphael, and the lady is my girlfriend, Elizabeth Richards."

"Mate, you got a BlackBerry?" He asked me. _Yeah, I do._ "Wow, telepathy. Anyway, hand it to me and I'll add you to my group." As I handed it to him, he scanned a QR code into my phone, then handed it back to me. "Now, if you need me or my boys to help you, you can contact them with your BlackBerry. I'll update my status on Facebook to let them know to help." He then waved as he ran off, over to a group who were driving a van, which he hopped in, as it drove off.

"Well, we have some decent allies now." Raph said. "The guy running the country, the head of magic law enforcement, and a mouthy London gangster who has connections.""But they're connections we can use." Liz said. "So, what do we do now?"

"Let's get a few BlackBerries." I said. "We can use those to keep in touch with the Messenger app, and it's encrypted, so more secure. Also, Harry and Sirius will be able to keep in contact without wasting my minutes."

"Well, it would be best, get each phone added to a network that only we can access." Liz said. "We have to find some, and we might need to pay for them."

"Well, let's see how Omar can help." I then took out my phone and sent a message around the group. 'Can anyone help me get access to a large number of BlackBerries? New or used, doesn't really matter.' I was quite surprised how quick I got a response, heading out into a street, I got a few responses in less than 5 minutes.

'U d gi Omar sed helpd against d troll? I'll ask around, c if ny1 can help.' 'I no a gi who can help, brand new, but it will cost u.' 'I work 4 o2, I can keep sum 4 u, but u have to pay full price. How many?'

"Okay, how many would we need, one for each member, or for teams and bases?" I asked.

"Well, BlackBerries are expensive, see if you can get a discount." Liz said. "Or we can ask how much each member can donate for a new phone."

"Well, I'll find out." I said, calling the Weasley computer (I was quite surprised you could call computers, to be honest). "Hey, how are you all?"

"Hello, Ezio." Hermione asked. "How was the protest?"

"Fine, quiet." I said. "Aurors brought a troll to deal with Muggles, Raph killed it. Death Eaters?"

"Harry, Ginny and Cho took them out, left them for someone else to tie up." She said. "Did Raph really kill a troll?"

"Shattered it's back." I said. "Listen, I have an idea, but it will cost us a large amount of money."

"Well, it could be useful." She said. "What is it?"

"Well, we could buy BlackBerries for all the Order Members, but here's the thing." I said, looking for somewhere to sit. "BlackBerry phones are expensive as hell, mine cost £400, but it could help us keep connected, plus, using a built in messenger software, we can keep our dealings private because it's all encrypted."

"I can help." Harry said, joining the conversation. "A galleon is worth around £5, so the price of a BlackBerry is worth 80 Galleons. Now, how many phones do we need?"

"Around 25, or so?" I said, slightly unsure. "So, 80 Galleons, that's 2,000 Galleons, £10,000, why?"

"I can afford it." Harry said. "Barely, but I have a large amount of money in my vault, and we could steal some from the Lestrange vault, if we can. I have to talk to a goblin at Gringotts to discuss my finances, but I could buy all of them, if I could afford it. I'm meeting him in about an hour, so, meet me at Diagon Alley?"

"Sure." I said. "Should I bring the others?"

"In case Death Eaters show up, and to look around." Harry said. "You know where it is?"

"Yeah, Lupin showed us a few days ago." I said, before hanging up. "We have to meet Harry at Diagon Alley."

"Okay, let's go." Liz said, as we ran through the streets.

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

* * *

><p>"Harry, you can't afford all that!" Hermione complained. "How could you even think that?"<p>

"Well, his parents held shares on several different companies, and Harry owns most of the Daily Prophet." Ron said, in defence. "So, we can actually afford it, but even I have to say, it's a bit mental."

"Even I think it's mental." someone else said. We all jumped back when we heard the voice, except Mrs. Weasley, who took out her wand. "Sorry, I guess I should have knocked." She then appeared, after doing something to her watch. How did Kasumi get here?

"Kasumi, what are you doing here?" Hermione said, slightly angry. "How did you get here, anyway? You can't Apperate out of London."

"I flew." Kasumi said. "I do have a broom. And the wards against brooms are pretty weak, so I could get here with some practice.""I'm sorry, but who are you?" Mrs. Weasley said, still gripping her wand.

"I'm not an enemy." Kasumi said, raising her arms. "My name is Kasumi Goto, I've been helping the group by handing them files, and I was the one who showed that video at the Ministry of Magic." Ron then walked over and lowered his mother's wand down. We led Kasumi into a small corner, as we didn't want Mrs. Weasley to hear what we had to ask of her. "So, you and your friends are after something in the Lestrange vault? How can I help?"

"We can get into the vault, but not out." Hermione said. "How can you help us get out."

"Gringotts vaults are always a nuisance." Kasumi said. "Those were the only times I've ever used the Imperius curse, you need a goblin to touch the vault to open it, and pure-blood families protect their treasures by duplicating spells that create worthless fakes, that also crush thieves under the weight and against the walls. Also, goblins are very protective of gold, and hate thieves, so getting an inside source is unlikely. But I could use Apollo to get in and out, tell me what you need, and I'll get it as soon as possible."

"We don't know." Ginny said, coming into the room, as she joined the conversation, "But we think Harry can find out by being near it."

"Voldemort has some objects that have a part of his soul in them." I said, to Kasumi.

"Horcruxes?" Kasumi asked. "You want me to steal a Horcrux?"

"Yeah, we do." I said. "I'm going to head to Gringotts soon, so how fast can you get it done."

"I'll make a call." Kasumi said. "That's all I'll need." Kasumi then Apperated out, as Cho appeared next to me.

"This is completely mental." Cho said to me. "You do know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, but we need to do it." I said, grabbing my knives and slipping them under my clothes. "Ron, want to come?"

"Sure." He said, grabbing his axe. "Might I suggest Bill? He works for Gringotts."

"I'll take you to Diagon Alley." Cho said. "I also want to look around, see what I can do around the street."

"Okay." I said, before turning back to Mrs. Weasley. "Mrs. Weasley, you wouldn't happen to know where Bill is, do you?"

"He's at Diagon Alley, the Leaky Cauldron." Mrs. Weasley said. "He's been helping Fleur and Victor do small favours around Diagon Alley."

"Well, we'll speak to them there, then." I said, as Cho grabbed me and Ron and pulled us back the Closed Space, then into the Quidditch store, causing Bradley to jump in surprise, falling off his stool.

"Oh, sorry, Bradley." Cho said. "I guess I should have gone to the Hog's Head."

"No, it's okay." He said, getting back up. "But business is already booming, so dealing with those Death Eaters was brilliant, since you left, the Aurors picked them up and trapped them in a police jail."

"Where they could Apperate out?" Ron asked, dismayed.

"Of course not, they have wards around the cells." He said, letting us out. "By the way, Mr. Potter, Sir Humphrey came around, talked a bit about finance. If you need me to do anything for you-"

"It's quite alright." I said, holding my hand up. "We have to go. See you, Bradley." He waved us off, as we headed over to the Hog's Head, where we met the others.

"But we can't find a way to let Muggles get involved in magic sports." Victor said, arguing with Fleur. "Muggles can't ride brooms."

"But we can still get them involved." Fleur said, angrily. "We can still let them watch it, like getting cameras to allow Muggles to watch matches. Even they can watch, if not play."

"Unless we find a way to let them fly." Bill said. "I think there's a story about a Muggle girl with Conduit powers, someone who could fly. That could allow them to play the game."

"But they don't know all the rules." Victor said.

"No one knows all of them." Bill said. "In fact, Muggles could make the rules easier to understand."

"Well, maybe you're right." Victor said. "But we still don't know."

"Why don't you play a practice run in front of a large Muggle crowd?" Cho asked. "Only use Quaffles, then introduce the Bludgers, then Golden Snitches."

"Well, Miss Chang." Tom said walking over. "How are you? Ever since you appeared here and fainted, I've been thinking that you were seriously injured."

"No, I'm fine, now." She said, with a smile. "Thanks, anyway."

"Bill, can I ask a favour?" I said. "I have to go to Gringotts in a while, and I could really use your help dealing with the goblins."

"Well, I can help, but all I'm able to do is help ease negotiations." Bill said, walking over to me. "So, what do you have to do?"

"I have to meet someone and talk about my parent's properties." I said. "And break into a Death Eater's vault." I whispered. He was horrified to hear what I said. "Listen, Voldemort had one of his followers to hide one of his most precious items inside their vault, something that grants him immortality."

"Really?" Bill asked. "What do I do?"

"I have no idea, you need an expert to explain." I said. "She'll have to explain it."

"I'll do that." Kasumi said, appearing next to us. "I'll need Bill to help us get into the caverns where the vault is located, as well as point me in the direction of the records. That will allow me to figure out which vault is the Lestrange's."

"I can help with that." Bill said. "Vault number 215."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Well, I've left a few dung bombs in the vault." Bill said. "I knew the Longbottoms, so I thought it would be righteous judgement."

"So, where's Apollo?" I asked.

"I lost track of him." Kasumi said. "Hold on." She then took out some goggles and looked around the room. "By the way, what's Victor Krum doing here?"

"He's helping the Order." I said. "So, where is he?"

"Standing next to Victor." She said. "He's planning something with a cup of butterbeer." She left the corner, walking over towards Victor and Fleur. "Excuse me, are you really Victor Krum?"

"Yes, I am." Victor said, slightly confused. "I never thought that a Muggle would know me."

"Oh, I'm no Muggle." Kasumi said, leaning on one foot. "I'm a Mudblood witch."

"Kasumi, do you really use such offensive language to refer to yourself?" Ron asked the woman, as she turned to us.

"What?" She asked us, rhetorically. "Black people call themselves 'Niggers' all the time." She then turned back to Victor and took out a picture from last year's Quidditch World Cup. "Can I have your autograph? I'm a fan."

"Alright." Victor then signed it. "Sorry, but what's your name?""Kasumi Goto." She said. "I've been helping Harry around town."

"Stealing files from the Ministry." I said.

"Can you keep it quiet?" Kasumi said. "I don't want to be advertised to the world."

"Oh, it's not like a Ministry official is going to waltz in here, right?" Tom asked us. "They should be working, and this doesn't look like a Ministry office."

"Guys, two Ministry workers are on their way." Ron said. "Umbridge and Percy." Kasumi turned on her cloak, as the door opened, and in stepped a toad like woman, covered in a pink blouse, followed by Ron's brother.

"Oh, well, I didn't expect it to be this busy." The woman said in a venomously sweet voice. "And minors, as well."

"We're only meeting Bill." I said, taking a seat. "Besides, I don't drink alcohol."

"Excuse me, Miss Umbridge," Tom said, concerned, "but what are you doing here? Or has the whole business with Voldemort, the files being stolen and the Aurors doing ridiculously horrendous behaviour, as well as losing control of the Prophet, been what drove you to me?"

"I'm only passing through." She said. "I have to head to the office of the Daily Prophet in order to try and regain control of the paper." She then looked around, obviously confused. "Can anyone else hear a whimpering noise?"

"I don't think so." Ron said, chucking. "But the Ministry aren't the majority shareholders." Ron pointed out, taking out a piece of paper. "From what I've learnt from looking at this publicly available shares report, the Ministry only has a twenty percent share of the newspaper, while another shareholder has roughly fifty percent, so unless the Ministry gets all the shareholders to join their agenda, or the holder of the most shares sells them to you, you can't take back the most shares." All of us looked on in shock, even Percy dropped his suitcase. "What?"

"Ron, I'm impressed." Percy said, as Ron gave him a dirty look. "You're actually learning."

"Your approval fills me with shame." Ron said, turning away. "Anyway, shouldn't we head out?"

"We have to wait for the others." I said. "Come to think of it, where are they?" Ezio, Raph and Liz then walked in through the door. "So, ready to head out?"

"Sure." Ezio said, as he walked over to us.

"I'm sorry, but aren't you his bodyguards?" Miss Umbridge asked them. "Surely, a bodyguard stays with their charge."

"Yes, but we actually acted as distractions to allow Harry to come here, without putting him in danger." Ezio said. "We take our job very seriously. So, allowing Harry to sneak here while taking the blunt of the assault is completely plausible."

"So, let's head out to Gringotts." I said, as Bill, Ron and Ezio came over to me. "Liz, Raph, can you wait here, help Victor and Fleur?" As they nodded, we headed out the back, as I ran over to the wall, and opened the passageway to the street.

"That never stops amazing me." Ezio said. "By the way, Kasumi, what are you doing grabbing Apollo's balls?"

"Disciplining him." Kasumi said, as Apollo gave a small whimper. "He was going to drop a cup of butterbeer on top of Victor Krum's head.

"Help… me…" Apollo said, as he fell to the ground.

"Well, I'll levitate Kasumi and Apollo to the stairs." Ezio said. "Not only to help Apollo, but because two sets of footprints that don't have people leaving them will draw attention." We all walked over to the bank, as Keiji took off his cloak, and waved at us.

"Okay, there are a large number of guards in there." Keiji said, slightly scared. "We'll follow you, cloaked, while Harry first goes to meet the goblin who oversees his vault, while Kasumi and I go find out what vault the Lestrange's use."

"Vault 215." Bill said. "I'm certain of it."

"Well, we'll follow you from the meeting to you going to your vault." Keiji said. "When you leave the meeting, try and get Sir Humphrey to leave, and that will allow us to knock out the goblins and then sneak off to the vault."

"But how do we allow Harry to sneak away?" Ron said. "There will be a time gap, so Harry will be a suspect."

"Well, we can alter their memories." Kasumi said. "How about the cart breaking down?"

"Sure." I said, as we walked in.

"Are you sure you can walk?" Ezio asked Apollo, who was still cloaked.

"Sure, I can still teleport, and that doesn't produce a sound." A breeze then caught the back of my neck, as Apollo must have warped away. We all headed towards a counter, as a Goblin greeted us.

"Mr. Potter, I assume you're hear to speak to your vault manager?" a goblin asked me. "I'm sorry to say, but he died a while back, 7 years I think it was. You have to meet the head of the bank, Ragnok."

"He's a good goblin, especially with finances," Bill said, "but shouldn't someone else be involved? Ragnok shouldn't be involved in one customer's finances."

"Well, the previous manager didn't leave a predecessor, so someone has to do it, and that's how our system works." The goblin said. "I'll lead you to his office." Well, hopefully, I won't die.

* * *

><p>FILES:<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Daily Prophet article<strong>

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT:

The Daily Prophet is now under new management, and no longer answers to the Ministry of Magic.

In the past, we've had to answer to the Ministry's every back and whim, which has resulted in us printing slanderous stories and lies about the current Minister's opponents, such as Professor Albus Dumbledore, current headmaster of Hogwarts, and Harry Potter, who Cornelius Fudge claimed had lied about the return of Lord Voldemort (Full Story on pages 4 and 5). We would like to apologise to them, and everyone that we had wronged in the past.

We now have several new guidelines for stories to be published from our paper, that we require that all reporters now follow:

1. The story must be able to be proved by evidence, such as a witness testimony or hard objects. If you can't prove it, we don't print it.

2. This is no longer a sensationalist paper. We will not print stories about romantic affairs or scandals involving Quidditch players. If you want to read those, then please read our esteemed competitor, Witch Weekly.

3. When sources pass on information that could result in them getting into serious trouble with the law, we will not pass on anything that could result in the arrest of our contacts, and we will protest the capture of our reporters when they refuse to pass it on.

We are also going to allow our stories to be available online (viewable by computers, as certain devices), by going to the website .com, with apps soon to be available from the Apple App Store, the Android App stores, and through blackberry smart phones. We will let you know when the software is available, with all apps available as both lite versions (Free, but lacking certain features and with advertisements) and Full (Paid for, has more features and lacks advertising). The website also uses advertisement, but it cannot be removed, as it is used to pay for the site. Also, we ask users to report problems with the website, as it could make it easier for us to fix (It takes a long time to get a website up and running, and we rushed it.)

[Other articles include a review of Harry's trial by Rita Skeeter (That isn't slanderous), a report about the video showing Voldemort's return (They're saying it's genuine), as well as an article about how Peter Pettigrew was spotted in the tape, and how several men could be identified and are now wanted for arrest, including Lucius Malfoy. One article is made up of eyewitness accounts of how people saw Apollo chasing Fudge (One saying they saw a tail. This is bad).]


	19. Operation Hogwarts 9: Heist

Bill, Ron, Ezio, Sir Humphrey (Who met us on the way here) and I were lead to an office at the top of the building, where we were greeted by a small goblin, who was stamping furiously at a few sheets of paper. "Bill, what the blazes are you doing here?" The goblin said, looking at us.

""Harry asked that I help him here," Bill said, "Help him with business, explain some more complicated things. Harry, this is Ragnok, the head of Gringotts."

"And you brought your brother?" Ragnok said to Bill. "And another unnecessary party?"

"Actually, I brought Ron, because, when he's around, good things happen." I said. "And Ezio's a friend, and a guy who knows his way around finances."

"He's one of those 'Conduits'." Ragnok said. "His eye is a clear indication."

"Well, I also double as Harry's bodyguard, because Conduits are immune to Unforgivable Curses," Ezio pointed out, "and I also use my telepathy as a means of detecting when Harry is trying to be undershot, so if you're not going to explain how Fudge convinced you to try and get Harry to sell his shares in the Daily Prophet, which would cause serious slander and libel against my client, then we have nothing to discuss." Ragnok was horrified to hear this, as was Sir Humphrey. "Don't fuck with a Conduit."

"Well, what did Minister Fudge say to you?" Sir Humphrey asked, slightly angry. "Did he try and cut a deal with you, or was it a threat he made to you?"

"It was a threat." Ragnok said. "Threatened me with Azkaban."

"He can't do that!" Bill said, horrified. "That is blackmail."

"Well, I'll get Hermione to check it up." Ezio said, taking out his phone. "Hey, Hermione, can you check something for me? Fudge threatened to have the goblin in charge of Harry's vault sent to Azkaban if he didn't have Harry's shares sold onto the Ministry… You what?" Ezio shouted into his phone. "How did you know? Okay, well, get that info passed on, and hopefully, drag that bastard's name down into the dirt."

"What?" I had to ask. "How did Hermione know about this?"

"Deepthroat." Ezio said. "He passed this info onto Amelia Bones, the Prophet, which will be tomorrow's headline, apparently, and ITN." All of us looked around, slightly confused. "It's three o'clock, now, and this will be shown on the six o'clock news on television."

"Wow, Fudge is screwed." Ron said. "Well, anyway, can we get this done without having Fudge mess it up?" I could faintly hear Kasumi, Keiji and Apollo sneak off, as we discussed business with Ragnok.

* * *

><p><strong>Kasumi<strong>

"So, explain why we're sneaking around the files when Bill knows the vault number?" Apollo asked me. "Here, vault 215, current holders include Rudolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange. Just like Bill said."

"That was what I told them." Keiji said, looking through another file. "We were looking for these. The Ministry of Magic's bank statements."

"See, we're thieves, but we don't just steal physical items, like jewels, or paintings." I said, leaning against the book case. "We also steal information, like files that could prove corruption, or evidence of crimes that have been hidden away. Like these financial records. Do you know, Apollo, how financial schemes involving Swiss or Caiman Island bank accounts work?" The Lombax, shaking his cloaked head, as if to say 'no'. "It's actually quite simple. See, it's actually not possible for law enforcement to track financial exchanges from those types of accounts, so if you want to exchange large amounts of money, without being detected. The closest equivalent would be… Bogon Dark Sector banks."

"So, you're telling me that Fudge has been stealing large amounts of money from taxpayers?" Apollo asked, finally catching on. "How much?"

"We have only a slight idea." Keiji said, looking for some more records. "But here's how magical and Muggle finances worked. Separately. Or that's how it's supposed to work. Fudge has been taking large amounts of money from the magical economy, and stashing them inside Caiman Island and Swiss accounts. He's been taking money from the Muggle Economy to compensate, which is causing serious issues."

"The Muggle and Magical economies have been in recession since 2008, primarily because Fudge is a greedy bastard." I said. "We hand these to the Aurors, he goes to jail, and we clear out the accounts and hand the assets back over to the economies."

"So, that's why you need to get in here." Apollo said. "Get the proof you need to get Fudge out of office."

"Exactly." I said. "Now, there's the simple business of a vault."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"So, that's everything, then." I said, as I got up from the table. "By the way, would it be possible to access my vault, as soon as possible? Like, today, or tomorrow?"

"Yes, that is about it." Ragnok said, as he got up. "Normally, we wouldn't allow you to access your vault without your key, but because of the lack of communication from Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, I took the liberty of getting a new key for your vault." Ragnok then handed me a key, which I inserted into my pocket. There was no current use for it, so I thought flaunting it around would only lead to someone stealing it. "Again, I'm truly sorry for what I've done."

"Don't worry." I said, shaking his hand. "I don't hate you or Gringotts, just Fudge." As we left the office, Ezio received a call on his phone. "Hello? Hey, Omar, what's up? For real?" He then turned to me, with a grin on his face. "A guy I met can get us the phones for only £90."

"So, that 18 Galleons, so…" I worked it out and then turned to Ezio. "450 Galleons?"

"It's a lot, but more avoidable than the alternative." He said, before he got a message on his phone. "Keiji and Apollo are down there, we need to get to your vault, get the money we need, then we get out of here. Kasumi is waiting by your vault."

"Okay." I said, giving a quick nod to Ron. "How do we persuade Sir Humphrey to not report us?"

"Leave that to me." Ron said. "I read something on the computer, so that will allow me to do this."

"Well, I could control his mind and make him think the cart broke down." Ezio said. "How about the rest?"

"Well, let's just think about it without letting Sir Humphrey hear it, or the Goblins." Bill said. _Okay, how about this?_ Within an instant, Bill slapped Ezio across the face, before walking off to the cart.

"He…" Ezio said, rubbing his face in dismay. "He slapped me."

"Then hurt him back." I said, pulling him onto the vault. "Listen, let's just get to the vault, hope for no more fuckups, and then get out of here." It was then that Sir Humphrey came over to us.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I have to go." He said, to our luck. "I have to speak to Madame Bones about what Fudge did. Excuse me."

"No, it's fine." I said, giving a small smile. "I'll only be a minute, anyway." As Sir Humphrey waved, heading off, we headed towards a cart, and sat down, as the goblin drove us to the vault. Phase 1, complete.

* * *

><p><strong>Kasumi<strong>

"Well, this is boring." I said looking at my Omnitool. I had modified it to show local Earth time, and it was already half past three. I was standing outside the vault, without my disguise on, because there is also no one around, so it would be a waste.

"Hey, Kasumi." Apollo said, teleporting next to me. "We have good news and bad news."

"What's the bad news?" I asked. "I want to get it out of the way."

"Well, the good news is that the vault was already open." Apollo said, glancing around nervously. "The bad news is that Bellatrix Lestrange is down there."

"What?" I had to ask, rubbing my own forehead. "How did she get down here? She's a wanted criminal?"

"Well, she had a goblin walking around with silver, cloudy eyes, who was in a daze." Apollo said, looking around. "He was doing everything she said."

"That's the Imperius curse." I said, looking around. "Look, steal as much gold coins as you can, then take them away, until we come down to get the Horcrux." Apollo then moved out, as I heard a cart coming. I then switched on my optic camouflage, then took out my wand, and snuck onto the cart. _Kasumi, are you worried?_ Ezio, we have a major problem. Bellatrix Lestrange is here, and she's at her vault. _Oh, shit._ Apollo is stealing some Galleons, I removed as many charms as I could. _I'll pass it on._ Ezio then gave the other's a look as Harry gave his key to the goblin, who used it to open his vault. As the goblin was turned, Harry showed a moment of weakness, showing a frustrated look. The vault opened up and… Oh, my god.

"Your vault, Mr. Potter." The goblin said, letting Harry into his vault. "Currently standing at 245163 Galleons, 16 Sickles and 18 Knuts, or closest value." As I gave Ezio a light tug, he scratched his head. _No, you're not allowed in, and I will stop you._ No, tell Harry to only take 200 Galleons, then we'll get the rest from the Lestrange vault. _Passed on, thanks._ As Harry grabbed the coins, he put them in his pouch, and then walked out of the vault, as it closed. As he was handed back his key, Harry got back in with Ezio, with Harry sitting next to Ron, Ezio sitting next to Bill (Why are they hitting each other?), and the Goblin operating the cart. It was then that I used my wand, and whispered a spell, causing the goblin's eyes to become cloudy, as I placed him under the Imperious curse. Silently, I told him to drive us to vault 215, as I took off my cloaking device and sat between Harry and Ron.

"Well, this is nice." I said. "The Lestrange vault is already open, now all we need is to find those cursed items."

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

"So, you're telling me," Professor Dumbledore looked at me, with a disbelieving look on his face, "that the individual that chased Fudge was an alien?" Sirius and Remus were listening, from the next room over, and taking another shot when they heard that. They had decided to make a drinking game of how many times the Headmaster asked me something when he couldn't believe me. "Merlin's beard, this is getting ridiculous."

"I have to ask you something." I said, as Dumbledore set down his cup of tea. "Why weren't you at Hogwarts when Voldemort attacked?"

"I was interrogating an old friend of mine." he said, slightly tipsy. I guess that, while the honey may have masked the alcohol, I gave him a bit too much. I also slipped in some 'Veritaserum', which I needed to make sure I got the answers I needed. I know, it's completely 'Out of Character' for me, but I have to find out what happened, and get some more information while I'm at it. Wow, being devious is giving me a rush. _Who are you, and what have you done to Hermione?_ Oh, hush now, grandpa. "See, when I realised that Voldemort came back, I realised that he might have said something that gave Voldy an idea, and I was right." Damn, he's tipsy. "See, he handed me a fake memory saying that Voldemort asked him about a very dark form of magic, something that could allow Voldemort to come back, which he refused to answer."

"Horcruxes?" I said. As Dumbledore gave me some looks to ask how I knew that, "Oh, I've known about them since second year, from around the time that I was petrified. When Harry described his encounter with the Diary, in the Chamber of Secrets, I thought that Voldemort may have made a few more Horcruxes, and so I did some more research into how they're made."

"Well, my friend told Voldemort how, didn't teach him, but pointed him in the right direction." Dumbledore said. "I'll not tell you how, I know you'll never tell anyone, but it would be a precaution."

"You have to kill someone, to split your soul into fragments, then bind a fragment to an inanimate object." I said. "Voldemort, Tom Riddle, he killed Moaning Myrtle, then turned his diary into a Horcrux."

"That's what I suspected." Dumbledore said, as he took another cup of tea. "See, there are also several other Horcruxes, Voldemort tried to invoke the magical powers of seven, by having several soul fragments in existence at once. I think I may know what the other Horcruxes are, but I'm not certain."

"Ezio dived into Voldemort's mind through a fragment in Harry's scar." I said, to Dumbledore's dismay. "Voldemort accidentally turned Harry into a Horcrux, and himself into Harry's Horcrux."

"Who else knows?" Dumbledore asked me.

"Not Voldemort." I replied. "The Horcruxes include Slytherin's Locket, Hufflepuff's Cup, Ravenclaw's Diadem," As I said the last three, I could see Dumbledore wince. Well, they are priceless heirlooms of the school's founders. "Gaunt's Ring, the Diary that Harry destroyed, and his snake, Nagini."

"Oh, his girlfriend." Dumbledore said, before giving a light chuckle. "Well, can I ask you something?" As I gave a nod, he looked at me real seriously. "You do know that those jars under the sink aren't Sirius' moonshine supply? He hides them in another room. And that it's possible to lie under the effects of Veritaserum?" I dropped my cup when I heard that. "While it was ingenious, it would probably work on someone who doesn't see it coming. And using Veritaserum isn't guaranteed to get you the answers you need, that's why so many suspected Death Eaters were sent to Azkaban."

"Alright, thanks for the lesson." I replied. Well, I was sweating bullets now.

"Now, one more thing." He said, as I tried to escape. "What is Harry planning to do at Gringotts?"

"Well, it turns out that Fudge was stealing a large amount of money from the Ministry's funding ever since he was elected as Minister of Magic." I lied. "Harry got into contact with two Aurors or whatever who work for the ICW, and are investigating Fudge. When they tried to seize Ministry financial records, they were branded criminals, so Harry is helping them break into Gringotts to obtain the records they need, then they'll pass it back to the ICW when they get the chance."

"Hermione." He said, giving me a stern look.

"OKAY, Harry's getting two thieves and an alien to help him steal a Horcrux so that he can destroy it!" I blurted out.

"Well, we can't stop them, then." Dumbledore said. "But I have to say, slipping the Veritaserum in with some alcohol. It is clever, but if you actually used pure alcohol, it would actually increase the flavour of the Veritaserum."

"Which is of a cinnamon-like flavour?" I asked. "Well, it's a good thing I never used any Veritaserum, then. Don't have any." I said, before taking out the small jar of cinnamon. "By the way, Professor, have you heard of a Muggle theory called the 'Placebo Effect'? It's where you convince someone that you've given them a form of medication for a supposed illness, and they begin to feel better, show symptoms of use, or even start showing signs of recovery, without having the actual cure in their system. All in their head. In this case, I made you think that I gave you Veritaserum to give you the impression you were under the effects of Veritaserum, and I left the jars there to appear that I was ignorant." Dumbledore just looked at me with a look of defeat, and dismay. "I still slipped up, though, I wasn't supposed to tell you about the heist. But I got the information that I needed."

"Well there was one more slip up." Dumbledore said to me. "How did you know that Kasumi Goto and Keiji Okuda worked for the ICW?" He asked me, with a look of triumph on his face.

"I didn't." The look on Dumbledore's face was replaced with confusion. "And this is the point where 'Cornered' starts playing." Just as planned. "Oh, my god, what the hell is wrong with me?"

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"Wait, you're Aurors?" Ron asked Kasumi. "Why did you have to break in here?"

"Fudge destroyed our warrant, and sent his Aurors after us." Kasumi said. "So, we're running our operations covertly."

"And you got those cloaking devices, where?" Ezio asked. "You can't get those on Earth."

"Keiji used to work for some bad people." Kasumi said, looking down. "The closest way we can describe them are 'Very Evil Men In Black'. Keiji blabbed about them to the UN, so they helped us."

"Let me guess." Ezio said, crossing his arms. "Cerberus?"

"How did you hear about them?" Kasumi asked, astonished.

"I heard about them from Apollo." He said. "The terrorist organisation who have been terrorising this galaxy."

"Please, don't inform anyone, Keiji will be in a large amount of trouble."

"We won't tell." Ezio said, as we all nodded. "We're here." As the cart stopped, we could hear screaming from a short distance away.

"WHO OPENED MY VAULT!" A woman were shrieking at someone, who was whimpering. "WHO!"

"Well, I'm glad you're here." Keiji said, greeting us. "That voice you hear? That's Bellatrix Lestrange. She arrived a half an hour ago, and has been torturing the goblin that she took here to open her vault."

"How'd you open it?" I asked. "Don't you need a key?"

"No, we didn't open it." Apollo said. "There was a key already in the vault door."

"Come to think of it, when she was in Azkaban, someone must have duplicated her key." Keiji said. "It's standard procedure for criminals arrested with their keys."

"Please tell me Sirius wasn't arrested with his key." Harry said, worried. "Anyway, what do we do?"

"We have all the items we need." Apollo said. "We could teleport over while Bellatrix is torturing that Goblin."

"Okay, let's go." I said. Apollo grabbed me and Keiji, and pulled us into the vault. However, my scar was beginning to bleed afterwards, and I felt sick. Apollo grabbed me again, as Keiji forced something down my throat, stopping me from throwing up. "Okay, Harry, what do we grab?" I looked around for what was needed. I saw Gryffindor's sword, and looked at it, before setting it back. "This is a fake." I whispered to the others. "Along the blade, it should have Godric Gryffindor's name along it." As I continued looking, I looked around the cups. One of them had to be Voldemort's Horcrux. As I held my hand over one cup, my head suddenly turned abruptly, before I grabbed the cup. "This is it." I whispered. "We have Hufflepuff's cup."

"And you walked right into my trap." A voice said, as we turned to look at a woman that looked like a slightly less prettier version of Andromeda. "I'll let you rot in here. Or bring the Dark Lord, whichever is more fun. Ahahaha." She then stepped back, as the vault suddenly closed behind us. Keiji and I ran back to the vault door, but it was too late. We were banging furiously at the door.

"Guys, what are you doing?" Apollo asked us, removing his mask and lowering his hood. "We're not trapped in here, I can leave. So let's grab as much gold as possible and then I could teleport out."

"Kasumi, we have the Horcrux, but it's a trap." Keiji said into his watch. "Get out of there, now."

"We're already heading out." Kasumi said, as Apollo and I were pocketing as much gold as possible into his pockets and my mole pouch. "Meet you outside the Potter vault." As we were finished, and I put the goblet into the pouch, Apollo put his mask and hood back on, then teleported out of the vault, straight outside, to Bellatrix's escape cart. I took out the goblet, as Keiji set the cart to move away from here, just as Bellatrix came to leave. As she saw us, she tried to throw a killing curse at us, which curved towards Keiji, before Apollo took the hit.

"You're a Biotic?" He asked Keiji, as he drove off. I just grinned at Bellatrix, as I flipped the bird at her.

"You got fucked!" I yelled at her, as we sped towards my vault. She just screamed at us, before running away. "So, how much did you enjoy that?"

"Hey, I got some gold." Apollo said, taking some out. "This will be a good gift for a friend of mine." He just chuckled, before causing the gold to disappear.

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"So, do you think they're in danger?" Bill asked, as Kasumi and I were altering this goblin's memory. "I mean, we left them in Bellatrix Lestrange's vault."

"They're fine." Ron said, as he put his hands to his head, and stretching.

"Why, because that Apollo guy is going to protect them?" Bill asked.

"No, they're over there." Ron said, as Harry, Keiji and Apollo zoomed over towards us. "Did you get it?" I asked, as Harry took out a cup, and showed it to me.

"Helga Hufflepuff's cup." He said, setting it down. "Weird thing is, when we grabbed it, I could hear voices from it, but after we got out of the vault, I can't hear anything."

"Wait, does that mean that something messed with the Horcrux?" Bill asked. "How does that work?"

"Well, Apollo teleported it out here, doesn't Conduit powers short out magic?" Ezio asked. As we all looked at the cup, in confusion, we all looked at each other.

"Wait, Harry's powers would interfere with the scar Horcrux." Ron said. "So, if we overload it-"

"We can destroy the Horcrux!" Harry said. "We'll talk about it, later. Let's all get out of here, first, Apollo, take Kasumi and Keiji out of here, while we head out the front door."

"We have our alibi." Ezio said. "You guys leave, and I'll use the trigger to set the goblin to work."

"What?" Harry asked.

"Ron hypnotised Griphook here." Kasumi said. "Alright, get into the cart, and we'll head out." We all got in, as Kasumi, Keiji and Apollo teleported out.

"Silence is Golden." Ron said, as Griphook suddenly started moving. The cart then suddenly started moving, as we pretended that nothing happened. Griphook will think that we got stuck, and that we only just arrived at the vault, so there would be no trouble. Just as planned.

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

"Hello, Hermione." Luna said, as she was sitting next to Vivi and a flame Familiar. "Look, I managed to create an elemental, as well." Her Familiar looked a bit like mine, mainly a bipedal lizard-inspired creature, with large hands with sharp claws, and legs you would commonly see on a velociraptor, like in Jurassic Park, and a thick tail that made up a half of his body. However, unlike mine, which were white and covered in ice, Luna's were a bright red, and covered in flames.

"Well, let's just hope that ours never collide." I said. "Thanks for the cinnamon trick. It actually worked."

"Dumbledore fell for it?" Luna asked me. "Well, did you manage to get the correct info we needed?"

"Yes, we did." I said, as Luna took out a small cup for me. She was currently using her elemental, which was holding a kettle, to make tea. "Keiji Okuda and Kasumi Goto work for the ICW."

"Well, Keiji did hide his badge, didn't have it on him." Luna said, as the kettle boiled. "How did you know they were ICW?"

"A minor slip up on their part." I said. "They could get into the Ministry files. The reason they didn't set off the wards is because they had their Auror badges, which allows them access to all departments, as long as they have the appropriate warrant. They were investigating Fudge who, as the head of the Ministry, would be in control of all the departments. Also, the reason Madame Bones wasn't searching for them is because she was helping them take Fudge down, as a mole."

"You think she's the 'Deepthroat' that was mentioned on the news?" Vivi asked, as the kettle boiled. The Familiar just looked at the kettle, before pouring the tea into our cups. "I heard that he was going against Fudge by handing out information."

"I don't think so." Luna said, adding sugar and lemon juice to her tea, while Vivi added honey and milk, and I added sugar and milk. "She has alibis for whenever Deepthroat sends information to either the news or his contacts, and she would be unable to access all those files."

"Then who would?" Vivi asked, as he took a sip of tea. "Someone working directly for Fudge?"

"I have an idea." I said, putting my cup to my lips, then taking a drink, before getting off the floor and sitting on the bed. "The name, Deepthroat, is an allusion to the Watergate scandal, which saw the then president of the United States, Richard Nixon, kicked out of office, for trying to -. Deepthroat told a reporter about it, and Nixon was ousted. Deepthroat was recently revealed to be someone who worked for Nixon in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who was angry that he wasn't promoted to head of said organisation."

"So under Fudge?" Luna asked. "So, there are several suspects, all heads and assistant heads of each department, as well as his aide, Percy Weasley, and the Undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge."

"I'd cross Umbridge and Percy out." I said, setting my cup down for a second. "Percy's loyal to the Ministry, and wouldn't do anything that could damage the Ministry's reputation."

"Yes, but, didn't you say that he was shocked that the Dementor attack happened at the Burrow?" Neville said, as he walked in to the room. "He still cares for his family, so he considers Dementors attacking where they live a serious betrayal. Can I have some tea?" I reached for a cup from under the bed, as the Familiar poured some tea into his cup. Neville then added sugar and lemon juice to the tea, while Luna stroked the Familiar's head, causing it to purr.

"Sorry, Neville, but he wouldn't have been able to do so." Luna said, as she took another sip. "See, he wouldn't have found out about the Dementor attack until after Harry was charged, and he was surprised when he heard it at the trial, right? That only means he found out right then." As Luna said this, the Familiar then shook the kettle, and realising that there was no more tea in it, set it down on a metallic stove that Luna brought in here, and lay next the Luna and Neville, as Vivi sat on top of it, as the flames on it's back got smaller, but still emitting some heat, but not enough to cause serious burns.

"I have an idea." Vivi said, as he was resting his head on top of the Familiar's while scratching behind it's ear, to it's enjoyment. "Could Percy have heard about it when it was being planned, and set up Fudge in revenge? It's easy to pretend you just heard something."

"Feigning ignorance?" Luna asked. "I wish I was there, I could have seen his micro expressions."

"I have to cast my doubts on Umbridge being Deepthroat, though." Neville said, as he added a small bit more lemon juice to his tea, before tasting it. "She's someone who believes in the Ministry above all else, and would never undermine it. Believe me." As we all took some sips, we wondered what he was referring to. "Dolores Umbridge is a massive racist, believing that the perfect individual is a Pure-Blood, pure Human, thinking that half-breeds are abominations. And her idea of 'Half-Breeds', is severely messed up, thinking that Centaurs, Werewolves, and Merpeople are only half-human. She fails to see that Centaurs don't have human blood, as well as Merpeople, and Werewolves have a serious illness."

"Didn't she draft anti-Werewolf laws?" I asked. "She made sure that Professor Lupin can't get a job?"

"Yes, she did." Neville said, slightly angrily. "No-one will willingly hire a Werewolf, and those who do are subject to hate crimes, usually persecuted by the Ministry."

"No way she'll be Deepthroat." I said, putting my empty cup down. "She would never do anything that would cause her to be kicked out of the Ministry."

"I don't know." Neville said, taking a sip from his cup. "She could be trying to kick Fudge out to take over." That could be a valid point.

"She could have become Minister before Fudge, though." Luna said, taking out a document from a file she kept under the bed she was using. "I did some research around town. She was nominated to become the Minister of Magic, but she refused, staying as Undersecretary."

"So, she prefers to serve the head, not be the head." I said. "Why?"

"I have an idea." Neville said, finishing his cup. "The Undersecretary drafts laws, and can instigate them without the Minister of Magic, but he can overturn any decision they make. Also, the Undersecretary is less likely to be scrutinised by public opinion."

"So, Umbridge serves under Fudge to do what she wants?" Vivi asked, leaning up from on top of the Familiar. "That's not fair, especially if she's mean to people!"

"She's able to get into Fudge's good books, and get her own agenda done." I said, realising what she's doing. "We have to get her out, as well as Fudge."

"One problem." Luna said, as she set down her cup. "How? There are only three ways we can get her out, she resigns, dies or is fired by Fudge, and that last one is unlikely."

"I don't know." Neville said. "But if we shame her enough, she might be forced to resign."

It was at that moment, that several people suddenly appeared over us, and fell on top of us. They landed above us, and we all struggled to get to order. "GAH!" I heard Harry scream, before jumping onto a bed. "That thing bit me!" He cried, pointing at the Familiar that was now poising itself to attack.

"Relax, Judas." Luna said, while holding her hands up to her Familiar. "They're friends of ours." As the creature looked at her and gave a whimper, sitting down and rubbing it's own tail, everyone else who arrived (Ron, Ezio, Liz, Raph, Cho, Bill, Fleur and Victor) picked up what they had dropped, a few boxes, which they set on the bet. "I know he landed on your tail, but he didn't mean to, did you, Harry?"

"No, I didn't." Harry said, while Vivi was rubbing Judas' tail. "Sorry that I landed on you." Harry said, as he started rubbing Judas on the side of it's head, causing it to purr again. Then, Sirius and Remus came up, as everyone was now standing up, and they looked at us with confusion.

"What the hell were you thinking, breaking into Gringotts?" Remus asked, as Sirius went over to the boxes. "You should have told us, we could've helped!" Sirius then picked up a box, and shook it.

"Oh, presents, for me?" Sirius said, with an enormous grin, as he began to open a box. "First, a flaming lizard, now presents. What do you think they are, Judas?" He asked, as the Familiar shrugged in anticipation. "Hang on, what are these?"

"These are expensive, so don't break them." Ezio warned. "Harry spent 150 Galleons of his own money to buy some of these. The rest, the 300 or so Galleons we stole from the Lestrange vault." Sirius then glanced at us, with a grin, as his eyes sped across all of us. "Hermione, what did you find out?"

"Dumbledore definitely knows about what Kasumi and Keiji are doing here." She said, with a quick smile.

"How the bloody hell did you break into Bella's vault?" Sirius asked. "How'd you break into a Gringotts vault?"

"We'll explain." Harry said, as he sat down. "Two things. One, when's the next Order meeting, and where?"

"Here, tonight." Sirius replied.

"Second, can we get some tea?" Harry said. "I just broke into Gringotts, so I'm a bit parched." With that, Fleur then slid through the floor, and then ran back up the stairs, followed by two kettles she was carrying, some teabags, and a few biscuits. "Fleur, I know you want to show off your Conduit power, but we are about to head down." Everything then fell, as Fleur then showed disappointment.

"Damn." She said, before causing the water to disappear and levitating the other items, causing the cups and plates to repair on the way.

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"This meeting of the Order of the Phoenix is in session." Dumbledore said. "Now, first on the agenda, how the younger individuals present have turned us from a covert group to a hero for hire service." He said, with some rather annoyed voice.

"Hey, we got a few allies." I said, before glancing at Ezio, Raph, Liz and Sirius, who were messing about with a few phones. "We got those mobiles for less than a quarter of the asking price because of a Muggle ally we have, someone with connections who can find out information for us, thanks to Ezio, Raphael and Elizabeth."

"And Harry, Cho and Ginny got the favour of some storeowners in Diagon Alley." Hermione said, joining the conversation. "Also, with the interactions we had with Amelia Bones, we can definitely tell she's helping us, as well as the ICW Aurors." She finished by giving Dumbledore a quick glance.

"And the Prime Minister could be a supporter, if the short conversation we had with him is any indication." Ezio said, setting down a phone. "Plus Apollo. He helped us break into and out of the Lestrange vault." Several members, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, Kingsley and Mad Eye Moody (I didn't know he was in the Order), looked at us in dismay.

"What were you thinking!" Mrs. Weasley yelled at us. "What compelled you to break into Gringotts?"

"The fact that Voldemort had one of his followers keep this in his vault." I said, before setting it down on the table. "He put a piece of his soul in there, but we managed to remove it by keeping it in Closed Space."

"Is that…" Dumbledore said, picking it up and looking at it, mystified. "…Helga Hufflepuff's Cup?"

"The real deal, I think." I said, with a grin. "We removed the part of Voldemort's soul, so it's now a boring, old antique." However, Mad Eye just leaped for the cup, carrying a large fang. "Moody, what are you doing?"

"It must be destroyed!" He shouted, trying to strike the fang into the cup. It was then that I realised that he had a Basilisk fang.

"We removed the soul shard!" Ezio shouted, levitating the cup over to himself. "I've checked. I can't use this to make a connection to Voldemort, so it's completely-" He tried to say before getting a stunner to the eye. The one that was purple.

"We have no way of making sure that it's really had the soul removed, and that's to destroy it." He said, trying to strike it again, but his wrist was grabbed by Raph.

"So, it's perfectly acceptable to fire a spell at someone who can testify that it's safe because you're paranoid?" He asked, before tightening his grip to make Mad Eye drop the fang.

"Is he always this mental," Seamus asked, "or did he get more loony when he was trapped in that chest?"

"Actually, the chest made him more sane." Tonks said, before taking a sip of water. "He wouldn't have waited, he would have attacked before Harry laid it on the table. He destroyed a gift I gave him. It was expensive, too!"

"We can't take any chances!" He said, angrily. "We have to destroy it. We have to show constant vigilan-" He said, before being drop kicked by Ezio, which shocked Raph enough to let go of Mad Eye.

"Bastard!" Ezio shouted, trying to get over to Moody to land a punch. However, Moody hit him with another curse, sending him into a wall, before following up with another curse. However, the curse stopped right before Ezio's face, before multiplying into more spells, as Ezio rushed at Mad Eye, sending the spells at Mad Eye, causing him to lose his wand and hit him against the wall. Ezio was eventually grabbed by Liz and Charlie, while Moody was grabbed by Tonks and Lupin. _Let go of me!_ Liz and Charlie then released Ezio, with a look of dismay, as Ezio charged at Moody, before being knocked out by a punch from Raph.

"Well, at least you can control that bast-" Moody began, before being knocked out as well. We all looked at Raph with shock, but he wasn't even slightly bothered.

"What?" He asked us, as he grabbed the two unconscious people and headed to the door. "Moody attacked first. I'm pissed at Ezio, but I'm even more angry at Moody. By the way, do you have any way of tying these two up? Ezio will probably attack again, and Moody seems paranoid enough to antagonize him."

"Well, can we get back to order?" Dumbledore said, as he looked at the cup. "This is the genuine thing. Helga Hufflepuff's Cup. But we have to find the others."

"Ezio did this trick earlier." Liz said. "We managed to see where the next one is, the Gaunt Ring. It's at their shack, we don't know where, Voldemort suddenly felt a large feeling of anguish."

"One of the reactions of having a Horcrux destroyed." Dumbledore said, slightly amazed. "It was delayed, so he's been separated from it for a long time." He then stroked his beard, as he thought about something. I have no idea what, though. "I know where the Gaunt Shack is, but knowing Voldemort, he's probably got curses on the ring."

"I'll go." Liz said, but before anyone could protest, "Although there is something I want to try first, and I'll need a wizard." She then turned to all of us, and then slouched over, resting on a table. "Ezio can hold spells in the air and make them stronger, and Unforgivable Curses don't work on Conduits. So, I want to see if I can do something similar, neutralise magic. Can anyone help me, cast spells at me?"

"Well, it is a pretty insane thing to say," Lupin said, as he stood up, "but, how will that help you get to the ring?"

"It's simple." Liz said, crossing her arms, as a bit of loose hair draped over one eye. "I'll neutralise any curses and heal myself to allow us to get the ring. Also, Cho will need to take us back, as well as destroy the soul shard."

"But what if Voldemort, or some other Death Eater shows up to take the ring?" Cho asked.

"I'll be able to fight them off, absorb magic, if I can, and get close as a distraction." Liz said. "Also, while my powers are primarily aimed at healing, there is a special quality, where I can cause my injuries to appear on whoever injured me."

"Alright, we'll practice at the Weasley's later." Lupin said, as he sat back down. "Now, what do we do with the phones?"

"We've added them all to the same group." Raph said, as he came back in. "Basically, they'll allow us to keep in contact. Also, we asked Kasumi and Keiji for an encryption so no one can listen in. Also, there's a messenger on it that we can use, like passing on notes to each other and the group. Also, it's encrypted my default, so no one can hack into our closed network and steal valuable data, unless they get into the servers of Research in Motion, which I don't even think are even in Britain, somewhere like Sweden I think."

"Don't give it to Moody." Neville said, as he poured out some tea for him, Fleur and Vivi. "He'll smash it with a hammer. His paranoia is as legendary as Professor Dumbledore's homosexuality, the Tokyo monster attacks of 2000, or even the Moogles of Nevada." It was then several of us, Hermione, Ron, Liz, Raphael, Ezio (Who had levitated the bed down to the room), Hermione's parents and I all stood up, and shouted 'What' at the top of our lungs.

"He's gay? I thought he was banging McGonagall!"

"You mean that I wasn't hallucinating when we were there on vacation?"

"Did you say Moogles? We're heading to Nevada!"

"Can you go a few days without Final Fantasy?"

"Oh, shut it, Raph!"

"I'm Liz."

"Oh, sorry."

"Wait, what was that about monsters in Tokyo?"

"Some large horde of monsters appeared out of nowhere and killed a few people." Hermione said, standing up. "Now can we go back to the original narrative, or should I slap the director?"

"Slap him!" Vivi said, jumping up, with a fist to the air. "Who's the director?"

"He's…" I began, before stopping myself. "Never mind." Don't tell him, he'll crack.

"Anyway, I have some important news." Dumbledore said, taking over the conversation again. "I've spoken with Amelia Bones, and asked her to convince the Wizengamot to temporarily repeal the laws about underage magic."

"You mean-" Cho said, delighted.

"You should only use your magic to protect yourselves." Mrs. Weasley said, "But don't run off into a fight because of it!" She shouted, before warning us of the consequences.

"Relax." Ezio said, still pulling the bed behind him, "We don't go looking for fights. They happen when we try and protect people from assholes."

"How did you get that bed down here?" Sirius asked. "That bed is held in place by magic."

"Conduits negate magic." Ezio said, laughing… before fainting and dropping the bed on top of him (luckily, he wasn't hurt.

"He's exhausted." Liz said, cutting the rope and pulling him out from under the bed, then putting him on top of it. "I'll carry him back to the Burrow if I have to."

"Well, I'm going to turn on the Wireless." Ginny said, as she turned on the radio, and turned up the volume.

*-the 5-30 news update.* the announcer said, a serious sounding male. *The Magna Carta inquest has found that the Fudge administration had neglected all of it's duties that it was intended to uphold as part of the Statute of Secrecy, including the management of Magical relations, and discrimination. The British Ministry of Magic was supposed to allow magical creatures into office, but their discrimination only allowed Pure-Blood wizards into positions of power. We tried to speak to Minister Fudge and Undersecretary Umbridge, but Fudge wasn't available to comment, and Mrs. Umbridge refused to answer-*

He said, before being interrupted. Someone else spoke to the man, a woman, I think, whispering something to him. *Are you serious!* There was a rustling of paper, as he gasped in horror, then more rustling, before the man cleared his throat. *Ladies and gentleman, I am afraid to inform you,* he paused, as he regained his posture. *that Cornelius Fudge was found dead only an hour ago.* Everyone in the room dropped everything when they heard that. *He was apparently found, hanging from a phone pole, near a local apartment building in the Peckham area. While it is currently being investigated, we can confirm that no known signs of death have been found from either magic or weaponry. However, we can confirm that Muggles are involved in the case, Japanese private investigators who are investigating the case.*

"Wait, he's dead?" Luna said, mortified. "How?"

*The area was covered in fog earlier today, which is when it's suspected his body was dumped off. We will try and cover the details when we can.*

"Great, something else to deal with." I said, as I grabbed a drink from the table. "Can't wait to see how the Ministry will blame us for this."

* * *

><p>FILES:<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Bank statements (Harry James Potter):<strong>

The bank records of Harry Potter, including all invoices.

* * *

><p><strong>Bank Statements (Ministry of Magic):<strong>

The bank records of the Ministry of Magic, including all invoices. This has evidence of Cornelius Fudge's corruption.

* * *

><p>"{Is there anything I can get you two?}" The officer said to us, as we sat down in the debriefing room. "{Coffee, tea, water?}"<p>

"{It's quite alright.}" The grey haired, older man said, as the police officer left the room. Some summer break, I come here, on my grandfather's orders, for some rest, and I end up fighting for my life, and there's a snow storm. I admit, it was nice to go to see that world famous house of wax, as well as the Tower of London, but he could have warned me beforehand, or let me take one of my friends. "So, why are you here?" The other man asked me, in Japanese, slouching in the chair.

"I was here for vacation, and helped the cops fight some of those monsters." I replied. "But when the chief here learnt that I was involved in solving the Inaba murders, he asked me for help I solving the murder of this guy named, Fudge."

"So, you fought them off too?" he asked. "So, how'd you do it?"

"The beast Shadows are weak against Hama." I said, as I looked at him. He was acting confused, but I could tell he was more surprised by this.

"Excuse me?" He said, leaning forward."

"I know you're a Persona User." I replied, as he jumped back a bit. "I saw that gun you carry. It's an Evoker." He let out a sigh, as he gave me a smile.

"So, how obvious was I?" He asked. "And how'd you know about Personae." I then summoned my own Persona, Sukana-Hikona. "Wow, pretty small." he said, before it dispelled.

"But uses Light, Dark and Almighty Skills, and a few physical skills." I replied. "You?" The young man then took out his gun and shot himself with it, causing his Persona to appear. I then gave him a smile, before giving him a handshake. "Naoto Shirogame. My Persona is Sukana-Hikona."

"Akihiko Sanada." He said, shaking his hand. "Ceaser. So, how'd you get a Persona?"

"I was almost a victim of the Inaba murders." I said, before slouching a bit. "Someone used their Persona Power to throw people into another world, completely infested by Shadows. If the victims weren't rescued before fog set in, they were killed by their own Shadow.

However, if you came to terms with your Shadow, you were rewarded with a Persona."

"How many were in your group?" Akihiko asked.

"Eight of us." I replied. "I was the last to join the group, all of us faced our Shadows. What about your group?"

"We had to stop a cult from causing all of the world's Shadows to fuse together and kill everyone on our planet. Two of my friends died because of that."

"I'm sorry." I said. I know it was probably a serious issue for him.

"It's okay." He said, as he got out of the chair. "So, how related is this to the Inaba murders."

"Same M.O." I replied. "But because of all the Shadows around here, I have no idea if it was because he was put deep into despair, or if he was thrown into that other world. I'll have to try it, later."

"How do you get into that other world?" He asked me. "My group would only fight them at midnight, when only Persona Users could see them."

"We had to jump through TV's." I replied. "Anyway, who would want this man dead?"

"He's a pretty hated man at the minute." Akihiko said. "He tried to have a young man sent to jail for protecting himself from an attempted murder."

"Well, if he was on the Midnight Channel…" I said, thinking. But if that were the case, someone would need intricate knowledge of the murders. "I need to know who was the last person to see him alive, as well as where he was before he disappeared."

"Okay, if take the case, I'll see if we can learn more about how he could have disappeared, as well as someone with a motive." Akihiko-san replied. "But, is there anything we need to know, specifically?"

"Yes." I said, sitting down. "Someone needed to use a TV to get him into that world, so that is the most important. However…" I said, letting out a sigh. "If he wasn't thrown in, everyone in this town is in serious trouble."


	20. Operation Hogwarts 10: Jules

Look, I know that I should update sooner, but a lot has happened in the last while. I got Resident Evil on PS3, started playing an MMO, and tech started again after the Halloween break. So, I'll try to stick to schedule as much as possi-*SMACK!* Wait, what the hell?

'What the hell was that last gag?'

Hermione? What the hell? How did you-

'Seriously, what made you abandon common spacing between paragraphs? Or was it some lame joke you felt you had to insert in somewhere?'

Actually, it was a shout out to a piece of fan fiction for Resident Evil. I guess it would only work with the lights off.

'Well, put more thought into your comedy, or don't write any at all.'

Hey, it could be worse, I could kill off someone else in this chapter, or make another stupid shout out that only 3 people would get.

'Like what? Batman? Quentin Tarantino? Stupid Japanese RPGs?

Hey, there are a lot of good JRPGs, like Persona 4, or Disgaea. Well, I'm getting off track.

Anyway, if anyone would add this story to a Fan Fic Recommendation page on TV tropes, I'll be grateful. I would add it myself, but I consider that rude. Also, if you have any questions for any characters that have appeared, I'll coax them to answer them for you after every chapter. And in the case you ask a stupid question, I'll answer them. I even have pipe and a bathrobe.

'Wait, what?'

And if you ask a really stupid question, **I will find you.** Besides, it's not my job. So, Hermione, what books do you like to read?

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"So, are you going to carry him back?" Liz asked Raph, as he lifted his younger brother and was about to carry him through to the Burrow. "I could help."

"Yeah, but I need to do something." Raph said, with a grin on his face. "Can you hand me that switch?"

"Another paint bomb?" She asked, obviously annoyed. "You know, he'll probably be pissed when he wakes up. Besides, the last one was nasty." Wait, what? "Oh, see, Raph and Ezio have a longstanding traditional prank war. Ezio got Raph last, so he's repaying him with another paint bomb. The last one was outright horrific, though. How'd you get his bed to jump a metre?"

"Hey, engineering student." Raph said, passing through the fire place. Well, let's just hope that they don't perform something outrageous, or give Fred and George ideas.

"Hey, Harry, can we talk to you?" Fred asked me, as he and George led me into the hallway. "It will only be a minute."

"Sure, what can I do for you?" I asked, as they set up a couple of wards around themselves. "Please, please don't tell me you heard that conversation."

"Relax, it's something that you would probably like." George said, as he took out a laptop. "A little something we decided would help boost our budget for the next fiscal year." On the screen were several items, including prices, in Sterling, for some objects you would normally expect from a joke shop, or even a sweet shop, plus a few objects used to treat a few maladies. I had to figure out the shop's name, so I looked at the website's… Oh, God, no. "This is our own personal website, Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes Dot Com."

"Is this even legal?" I had to ask. "How do you even do business?"

"It's simple." Fred said, taking out a small piece of paper. "We sell our products, either as a distributor, or our own unique items, which we then put inside these insignias." He said, as George held one up. "Just tear it, and…" As they demonstrated, a Chocolate frog box appeared in his hand. "Instant product."

"Here." George said, handing me the box. "We already made you an account, change the password later." He said, handing me a piece of paper. "You'll be able to buy more… Offensive materials… as well as exclusive access to up and coming products."

"But, they won't be perfect, so don't try and prank someone unless you know you won't get caught." Fred said. "Also, we're going to be Mission Support from now on." WHAT!

"No way!" I said, backing up. "You can't be serious!"

"We can see things from here, or the Burrow." George said. "We can see and here anything, so we can find things faster that you can. So, we can get some info for you. Like, how Fudge died."

"What do you know?" I had to ask.

"Well, nothing much, but whatever killed him, scared the shit out of him." Fred said. "Umbridge is uncooperative, mostly in shock, Amelia Bones is trying to figure out how he disappeared from his office - He hasn't left it in two days, and there's always guards - and the Queen is going to personally decide whether or not they can keep their jobs."

"Please, tell me she's going to fire Umbridge." I begged them.

"We don't know." George said. "But we'll pass on any info we can. By the way? Where's Hedwig?"

"Come to think about it, last time I saw her, she was flying around Diagon Alley." I replied. "If you find out where she is, please tell me." With that, I gave my farewells to Sirius and headed back to the Burrow, to see Liz and Raph talking, obviously worried about something.

"You honestly think that he's that drained?" Liz asked. "I mean, are you sure this isn't normal?"

"Well, the last time he fainted, he was only out of it for a few minutes." Raph replied. "But, he used his powers to get down here, so he could be literally burned out, need to rest for longer, you know- OW!" Raph banged his head on an exposed board, and it slightly cracked. "Dammit, not again."

"How often do you hit your head?" I asked. "And, how come I've never noticed any cracks?"

"Mum keeps fixing them." Ron said, taking out his wand. "Well, since we can use magic now…" He then turned to the board, and held up his wand. "Reparo." He said, as the cracks closed. "So, might I ask why Lupin took you to Diagon Alley, Liz?"

"Well, can I tell you a secret?" She said, as we all nodded. "Don't tell Ezio, it would be a pleasant surprise." She then ran off to another room, and came back with something in her hand.

"Wait," Luna said, as she came over to us, as well as Hermione.

"Is that a wand?" Hermione asked. "Why'd you buy a wand?"

"Lupin asked me to stay behind in HQ a few days ago." She said, playing with her wand. "He asked me to flick his wand, and I broke a window, showing I was a late awakener."

"Wait?" Raph gasped, astonished. "You're a witch?"

"But I thought that most wizards got their powers at 11." Luna said, confused. "Or she could be Mana deficient." We were all confused by her now. "A common symptom of being attacked by Nargles at a young age, someone might not develop their magic properly. That's why my dad had me wear a corkscrew necklace, cork is a Nargle deterrent. They're the cause of magical growth stunt in humans, mostly Squibs."

"So, Luna's hair brain ideas could have some grounds to them?" I asked. "First those 'Zoni', and now, whatever the hell 'Nargles' are."

"Just keep your children away from Mistletoe except for Christmas, they like to infest them." Luna said, giving a faint smile. "Anyway, not everyone becomes a Squib, or loses their magical ability. That's why the Quik-Spell course was originally created, but someone who hated Squibs turned it into a Quik-Skam."

"Come to think about it, Liz, don't you live right next door to someone who grows mistletoe?" Raph asked, slightly astonished.

"Yeah, and I make models out of corkscrews." She said, confused. "Well, as a result, my magic isn't as strong as a normal wizard's or witches, but I can still use it." She then waved her wand for a bit, causing sparks to come out. "Of course, I don't know any spells."

"The Ministry doesn't deal with late Awakeners, just leaving them to their business, hoping they never notice magic." Luna said, as she looked at the wand. "An eleven and a quarter inch wand, very swishy, can bend quite a bit without breaking," She demonstrated, "with a Phoenix feather core and…" She then stroked the wand with the back of her hand, trying to identify the wood. "Willow wood for surrounding the core. Well, that last one says a lot, then. Willow is uncommon, but most of the people who own wands made from it usually become healers. While your magic is weak, the wand compensates for it by using a Phoenix core, which can have the greatest range of magic, but takes longer to reveal within the owner. Your wand has a Phoenix feather, right Harry?" She asked me.

"Yeah, it does." I replied, quite surprised about what she just said. "Wait, so if you study a wand, you can find out information about the owner?"

"I think so." Luna said, giving a faint smile. "I can come up with a basic profile based on wood, length, core, and flexibility and rigidity. Also, Liz, your wand is quite swishy, which means you're quite adaptive in most situations. But the length is average, meaning that you're quite ordinary when people get to know you."

"Wow, she's good." Liz said, as she pocketed her wand. "Anyway, can any of you teach me a few spells?"

"I will." Cho said, appearing next to us. "But, how did you afford it?"

"Well, actually…" Liz said, slightly embarrassed. "Lupin and I were asked to check out a suspected Death Eater attack in the underground, and we were attacked by someone down there, some asshole called Fenrir attacked us, so I made three clean swipes with my spear, and got something each time. Only the third one actually god his money pouch." She then twiddled her thumbs, and started blushing. "That's how I discovered my magic."

"What did you cut off?" Seamus asked, after hearing the conversation.

"Let's just say… He and his Johnston won't be hanging around any kids any longer."

"Well, can't be so sorry for him." Hermione said, as she sat down. "So, what have you been up to, Seamus?"

"Making some stuff for Fred and George." he said, taking off some rubber gloves and plastic glasses. "They said they'd pay me if I helped them, so I'm getting something out of it. So, what do you think everyone else is doing?"

* * *

><p><strong>Lupin<strong>

Driving around London in a stolen car, listening to some Muggle pop music. I have to say, whoever 'Lady Gaga' is, she's very talented. Well, I was driving with Victor Krum and Sirius, in his dog form, who would be our lookout. And Victor is quite a nice fellow.

"Man, the Muggles are so interesting." He said, leaning back. "That quick Quaffle only game over in the park drew quite a crowd, but they really cheered everyone on. Fred and George actually played football with a few of them."

"You don't get many chances to hang around Muggles, do you?" I asked, as we turned a corner.

"On the contrary." He said, scratching Sirius behind the ear. "Ever been to Amsterdam?"

"Is that where you go to unwind?" I had to ask. "Please tell me you don't take drugs."

"No, I only party around there." he said. "What about you, Padfoot?" Sirius then gave out a quick yelp, showing that he agreed with him. "Well, I like to go around all kinds of cities, with an apartment in Amsterdam because I like it the most. Like Paris, when I was younger, I went into a McDonalds there, guess what they used to call their cheeseburgers?"

"They didn't call them cheeseburgers?" I asked.

"No, that's English, they don't even call them ¼ pounders with cheese." Krum said. "They called it a Royale with Cheese. And that's not the weirdest thing." He continued. "In Amsterdam, you go to the cinema, and you buy a glass of beer, I don't mean those stupid, cheap, plastic cups, I mean an actual glass."

"Wow, Amsterdam does a lot of stuff differently to the UK, huh?"

"Yeah, ironically, prostitution is illegal." He laughed. "Well, how do we do this?" he asked, as we pulled over, taking out a gun. "And why guns? Couldn't we use our wands?"

"Our wands would be traceable." I said. "Basically, we just knock, and shoot whoever answers us. The bullets won't kill, just paralyze, and cause whoever they hit to think they're wounded. Also, the Death Eaters are posing as Muggles, so that they don't raise suspicion."

"Okay." He said, as he opened the door and let Sirius out. "We should have taken shotguns." I handed him a bottle of Polyjuice potion, and signalled for him to drink it, while I also took a slug of a separate bottle, creating disguises for ourselves. The suits we were wearing were nice, as well.

"Yeah, we should have." I said, as we walked into the building. We headed to the stairs, as we looked out for any traps. "Follow my lead, and we'll get the package."

"No way man, let's just shoot them all, grab the case, and get out of there." Victor said, slightly panicking.

"Look, we them alive to hand over to the Aurors," He explained, "and if we kill even one of them, we'll be in serious trouble. Look, just remember, your name in Vincent, don't give me a name." I then gave a nod to Sirius, as he watched the hall, before knocking the door.

"Who's there?" Someone asked, as I leaned into the door.

"It's Johnny." I said, as I put on a cockney accent, which Victor couldn't stop snickering about. "We snatched another piece of filth."

"You stupid idiots!" He said, annoyed. "You stupid Snatchers aren't supposed to come here unless it's a serious problem!" Yep, this is the right place. He was already unlocking the door, as we got into position to take him out. "What do you-" *BANG*, and he fell down, as Krum pushed in, grabbing his gun and pointing it at one guy on a couch and someone standing over a battered and bruised kid, next to a wall. I guess he was a Muggle, or something. As I turned my gun to someone sitting in a chair, next to a table, I kicked his wand away.

"Hey, kids." I said, putting my gun away. "How you boys doing?" I then signalled for the one on the chair to put his legs back up, he was going to try and jump us at the first opportunity. "Do you know who we are?"

"Some blood traitors who think that they don't need magic?" he said, defiant. I then recognised him. Fenrir Greyback. But I was glad he didn't recognise me, with the Polyjuice potion and all. His voice was of a slightly higher pitch, probably due to how injured he was.

"Actually, no." I said, before, looking around the room. "We're associates of your business partner, Marcellus Wallace." That got their attention, as they almost shat themselves when they heard that. "You do remember your business partner, don't you?" They were all silent, keeping to themselves, even the guy in the chair. "Let me take a wild guess here… You're Barry, right?" He almost had a heart attack.

See, a few Death Eaters stole a large amount of gold from a local Muggle gangster, and he began waging war against them, even going Medieval on one guy's ass. Most Death Eaters decided not to try and cross him, which gave us a good idea for a cover.

"Yeah…" He said, before twitching furiously. Barry Whitewillow was a Pure-Blood wizard, and a pure tearaway at that, who was recently discovered to be responsible for the deaths of 50 Muggle children, an act that got him a position within the Death Eaters. He was someone I could never care about.

"I thought so. You do remember your business partner, Marcellus Wallace, don't you, Barry?"

"…Yeah, I remember." He also killed Marcellus' wife, which is why he's scared as shit.

"Good. Looks like me and Vincent caught you in the middle of dinner. Sorry at that." Well, I was hungry, so I decided to get a free meal. "What are you having?"

"…Burgers."

"Burgers! The cornerstone of any nutritious meal. What kind of burgers, where'd you get them?"

"…A… local take away."

"Really, is it good?" He just nodded, realising that I was buying time before beating him. "Mind if I have a taste?" He signalled me to go ahead, as I grabbed a burger and took a big bite from it. "Hmm-hmm. That is a tasty burger. By the way, do you know what a cheeseburger is called in France?" He signalled that he didn't know, so I turned to my associate. "Tell them."

"A Royale with cheese, they call it that because of the Metric system." Wow, he's good at American accents.

"Well, Show and Tell's over." I said, clapping my hands. "Flock of seagulls, know why we're here?"

"It's over ther-" The bound kid said to me.

"I DON'T REMEMBER ASKING YOU A GODDAMNED THING!" I shouted. He kept quiet, realising we weren't going to help him. Well, not yet. "You were saying?"

"It's in the cupboard." Fenrir said, as Victor looked around. "No, by your knees." Victor looked around, before pulling out a large leather case. He then opened the case, checking the contents.

"Vincent." I called, but he was just admiring the contents. "Vincent!" That got his attention "We happy?"

"We happy." He said, closing the case.

"Look, I got your name, Vincent," Barry said, pointing at Victor, "But I-I never got you-"

"My name's 'Pit'," I butted in, "And your ass isn't talking your way out of this."

"No, I just want you to know," He said, trying to get out of his chair, as I saw his friend by the tied up young man reaching for a knife, before I signalled for him to sit back down, "I just want you to know how sorry we are that things got so fucked up between us and Mr. Wallace. We're only following orders from someone at a higher post of command, and if we could re-do this, we would do it with the best intentions, really-" *BANG* I shot the one with a knife before he could jump me, horrifying everyone else in the room.

"I'm sorry, did I break your concentration?" I asked, letting them begin to panic. "I didn't mean to do that. Please, continue. You were saying something about… 'best intentions'?" He tried to grab a hidden wand, but it was out of reach. "What's the matter? Oh, you were finished? Well, allow me to retort." I then leaned closer to him, looking him in the eye. "What… does Marcellus Wallace look like."

"…What?" I grabbed the table, throwing it at a nearby wall, completely shattering it. I guess that my powers made me more stronger than I'm aware. I only meant to turn it over.

"What country are you from!" I shouted.

"What?"

"'What' isn't a country I've ever heard of, do they speak English in What?" I demanded.

"…What?"

"ENGLISH, MOTHERFUCKER! DO YOU SPEAK IT!"

"Yes!"

"So you understand what I'm saying to you?"

"Yes."

"So, describe what Marcellus Wallace looks like!"

"What?" It was then that I aimed my gun straight at his forehead.

"Say 'What' again! SAY 'WHAT' AGAIN! I dare you! I double-dare you, motherfucker, say 'What' one more goddamn time!"

"H-He-H-He's black." Barry said, trembling, trying to remain coherent. I egged him on with a slight jab with the gun. "H-He-he's bald!"

"Does he look like a bitch?" I asked.

"What?" He asked, before I pointed the gun at his shoulder, and pulled the trigger. *BANG* As he grabbed his, to him, bleeding shoulder, he winced in pain.

"Does! He look! Like! A BITCH!"

"NO!"

"Then why are you trying to fuck him like a bitch, Barry?"

"I didn't…"

"Yes you did!" I shouted. "Yes you did, Barry. You tried to fuck him, and Marcellus Wallace doesn't like to be fucked by anybody except Mrs. Wallace. Do you read the Bible, Barry?"

"Yes."

"Well, there's this passage I got memorised, one that fits this occasion. Ezekiel 25:17?" He just looked with panic at me, trying to find some way out of the situation. "The path of the righteous man is beset on all side by theinequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers." And raising my gun, followed by Victor, I said "And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee!" As Victor and I shot Barry repeatedly, the kid tied to the chair repeated 'Oh, shit', over and over again.

"Hey, you okay?" Victor said to the frightened man. "What's your name?"

"…Marvin." He said. "Y-You killed them!"

"No we didn't." Victor said, untying the young man. "The bullets only paralyze. Can you tell us why you were taken here?"

Suddenly, someone burst out of another room, brandishing a revolver. "Die! DIE!" He yelled, unloading it at the three of us. However, none of the bullets hit. We all looked around, confused, before aiming our guns at him, and each shot him once.

"Marvin," Victor said, looking at the now standing man. "did you know about that guy in the bathroom? The one with the big ass gun?"

"Do you see the size of that thing?" I said, picking it up. "It's bigger than him." Curiously, I looked around the room, noticing several bullet holes on the wall were facing away from, including one that should have hit Victor straight through the heart… "We should be dead, Victor."

"I know, we were lucky."

"No, this was more than luck." I said, pointing at the wall. "Several of these bullets should have hit us. Hell, you should have got it in the heart. This was divine intervention. Do you know what divine intervention is?"

"I think so." Victor said, as he and Marvin began to tie up the Death Eaters. "You really think that God came down and saved us? I mean, I've heard of a few stories about Muggles shooting Wizards, and the bullets moving out of the way."

"Don't do that!" I shouted. "Don't blow this off. What we just saw was a fucking miracle, and I want you to acknowledge that."

"Alright, it was a miracle." Victor said, as he finished tying up the last Death Eater. "Can we get the hell out of here?" He said, as he signalled at the door. "Who do we take?"

"Let's grab Fenrir." I said, grabbing the paralyzed man. "Liz will be able to terrorise him for a long time, and if case he somehow turns into a werewolf, I'll be able to control him." With that, we all left the apartment, as Sirius joined us in the elevator.

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

As we were practicing our fighting, with Liz and Cho practicing trying to neutralise magic when it hit them. Raphael was waiting inside, helping Bill and Charlie with repairs around the house (Long story short, a rugby tackle on a 7 foot hulk of a man is going to break a few things), while Ron, Ginny, Fleur, Luna, Vivi and Neville played some card game called 'Munchkin', Ron and I played chess, and Hermione read a book called, 'Murder on the Orient Express'.

"I took your knight." Ron said, as the pawn took one of my knights. "Checkmate in two moves."

"Okay," I said, as I ordered my rook to take his queen. "So, what's next?"

"Harry, you are really bad at this game." Ron said, as he ordered his knight to take my king. "Checkmate."

"I kick down the door." Fleur said, as she took a card from one of the decks. "So, I have to fight a Lawyer."

"Hold on," Ginny said, pointing at one of her cards. "You're a thief, look at it's effect."

"'Will not attack a thief (professional courtesy)'." Cho said, disappointed. "Wait, does that mean I don't get the level? I'm only one level away from winning."

"I think not." Neville said. "So, is it my turn now?"

"Hold on, I'm going to replace my thief for a cleric." Fleur said, as she took one card from in front of her and replaced it with another. "Okay."

"Okay, I'm going to sell a few things." Neville said, placing a few things on the table. "Okay, I sell a few things, including this 800 gold item which, because I'm a Halfling, I get to sell for twice the amount, and these items for 300 and 100 gold each, so I go up 2 levels, so I'm level 8. Now, Ginny, would you kindly?" As Ginny took the card and set it front and forward, she showed it to everyone. "Divine intervention?"

"All clerics level up when this card is drawn." Ginny said, showing it to everyone who couldn't read it. "It can even be the winning hand." Fleur and Vivi just jumped up in excitement, as they just won the game, as they were both clerics. "So, now what?"

"Well, let's see what Cho and Liz are up to." Neville said, as he got up, followed by Vivi. "Wow, they're taking a beating." As we looked outside, we saw Cho get hit with another curse, cast by Seamus, as we headed out, as Ron challenged Luna to a game of Chess.

"Are you sure that you want me to keep casting?" Seamus said, obviously worried. "I mean, we can take a break."

"You can go and rest, Cho." Liz, steadying herself with her spear, said. "I almost got it. That last spell didn't hurt as bad."

"Liz, you're more exhausted than me." Cho said, grabbing Liz. "Dinner's almost ready, right? Well, we can resume after."

"Just one more spell." Liz said, as she braced herself. As Seamus readied his wand, she braced herself.

"Are you ready?" He asked. As she gave a weak nod, Seamus made a few flicks of his wand. "Stupefy." As the spell flew towards Liz, it broke apart, and flew around Liz, before entering her palms, and disappearing. Liz gave a faint smile, before leaping with joy.

"I did it!" Liz shouted, as she headed into the house. "I'm gonna tell everyone, see if I can teach all the Conduits how to absorb magic!"

"You can absorb magic?" Ezio said, as he walked out. "Wow, I guess you must be practici- OW!" He said, as Liz smacked him. "Hey, what the hell was that for?"

"You're suffering from exhaustion, and you're outside?" Liz asked, angrily. "You could get sick! Did Raph even stop you?"

"Actually, he said to get some fresh air." Ezio said, as he stretched out a bit. "He won't let me leave the Burrow for a while though, so I'll be on support by phone. So, how'd you catch that spell?"

"Well, when I'm hit by a spell, I momentarily feel a faint warmth. So I thought, 'That's a nice feeling, like a breeze in a warm summer's day'. When I felt that, the spell didn't hit that hard. So, I thought about just allowing the spell to hit me, wanting to feel that breeze, and when the spell connected, the breeze was much greater. That's how you absorb magic, don't expect it to hurt, welcome it as something calm and relaxing."

"Hey, when I catch a spell, I feel a faint breeze, too." Ezio said, scratching the bottom of his back.

"Hey, come to think of it, that's never happened before to me, before I got my Closed Space power, but I did feel a breeze." Cho said, perplexed. "Hey, Seamus, use a stunner on me."

"Stupefy." Seamus said, sending a spell at Cho, as it surrounded her, just like Liz. "Wow, I can't believe it's that simple!"

"Well, can we get something to eat, I'm starving." Ezio said, as we all headed back inside.

* * *

><p><strong>Lupin<strong>

"Well, it does seem strange, I have no explanation as to why those bullets didn't hit you." Sirius said, with confusion.

"Have you ever heard of that show, 'COPS'?" Marvin said, leaning against the seat. I felt bad about sitting him next to one of his torturers, but he was quite alright about it. "Well, I was watching it this one time, where a cop said that he was in a shootout with a guy in a drug store, and he unloaded on this guy. He didn't hit anything. I mean, it's freaky, but it happens."

"Yeah, but I'm not going to ignore a miracle that gave me a second chance." I said, as I drove down the street.

"What does that mean?" Victor said, confused.

"I mean, I'm going to rethink my life." I said. "I was suddenly cured of my disease, and I lived when I should have died. After this ends, I'm settling down."

"Oh, come on." Sirius said, obviously astonished. "You can't get a job, you're broke, what are you going to do."

"You think Dumbledore would help me get my job back?" I asked, "Defence Against the Dark Arts? Or do you want to teach it?"

"Damn, you really think that you'll just be welcomed back with open arms?"

"Fenrir, what do you make of all this?" Victor asked the bound and gagged Werewolf.

"I don't even have an opinion." He replied, followed by Victor turning to face him.

"Well, you got to have an opinion." Victor said. "I mean, do you think that God came down from heaven and stopped-" *BANG*

"Oh, what the fuck's happening?" I shouted, as I felt something hit the back of my head.

"Shit!" Sirius said, looking around.

"Oh, man," Victor said, horrified, "I shot Fenrir in the face."

"Why'd the fuck did you do that?" Marvin shouted.

"I didn't mean to, it was an accident." He replied.

"Oh man, I've seen some crazy shit in my time," Sirius said, completely horrified, "but this is something new."

"Relax, guys, I said it was an accident," Victor said, dropping his gun, "we must have went over a bump or something."

"I know this road," I said, wiping a blood spatter from the windscreen, "we didn't hit a damn bump."

"Hey, look, I didn't mean to shoot the son of a bitch, the gun just went off, I don't know why."

"Well, look at this fucking mess!" I shouted. "We're in the middle of traffic in broad daylight here."

"I can't believe it." Victor said, setting down his gun.

"WELL, BELIEVE IT NOW, MOTHERFUCKER!" Marvin shouted, "We have to get this car off the road. You know, police tend to notice when you're riding a car covered in fucking blood!"

"Just take it to a friendly place, that's all."

"We're in Peckham, Victor!" Sirius shouted, "We don't have a friendly around here."

"THEN DRIVE INTO FUCKING TOWN, MAN!" Victor shouted, as Marvin took out his phone. "What the hell are you doing?" He asked.

"I know someone only a few streets away." Marvin said, as he dialled a number. "If my boss doesn't answer, I don't know what the fuck we're going to do. Hello, boss? Listen, I got the case, but we're in a lot of trouble. Is it okay if we use your garage? Thanks, we'll head there now." As he hung up, he leaned forward, pointing at a road. "Take the next left and keep driving, when you see a car repair garage, get off the road, and I'll open the door."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"Well, that was good." Ezio said, as he lied back against the chair. "Is there any more?"

"Your powers must eat at any calories in your body." Liz said, as she finished. "The same happens to me, too. Anyway, does anyone want to practice spell absorption?" As she lead a large group outside, Luna stayed seated with Vivi, as the began shuffling cards.

"I'm fine." Luna said, as she gave everyone a faint smile. "I'll just play with Vivi."

"I'll stay in." Ezio said, as he took a drink. "Besides, I don't think you'll let me out, anyway." As Liz gave a nod, she looked at me.

"I'm okay." I replied. "I just want to rest. Can I join your game, then?" As everyone else went outside, Luna and Vivi set the cards down.

"Wait, you're playing Munchkin?" Ezio asked. "Let me guess, that shouting I heard earlier was someone winning by 'Divine intervention'?"

"Me and Fleur got a tie." Vivi said, smiling, or, I think he was smiling.

"Well, I'll join in, too." He said, as Luna gave out four cards with hordes of treasure on them, and Vivi gave us cards with doors on them. "Harry, do you know how to play?"

"No." I replied, as I looked at my cards. The ones with the doors had an Orc card, a knight card, a curse (a chicken on your head? Seriously?) and a 'Wandering Monster' card. The cards with treasure on them were a few weapons, and a potion that would allow me to run from fight.

"Okay, you get cards that can be equipped in this template, here." Ezio said, as he gave me a basic description of the game. "For example, I'm a Cleric, but I'm a human because I don't have a Race card. You play cards on this, with equipment adding a score to you attack power, which is based on your level. You start at level 1, and when you reach level 10, you win. Also, there are several cards that have several beneficial or malevolent effects, such as the Half-Breed Card that allows you to use two races at once, or the Wandering Monster card, which allows you to send a monster card that you draw to join into another player's combat." As Luna and Vivi set down their cards, Ezio leaned up in front of me and whispered, "You're allowed to cheat, but only if you're not caught. So be careful, I think Vivi can call you out."

"Okay." I said, as I set down my cards. " So, who goes first?"

* * *

><p><strong>Lupin<strong>

"Well, we're never using guns again." I replied, as I sat down inside Grimmauld street's living room. "Seriously, what were you thinking, keeping your hand on the trigger, Victor?"

"Wait, what?" Tonks asked, horrified. "Why'd you take guns?"

"We were undercover." Victor said, scratching his head. "But I guess it was a bad idea to just use guns without proper training."

"He shot Fenrir Greyback in the face." Sirius said. "In the middle of the road, while we were driving."

"Yeah." Tonks said, as she tensed up. "I'm confiscating your guns."

"Well, we already informed the Aurors about the other Death Eaters," I replied, "and we saved a Muggle."

"Yeah, Marvin got the car destroyed, and we had to hand over the gold, but we got a local mobster's number if we ever need their help." Sirius replied. "Kreacher?" As the House Elf appeared, we all turned to look at him. "How'd it go?"

"The microphones and cameras are in place, and no one saw me." Kreacher said.

"Did you directly communicate with anyone?"

"No."

"Alright, now, perform some dusting around the house."

"…Sirius, Kreacher hates you." Tonks said. "How'd you get him to behave?"

"It's simple." Sirius said, taking out a large contract. "This was his order. I closed as many loopholes as I could, with the help of Fred and George, of course. In payment, I'm trying to help them get a copy of the Quidditch rulebook."

"…My god." I said, as Tonks fainted, before I could catch her. As I dragger her over to a chair, the back door was knocked, as Sirius went to open it.

"Sir Humphrey, any news?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, I presented the proof of your innocence to Amelia Bones, and we've arranged a time for your appeal." He replied. "I was able to negotiate with Ragnok to have your appeal inside a private room in Gringotts, so that you can't be arrested just by turning up. I'll bring a Portkey as soon as possible."

"Well, that's good news," Sirius asked, "But couldn't you have called me? You know my phone number."

"Someone's been breaking into my voice mail." Sir Humphrey said. "I don't know who, but I am having it investigated. Anyway, can you pass this onto Harry?" He said, as he handed me a letter. "It has to do with a few investments that have just paid out. By the way, did any of you hear that someone broke into Gringotts earlier today?"

"No, I was not aware of this." I lied. "Might I ask, what was stolen?"

"Someone broke into the Lestrange vault, stole a few hundred Galleons and a goblet."

"Wow, someone broke into Gringotts for that?" I replied. "That was stupid! I would've tore the place apart."

"Well, the Ministry thinks it was Bellatrix Lestrange, as her key was used to open it." Sir Humphrey replied. "Also, whoever did the crime tortured a Goblin, he's in critical condition."

"Well, thanks." I replied, setting the letter down. "See you later, then." I replied, as I closed the door as Sir Humphrey Apperated away. "My god, I can't believe that I got away with that."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"Oh, come on." Ezio said, as Luna used the Wandering Monster card to make him fight the Stoned Golem and the Plutonium Dragon at the same time. "Is no-one going to help?"

"No." I replied.

"Why would I?" Luna said.

"I'll help!" Vivi said, as he stood on the chair. "You're attack power is fifteen, and mine is sixteen, so I can easily help you, but I want one treasure for it."

"Okay." Ezio replied, as Luna looked horrified.

"He's an elf, Ezio!" Luna shouted.

"Yeah, but you just won the game, didn't you?" Ezio asked, as Vivi set his last three counters on his character sheet, showing he was level 10.

"I win." Vivi said, as he collected the door cards and put them back into his deck. "It was a good thing I kept that Elf card hidden, isn't it?"

"My god, Luna, you're raising a lawyer?" Ezio asked, with a hint of sarcasm. "Anyway, he's really good at this.""Are you still up?" Mrs. Weasley asked us, as she came over to the table. "It's nine thirty, you were playing for over two hours now."

"Wow, that late?" Ezio asked. "Most of the games I play usually only take 45 minutes, I guess we were all competitive tonight."

"Hey, Eezo?" Vivi asked, "What's that at the bottom of your trousers?"

"What?" Ezio asked, as he looked at where Vivi was pointing, where there was a yellow and brown furball coming out of his jeans. Ezio, completely confused, then ran straight for the bathroom. After a moment, "AAAGH! OH MY GOD!"

"He grew a tail, I bet." I said, finishing my tea and heading towards the bathroom. "Ezio, are you okay?"

"I HAVE A FREAKING TAIL!" He shouted through the door. "DOES THAT SOUND OKAY TO YOU!"

"How bad is it?" I asked, before Ezio grabbed me and pulled me into the bathroom. It was a long lion's tail, which reached down to his ankles, before ending in a fine brush. "Yeah, it's bad."

"What the hell is happening to me?" Ezio asked. "No one else is mutating?"

"Perhaps something about you is causing you to mutate?" I asked. "You were the only one who was exposed to that metal."

"Element Zero."

"What?"

"Apollo called it Element Zero." Ezio replied. "Dammit, I have to find a way to stop myself from mutating any further."

"Raph doesn't mutate, does he?" I asked. "If he starts mutating, then that means it's normal."

"Conduits aren't normal." Ezio replied.

"And apparently, neither are wizards." I answered. "Look, if it doesn't cause any problems, than it shouldn't be a problem."

"And if I grow a mane?"

"That would be a problem, but you can hide your tail, right?"

"Yeah." Ezio said, tucking the tail back into his trousers. "As long as there's no more mutations, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Well, let's just get ready for bed." I replied, as we headed outside, to see Raph and Liz coming up from the living room.

"What the hell were you screaming about?" Raph asked. "We heard it from outside."

"You remember that tail that disappeared after absorbing a Blast Core?" Ezio asked.

"Yeah." Liz replied.

"It's back." Ezio said, completely deadpan. Well, it was good, he's considerably calmed down after that. "Well, as long as that's the worst, I'll be fine."

"Yeah, so, just get some rest," Raph said, as he took a look. "If you're lucky, it should disappear, like last time."

"I hope so." Ezio said. "Well, it can't get any worse."

* * *

><p><strong>Akihiko<strong>

"{Is this where he was found?}" I asked, as Naoto and I looked over the body. "{How exactly was he found?}"

"{Do you see the roof of that apartment building?}" The Chief Inspector said to us, pointing at the flag that was left in it's place. "{He was found on top of the roof this morning, but we only confirmed his death at 5 in the afternoon. It was Dolores Umbridge, his immediate underling in the Ministry of Magic, that identified the body.}"

"{I have a question to ask.}" Shirogame-san asked the Chief Inspector. "{Sanada-san is a Japanese police officer, and I'm a junior in a Japanese high school. Why did you ask us to take the case?}"

"{Well, I'm really not allowed to say…}" The Inspector said, before signalling us away from a few other officers. "{Amelia Bones, the head of the Auror department, spoke to me the other day about how her predecessor put a few Aurors in our department in order to prevent magic becoming public knowledge. However, she and I realised that, whoever these Aurors were, they were being used by Fudge to hide his crimes, and the crimes committed by Death Eaters.}"

"{So, you need someone who you can trust, and it isn't someone who works for you?}" I asked.

"{Exactly.}" He said, as we were lead to an elevator.

"So, what should we look out for?" I asked Shirogame-san. "Any specific outliers?"

"Actually, I don't expect to find anything." She replied, as we ascended the tower block. "If it really was a Shadow, then unless it was one of the beasts that run around the town, there shouldn't be anything here." As the elevator stopped and let us out, we walked along to a staircase that lead to the roof, which we ascended to get to the open roof. That's when we noticed the first discrepancy. "Sanada-san, that tar-"

"He was killed by a Shadow, but this black ichor shouldn't be here." I said. "Most of the Shadows I've fought, including the ones around here, usually melt away. But why was it left behind?"

"Perhaps the cold?" Shirogame-san said, as she took out a microscopic slide and a test tube, and collected the samples.

"{We already collected samples of the tar.}" A young officer said, as I continued to collect a sample.

"{Yes, but, compare this with the monsters that have been plaguing the town.}" Naoto said, as she continued collecting samples. "{The monsters don't leave behind any form of tar behind, but it was left behind here. Fudge-Shi was killed here, but I have doubts that it was a regular Shadow attack.}"

"{Well, why would a monster take him all the way from central London out here?}" He asked, confused. "{It's not like he was taken here and left to be killed. Or was he?}"

"{I think you're on the right lines.}" I replied. "Now, why was he taken here?"

"Probably because no one dares go out at night." Shirogame-san said, as she looked around. "Evil wizards, people with superpowers, monsters, I'm expecting a few demons in about a month or so."

"Well, that won't be pretty," I replied, "unless we can scare the hell out of them to back off."

"I know a way." Shirogame-san said, giving a weak smile. "{Is there a coroner's report?}"

"{Yeah, I'll get it for you.}" An officer said, as he ran off.

"Well, the corpse was hanged here, with obvious drag marks." I said. "I don't think it was just like the Inaba murders. There was no evidence of the body being planted in any of the original murders."

"I know, but we don't know why he was targeted." Shirogame-san said. "Of course, why no-one else was targeted. Or how he was brought here."

"Wasn't there a story about him being attacked by a teleporter?" I asked. "Let's look into that, see if it can get any leads."

"I don't know." Shirogame-san said, obviously perplexed. "From what I heard, he chased Fudge out of a court room because he was angry at being called an assassin, and from a few stories I've heard, he's been beating up Death Eaters who are attacking defenceless people. He doesn't have the right personality to leave someone to their death."

"{Hey, that vigilante that attacked Fudge a while back,}" I asked the officer, "Could he have done this?}"

"{Actually, no,}" The officer said, confused. "{The coroner's time of death doesn't match with his last sighting, beating up a few Death Eaters and tying them up. This was around, noon to three, he waited for the police to arrive, and there are all kind of witnesses.}"

"Well, should we look for him?" Shirogame-san asked. "Where do we start?"

"I have an idea." I said, as we waited for the CSIs to finish. "Wanna beat up a few Death Eaters? I hear there are a few terrorising Broadway."


	21. Operation Hogwarts 11: Limelight

"Anyone want to beat up a couple of Death Eaters on West End?" Fred asked, as we all leant up from our sleeping bags in annoyance. "They're causing a shitload of trouble."

"You're not ones to swear." I said, as I sat up. "And I can't go, remember?""What's wrong, Ezio?" George asked me, leaning against a wall. "Is it because Liz doesn't want you to get exhausted again? Or because you don't want people to see your tail?"

"You're dead!" I shouted, lunging at the twins, before they stunned me. Someone already disarmed them, as I came to. "Thanks- Liz!"

"Yeah, turns out, I'm a witch." She said, putting away her wand. "So if you try something, I will curse you."

"…You don't know any spells." I replied.

"Wanna see?" She said, pointing her wand at me. "Seamus has been teaching me."

"I'll go." Luna said, grabbing her flag. "I want to help, so you all get some rest while I go teach them a lesson."

"Luna, you're not going by yourself." Neville and Seamus said, standing up. "It's dangerous, there are Shadows all over town, and how are we going to get to London with Mrs. Weasley downstairs?" Luna threw Neville's sword at him (Luckily in it's hilt), and then a revolver towards Seamus (Which was luckily not loaded) followed by some bullets. "How do we get to London?" Neville asked, as Luna grabbed her cork necklace.

"You can make a Portkey out of anything." Luna said, as everyone else walked over. _Wait, what the hell is a Portkey?_ "It's an object enchanted to instantly bring anyone touching it to a specific location. Most of the time, a Portkey is an everyday object that would not draw the attention of a Muggle. Travelling by Portkey is said to feel like having a hook 'somewhere behind the navel' pulling the traveller to their location."

"So, you're all going to magically warp to London, beat up a few Death Eaters then teleport back?" I asked. "I could call Apollo to get you there and back, you know."

"Relax." Luna said, as Neville and Seamus approached her. "I use it during the summer to travel from home to Diagon Alley. My father made it for me, so I could go and buy books there."

"Can I come?" Vivi said, carrying a staff.

"Whoa." Harry said, as he joined the conversation. "I'm not letting you take someone who's probably 5 or so into a fight, especially if he hasn't been in a real fight with Death Eaters before."

"I can fight." Vivi said, as he grasped his staff tighter. "I can stay at a distance, cast spells from other rooms, see where they're coming from behind a wall."

"Wait," Hermione said, confused. "Vivi's a Seer?"

"What's a Seer?" Vivi asked.

"Vivi, can you see things before they happen?" Cho asked.

"Yeah, that's how I'm good at that card game." He said. "I can tell what cards will appear, and in what order."

"That's a really unique power, Vivi." Hermione said, as Luna touched him on the shoulder.

"Alright, we're going to appear outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour." Luna said, clutching her necklace. "Knowledge is Sweet." As they suddenly disappeared, I got up and walked over to the twins.

"I'm going to form a telepathic communication with you." I said, as he suddenly started glowing. _I don't want them to get in trouble, so I'm going to do whatever I can._

* * *

><p><strong>Neville<strong>

As we got back up from the Apperation, I was the third to get up, after Vivi. I helped Neville get up, and Vivi trying to lift Seamus up. We had to lift Seamus up after Vivi couldn't lift him for long. _Can you all hear me?_ We all heard Ezio say. _I had to form a telepathic link with Fred and George._ _Yes, and it's quite strange indeed, isn't it Fred? _**Quite so, George.**_ It's quite strange that we can see his memories now as well. Can you see ours?__ What! _**Can you explain that incident with the cat?**_ Knock it off, or I'll torture you for days using duct tape, waxing strips, and early recordings of Yoko Ono._ After a small bit of silence, we all glanced around, looking out for anyone who would make a drop on us. _Sorry about that. Anyway, find a way to get to the West End district, there's someone being attacked by Death Eaters, but I can't make anything out. __…Does that mean that the person has Element Zero?_

"Well, let's just get over there and help them." Seamus said, as he headed for the exit. _Seamus, if they have Element Zero, you may not be able to use your powers near them._ "Well, I'll use my wand, then." **Anyway, the Knight Bus is running again, so go grab it and get as close to West End as possible.**

"Sure." Vivi said, as we all walked out of the street. As we walked out, sneaking through the Leaky Cauldron, we came outside as I stuck my hand out, thumb sticking out, we saw the Knight Bus appear.

"No real names, except for Vivi." I said.

"Welcome." Someone said, sticking his head out. "You're catching the Knight bus, but you're all young children with weapons. And a flag, in your case." He said, pointing at Luna. "So, what are your names?"

"Ocelot." Seamus said, climbing onboard.

"Wolf." Luna followed.

"Fox." I said, as I waited for Vivi.

"Sparrow." Vivi said, as he climbed aboard.

"Stan." He introduced himself. "We can only travel around London, so you can't go to another city. So, where do you have to go?"

"The West End district." Luna said, as we all grabbed a handrail.

"Okay." He said, as I buckled Vivi's seat. "Four for London's West End."

"Alright, take it away Earl." A small head said, as the bus suddenly sped into motion, sending us all (Except Vivi and Stan) flying. "Hey, Stan, you didn't tell me we had first-timers."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"So, how are they?" Ginny asked. _Well, Luna landed on a bed, Neville flew over the bed, and Seamus went halfway through the window._ "Bad, then?" _Actually, they said it went pretty well._

"Well, as long as nothing bad is happening." Raph said, as he played Chess with Ron. "How far away are they from the West End?" _They passed it four times._ "Well, it could be worse."

* * *

><p><strong>Neville<strong>

"West End." Stan said, as we all exited the bus, and promptly puked in the nearest bins, except Vivi. "That kid's not natural."

"Can we go again?" Vivi asked, extremely giddy.

"NO!" We all replied, causing him to recoil. _The Death Eaters are a few meters away._

"Thanks." I said, as we all looked around a corner. We saw several Death Eaters shooting at three people, one was an older woman in her late twenties to early thirties, and the other two were younger boys, one around 19, and the other was 16. The Death Eaters were trying to hit them with Killing curses, but their cover, an overturned bus, was too great for them. _I can't feel the woman, but the other two I can feel. I'm going to try and communicate with them._

"Okay, how do we handle this?" I asked, as Luna and Vivi looked around, and Seamus looked out of cover. "They're on the second floor, and a direct entrance is out of the question. And we'll be attacked by a scout on the third floor."

"How about we get in through the roof?" Luna asked.

"They can see the roofs." Vivi said, as he looked at an alley. "We could go around, but there are Shadows that way."

"Hey, Vivi." Seamus said, beckoning him over, pointing at a nearby staircase. "That leads to the Underground. What's down there?"

"There's some of those beast Shadows, and a Shadow that I don't recognise." Vivi said. "There's also a few people down there, but they avoid going out during the day."

"Vampires?" I asked. "Seamus, what are you thinking?"

"There's another entrance to the Underground closer to the building they're occupying." Seamus said, pointing at another Underground entrance, that was out of Death Eater eyes. "We go in that way, we come out the other."

A/N: I have never been to London.

"Okay, which way do we go?" Luna asked. "Which way should we go?"

"I don't want to deal with Vampires." I said. "Back alley it is." As Luna cast protective charms on us, and we took out our weapons, I stopped Seamus from loading his gun. "We need to be quiet. And guns are noisy."

"Good point." Seamus said, taking out his wand instead. "Alright, let's go." _The wolf monsters are weak against fire magic, use that from a distance._ As Vivi and Seamus used fire magic to destroy two monsters, Luna called a Familiar to attack a few more. Her Familiars have to be born from nearby fires, so she could only summon two, as there wasn't that many fires nearby. _There's a type of scale-like Shadow nearby._ George said. _Only use Patroni on them, they'll bounce off any other spell._

"We can't use the Patronus Charm." Luna said, as we saw the Scale-Shadow. It did look like a weighing scale. **Well, at least it will know how heavy you are when you kick it.** "Neville, sword move?" As she levitated me up above the Shadow, she dropped me as I began to spin, as I hit the Shadow. It didn't kill it, but kicking the cracked mask did.

"There's more coming!" Vivi said, worried. "We can't take them all." _Get over to that building, now. The door's unlocked, but there's a Death Eater at the door, so get the drop on him first._

As Neville jumped on top of a dumpster, he kicked himself off the wall, and grabbed a ladder, pulling it down for us, and climbing up. "Luna, act as my lookout, I'm going to jump out of a nearby window and land on the Death Eater. Neville, Vivi, stay here." As he climbed through the window, I waited with Vivi, watching as the Death Eater came out of the door, to check no one was lurking about. As he looked up, however, he received a critical hit to the face, courtesy of Seamus's shoe, as we came out of cover, and Luna from the fire escape.

"Okay, we're inside." I said. "Now what?"

"I'll take out the guy on the third floor." Luna said, as she ran towards the stairs. "I already have Judas acting as a distraction downstairs." As she continued, I looked at Seamus and Vivi, before looking through the next door.

"Okay, there's three guards in there." I said, as I closed it. "I'm going to try and cast Sleep on one of them, if that doesn't work, Seamus, go wild with that gun."

"Sure." He replied, sliding six bullets into his gun and giving it a quick spin.

"Vivi, can you draw their attention away?"

"I think so." Vivi replied. "But, how? …Unless I sneak into that balcony and fire off some fireworks at them." _…Fred, George, I'm going to hurt you when this is over. Understand? Anyway, it's a good idea, but use your magic to light them, make sure you're a good bit away._ As Vivi gave a quick nod, he sneaked off, as I began using Sleep on the first guard, causing him to fall asleep… directly into a whole that leads to the floor below.

"Oops." I whispered, as a Death Eater came over to look at his fallen comrade. "Well, it can't get any worse."

"Oh my god!" The Death Eater shouted. "Michael landed on a spike."

"Did it go through his torso?" The other Death Eater asked.

"It went through his torso, but he landed ass first." Was the reply. "I'm going to look around, he wouldn't have just fainted."

"Shit." I whispered. "What do we do?"

"You throw him out of the window, I'll shoot the last guard." Seamus said, as he snuck out of the window. As the door began to open, the Death Eater suddenly burst through it, as I grabbed him and threw him out of the window, causing him to hit the nearest wall face first, before falling face first into a dumpster. I just stood there, as the other Death Eater came through the door.

"Put your hands up, Muggle." He said, holding his wand out. Before Seamus held his gun at the back of his head.

"Drop your wand, inbreed." Seamus said, as he cocked the revolver. "Drop it, or I'll blow your brains out."

"You're both Muggles, you can't scare me." He said, with defiance.

"We're Conduit wizards, not Muggles." I said, as I grabbed him and threw him out of the window. Score 2 in the wall and dumpster. "Come on, let's find Vivi and Luna."

"You find Luna, I'll find Vivi." I said, as I ran to follow Vivi.

Heading towards a booth, I noticed that Vivi was on the ground floor, planting all kinds of explosives. Fireworks, alcohol, even a bomb. _Okay, I'm going to hurt the twins so bad after you come back._ As I ran downstairs, I snuck under the stage as Vivi saw me. Signalling for him to come over to me, I suddenly heard the front door open. The two of us hid below the stage, watching as a man dressed as a Death Eater stormed on stage. He then grabbed something, I have no idea what it was. However, he then began to pace, as I directed Vivi to leave, pointing towards a fire exit.

"I kn-kn-kn-know you're here." He said, as we paused in fear. "You're trying to wreck the ritual. Well, I won't let you." He then jumped off the stage, as he threw a few curses around, one hitting a balcony, causing several chairs to explode. "My employer gave me this task, and I won't fail."

As we managed to sneak to an open fire exit, I saw Luna sneak around upstairs. "Shit." I cursed, under my breath, as we watched someone else sneaking in. "My god, you Death Eaters are insane, aren't you?" We heard a voice say, before the Death Eater sent another curse towards the source of the voice, somewhere on the ground floor. Vivi and I watched, as the person rolled out of the way. "Come on, who is this 'Employer', Darth Vader?"

The person who said this was a grey haired man, wearing a thick leather jacket, a black tie and white shirt, a red shirt and black trousers. He was wearing red fingerless gloves, and was wearing a gun in a holster.

"You dare insult the greatest wizard to exist, Lord Voldemort?" The Death Eater said, as he sent another curse towards the man. "He's the greatest magic user ever to exist."

"So he's a coward that sends men who are afraid of him to fight for him?" The grey haired man said, as he drew his gun. "Guess he must be a really powerful wizard… Or a man afraid of death."

"So, you think you have the right to arrest me?" The Death Eater shouted. "What do you know?" He muttered to himself, under his breath. "How can you prove I killed Fudge?""We didn't know." Another voice said, before shooting the Death Eater's wand out of his hand, breaking it in two. The other voice belonged to a blue haired boy, who wore a blue cap, a tight woolen jacket, thick shoes and black trousers. "Might I ask your name?"

"Piss off, Muggle." He said, as he just stood there. However, the door opened to several Death Eaters who firing off Killing curses, as the two jumped behind cover. It was only then that I remembered who they were, the people from outside. But, there were only two of them, where was…?

I almost jumped as someone grabbed me, before covering my mouth so I didn't make any noise. "What are you doing here?" An older woman asked, with an Australian Accent. "You're just a pair of kids, you're being completely wreckless." Whoever she was, she looked stunning. She must be a model. Long black hair, a pair of long boots (that each had guns in them), and a business suit.

"We were helping you." I said, as we all snuck upstairs. "We saw the Death Eaters attacking you three outside, so we snuck in and took them out."

"Well, thanks." She said, as we suddenly heard a gun shot. "Dammit, they have the rifle?"

"What rifle?" I asked, stopping.

"I was camped out here after my hotel room got destroyed." She said. "I grabbed a sniper rifle from a dead officer and hid in here. The name's Miranda, by the way." **I wouldn't use your real name, Neville.**

"Well, I'm not really meant to be here, so call me Sparrow, this is Fox." I said, as we got to the door on the second floor, heading to the second floor, where we saw Luna and Seamus running towards us.

* * *

><p><strong>Luna<strong>

"I'll take out the guy on the third floor." I said, as she ran towards the stairs. "I already have Judas acting as a distraction downstairs." As I headed upstairs, I immediately saw a hole on the wall, so I could see what I could do to avoid attention. Only a single Death Eater was there, looking out from a window that faced the front. Looking for a way closer, I instantly noticed the area through the next room. "The theatre." As I opened the door and sneaked through, I made sure that no one else saw me. But I did see that they were performing some sort of ritual on the stage. I wonder what it was.

As I sneaked over to an appropriate door, I looked out through it's small window, seeing that the Death Eater was enjoying the three people getting attacked.

*-Luna, are you sure it isn't wiser to just find a gun and shoot him?-*

Don't be ridiculous, Ifrit, that would draw attention to myself. Anyway, I was about to sneak through, before I heard someone scream, "Oh my god! Michael landed on a spike."

"Did it go through his torso?" another Death Eater asked.

"It went through his torso, but he landed ass first." Was the reply. "I'm going to look around, he wouldn't have just fainted." As that was said, the Death Eater I was going to take out ran into the theatre. Panicking, I just hid on the opposite side of the door, which promptly flew open and smacked me in the face. As I was silently recovering, the Death Eater was looking around in the area below. As I readied my flag, he turned, as I gave a powerful swing to his torso.

Spinning the flag and running behind him, I struck his wrist, causing his wand to be dropped to the balcony below. Dodging his attacks, using the flag to hide exactly where I was, before striking him in the neck, knocking him out cold, as he tumbled down the stairs towards the balcony.

As I turned to look outside, I immediately saw Seamus run up towards me. "Luna, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I replied. "I was just showing off my moves."

"Luna, if you dance in front of a guard, you deserve to be killed." He said, as he turned and saw the man I beat up. "Luna, did you do that?"

"Yes, I did." I replied, as I looked down onto the stage. "That's weird. Seamus, do you see down there?"

"Yeah, some sort of ritual." He said, as he looked down with me. "There's also some sort of red liquid, as well. And… Luna, get down." He said, pulling me down. We looked down to see a man coming from the front, as he looked around, before climbing onstage. A Death Eater, still wearing his mask. Male, roughly in his early forties, quite bulky, but a bit weak, physically, as he wore a white outfit that was quite fitting, something I'm more used to seeing on a scientist in a movie. He wore a single monacle on his left eye. He was very dark skinned, with brown hair tied back into a ponytail. Whoever he was, I doubt he was a Death Eater until fairly recently. *-Luna, that's an arcane circle. It's a powerful form of Dark Magic.-*

"That's used for powerful dark magic." I said, as we began to sneak away, before we saw Vivi in a booth, and Neville on the first floor. "But Ifrit doesn't know what the red liquid is, maybe it's some sort of new potion."

"Oh, no." Seamus said, as he became wide-eyed. "Ezio, do you think that's Macht?" _I don't know, I can't tell, but I don't want you getting into a fight with him. Those three people are safe, so get the hell out of there._ "Luna, let's go." He said, as he snuck towards a nearby fire exit staircase.

"What's Macht?" I asked, following him? "Is it dangerous?"

"It's a really weird drug," He replied, as he just managed to sneak to a higher level, and turned to me, to make sure I wasn't seen. "it does horrible things to the human body. Basically, Muggles become huge, suicidal monsters, and Conduits lose control of their powers."

"What happens if a Wizard uses it?" I asked, before sneaking up next to him.

"I do not want to know." Seamus said, as we began to open the door.

"I kn-kn-kn-know you're here." The man stuttered, as he picked up the bottle. "You're trying to wreck the ritual. Well, I won't let you." He then jumped off the stage, as he threw a few curses around, one hitting a balcony, causing several chairs to explode. "My employer gave me this task, and I won't fail."

"My god, you Death Eaters are insane, aren't you?" We heard a voice say, before the Death Eater sent another curse towards the source of the voice, somewhere on the ground floor. Seamus and I took the opportunity to sneak closer to the door, as we heard someone rolling. "Come on, who is this 'Employer', Darth Vader?" Japanese, I could tell, grew up speaking it exclusively, then taking it in high school, before perfecting it in university. He must be 21.

"You dare insult the greatest wizard to exist, Lord Voldemort?" He said, as he sent another curse towards the man. "He's the greatest magic user ever to exist."

"So he's a coward that sends men who are afraid of him to fight for him?" The man said, as he drew his gun. "Guess he must be a really powerful wizard… Or a man afraid of death."

"So, you think you have the right to arrest me?" The man shouted. "How can you prove I killed Fudge?""We didn't know." Another voice said, before shooting the Death Eater's wand out of his hand, breaking it in two. Female, prefers to be referred to as Male, aged 16, maybe 17, great detective, and able to solve several crimes. Quite proud of her heritage, as well as her family and friends. "Might I ask your name?"

"Piss off, Muggle." He said, as he just stood there. However, it was all a trap. Several Death Eaters then burst into the room, firing off Killing curses, as the two came into view. The older man was wearing a thick leather jacket, a red vest, white shirt and black tie, and black trousers, with white hair and grey eyes, wearing a pair of gloves that had small metallic plates on each finger.

The younger individual was a blue haired female, who had her hair cut short, and wore a bright blue hat on her head. She wore a jacket that held a holster for her gun, a six-shot revolver, with a white shirt, wearing a sarashi wrap instead of a bra to hide her cleavage, and thick soled shoes. And they were now hiding behind a few chairs.

"Hah. Stupid Muggles." He said, kicking up a skull into his hands. I doubt that it was a prop skull, however. "Just like everyone else I've killed for Voldemort, you were too easy to capture." I realised that we had to do something, but I had no idea what… Until I saw it. "Well, no matter." Picking it up, and resting one end on the shelf, "Go ahead and k-k-k-k-kill them." he said, crushing the skull, as I fired. *Bang* Shot him right through the head, but he was somehow still alive. "WHO!"

"Luna, what are you doing?" Seamus asked me.

"Saving them." I said, giving a faint smile. "Mind helping?" As he gave a nod, he came out of his cover, and started firing at Death Eaters on the ground. I ran towards the stairs that I came up in, and found a few more bullets, ones that were bigger than the ones Seamus used. I grabbed them before running downstairs, attacking Death Eaters with the large gun I had, as well as the flag. As we got to the second floor, we ran into Neville and Vivi, as well as a very pretty woman.

"Are you two alright?" Vivi asked, before a loud explosion could be heard, before the ground we were standing on collapsed. As we began to fell, a dark blue light surrounded us, as our fall slowed down. I landed on a chair but unlike Seamus, who landed face first, I landed in the seat perfectly, while Vivi landed on Neville, while the older woman just landed on her hands and feet.

Whoever this woman was, she was in her thirties, and at the peak of physical condition and very beautiful to boot. Quite tanned, so obviously somewhere sunny, and a very beautiful face structure. Wearing a business suit with long boots to conceal guns, and, from body language, is very mature. But, at the same time, something scares me, sort of like Nargles, or stories about Tetramites. Something about her seems artificial, like she was 'Designed' from the ground up. Her face structure was perfectly symmetrical, which is not normal, it just doesn't happen. And there's no scars from having plastic surgery. Her muscle tone was compact, to give her a lean posture, but still quite strong. And she appeared to be hiding something by instinct. I had no idea whether or not to trust her.

"Hey, are you alright?" The older male asked us, as we all got up, before we all heard some clapping from the stage.

"Well, well." The man said, after he had discarded of his cloak. "I guess it would be rude for me not to introduce myself. I am Agnus." He said, giving a small bow, which Seamus immediately exploited to shoot him, but something caused the shot to deflect. I wander what kind of magic it was.

"Where the fuck did you get a kinetic barrier?" The oldest woman asked. "It's not lie you could make it."

"It's not like someone from Cerberus didn't expect a leak of resources, did they?" He asked, sarcastically. _Guys, I want you to ask about Cerberus. Get what ever information you can, and ask about Biotics._ "But it doesn't matter, since you'll be d-d-d-d-dead in a moment." As the Death Eaters attacked us, I instantly grabbed my wand and used the disarming charm to knock their wands out of their hands, as Seamus joined me and Vivi used several spells to attack the Death Eaters. _They're weak to thunder. Use that._

"Who's that?" The older man asked.

"Who's who?" The oldest woman asked.

_Well, I spoke to you momentarily, call me Alsation, that was Groundhog, and the other one is Ferret. _**Ferret? What gives?**_ Oh, shut it. Anyway, we'll act as support, give them a quick shock and they'll go down easily. But I don't think that older woman there to hear me, I can't sense her._ As Ezio said that, Akihiko responded by grabbing his gun and aiming at his head. "Caesar!" He shouted, before pulling the trigger, causing a large man holding a globe and a sword, with a smaller man inside, to appear, as he struck all of the Death Eaters with lightning. "They're all down, let's rush them." _Wait, hold on. They'll ambush if you attack up close, use that attack again._ As he repeated the gun to head shot, the spirit appeared again. The next attack actually reduced the Death Eaters to… **What gives? Did they dissolve?**

"How dare you destroy my p-p-pets!" Agnus said, as he sent a killing curse towards Akihiko, before it curved towards the older woman. The younger girl got in the way, as she pushed the older woman to the ground, as the Killing curse missed them, barely. "Ah, you're a Biotic?" Agnus asked, before giving a faint smile. "Well, I'll enjoy playing with you, maybe seeing if you can become a future experiment." He then suddenly Apperated away, as we all regrouped.

"Is everyone alright?" The blue haired girl asked, as she came over to us.

"Yeah, we're fine." Seamus said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Hey, can I ask something?"

"Sure." She said, sitting down. "I've introduced myself to the other two, Sparrow and Fox. And since you're not using real names, but obviously part of the Order of the Phoenix, I guess you're not supposed to be here?"

"No, we're not." Seamus said. "Call me Ocelot, that's Wolf." He said, pointing at me. "Might I ask, what's 'Cerberus'?"

"Cerberus is an organisation that I'm a member off." She said, checking her guns. "We were set up back in the 1890s, after some aliens attacked Earth. We discovered that they were slave traders, and when they discovered that Earth had sentient live, they intended to invade and sell humans on the galactic black market." _That's not what I've heard. Ask them about their involvement in galactic terrorism._

"But I've heard that Cerberus were terrorists." I said, sitting down. "I don't know the specifics, but I've heard you were bad people."

"Kasumi and Keiji?" She asked. _Don't answer that, anyone!_ "Or was it that teleporter?"

"The one that attacked Fudge?" The blue haired girl asked, as she collected a sludge from a robe.

"What are you doing?" Vivi asked, to the grey haired man's obvious surprise.

"I'm collecting a sample from the robes." She said, as she put a small amount of the sludge between two small pieces of glass, then put them inside a box. "Well, this confirms it, whatever Agnus was doing, he was responsible for the death of Cornelius Fudge." As we looked confused, she then stood up, showing us two glass tubes, one with a red label, one with blue. "The red labelled test tube contains a sample I got from the scene of Mr. Fudge's death, and the blue one is one I just found. Notice how they're the same? What does that tell you?"

"The 'Death Eaters' weren't human?" Neville asked.

"Well, it also confirms that Agnus is guilty of murder, and that the Death Eaters were involved." She said. "But that is a good point."

"Why would Voldemort want someone to replace his loyal Death Eaters?" Neville asked.

"Sparrow, if he's creating creatures that can't think independently, then they're the ideal foot soldier." I said. "Anyway, what's this about Cerberus being terrorists?"

"There is only one race in the entire galaxy that's aware of a sentient species here on Earth," the older woman explained, "and as I've said, they're highly involved in slave trafficking. Cerberus' intentions were to prevent a huge disaster from occurring, and the Drophyd attacks have only accelerated that process. Say, a year ago, if the other species attack Earth before we naturally discover space travel, there are two possible outcomes, both bad. One, Earth is reduced to second class citizens, and two, we retaliate with nuclear weapons and the galactic government declare Earth off-limits, and if we try and use space-flight after that, they'll destroy our scouts. While I don't condone what Cerberus does, I do see it as a necessary evil."

"So, you attack this slaver race?" Neville asked. "Keep them from trying to make contact with Earth?" As she gave a nod, Neville walked on stage and looked at the ritual circle. "What are Biotics?"

"Basically, Biotics are people who exclusively use telekinesis." She said, as she moved a small table. "What causes Biotics is strange, a particular element, that can alter the very laws of physics, that coats our synapses."

"Element Zero." All four Order members said.

"Well, we have discovered a few things about Biotics." the older woman said, putting her guns away. "If a Conduit is hit with Biotic attacks or exposed to Element Zero, or stays close to a Mass Effect core, which is made primarily made of Eezo-"

"They can temporarily lose their powers." We said. As she looked at us in confusion, "A Conduit friend of ours had a MEC explode in his face."

"Was he alright?" She asked.

"Yeah, he had the metal removed, then got a Healer to help him." Seamus said.

"And another thing we discovered…" She said, leaning against the seat. "…Is that Biotics are more vulnerable to magic. Well, I guess I should give myself a better introduction." She said, holding her hand out for Seamus to shake. "Miranda Lawson. And you two?"

"I'm Akihiko Sanada." The grey haired man said, as he walked closer to us. "This is Naoto Shirogane." _Wait, did you say 'Akihiko Sanada'?_ "Yeah, why?" _I'll tell you when I get the chance to meet in person._

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Naoto said, as she took out a camera and photographed the stage. "You're with the Order of the Phoenix, right? Can I ask a favour?" As we looked on and paid attention, she turned to take another picture of a blood patch. "Can you help me get into contact with that teleporter? If I can get a friend out here, she can be a big help." _I wouldn't think that's a good idea, I don't want to put more lives in danger than there already is. But I could ask. Who do you need?_ "I wouldn't like to talk about it openly, can you give me a number to call?" As she took out her phone, she typed in a number, and put it away.

"Anyway, I'm sorry, but I have to be on my way." Miranda said, as she headed to the door. "If I can help you, I will, but don't expect it." As Miranda walked off, Luna tried to hand over her rifle. "Keep it. You're better than I am. By the way, why did you choose your nicknames?"

"I read 'In the Darkness of Shadow Moses'," Seamus said, "and I thought that, since I used a revolver the best, I just went with the guy in the book."

"I like Nargles better," I said, "but not that many people know what they are. So I went with wolves, because they're just dogs. That, or 'Raven'."

"I like fox tails." Vivi said. "They're fluffy."

"I was thinking of toads first." Neville said. "But Sparrows are able to soar free, and I think that makes them happy."

"Well, it says something about each of you." Miranda said. "Seamus wants to be notable, Luna is loyal to her friends and intelligent, Vivi is still a child but very mature, and Neville grew up repressed and caged."

"How do you know our names?" Neville asked.

"You're trying to save lives." Miranda said, about to head out the door. "That draws people's attentions, doesn't it?" As she left, she gave us a faint smile.

_Luna, how soon can you get back here?_ "If I use the Portkey, I'll arrive back in the room. Why?" _Get back now. I'm sorry, Sanada-San, Shirogane-san, but it's an emergency._ As we hid their weapons and I grabbed the Portkey, we gave a faint smile to Akihiko and Naoto, before I whispered "But the heart is home." As we were pulled back to the bedroom, we were caught by Ezio telekinetically and Raph. "What's the problem?"

"I'm sorry." Ezio said, as he almost passed out. "Using my powers as well as Fred and George's caused a combination to occur, that burned us out faster. Fred fainted first, so we lost a visual connection, and George passed out soon after I stopped talking with you. Sorry, but I would've lost you."

"Well, that was bad." Luna said, as she sat down. "But we know how we shouldn't mess with Biotics. Well, Biotics, anyway."

"So, let me get this straight." Seamus said, getting ready for bed. "Biotic beats Conduits, Conduits beat Wizard, Wizard beats Biotic? That shouldn't normally work."

"Yeah, but I'm too tired to complain." Ezio said, before lying down. "Good night." We all decided that the best thing would be to go to bed, as we got ready for bed.

* * *

><p><strong>Akihiko<strong>

"Strange people." I said, as I sat down. "One thing that I think is really weird, though. How did they get a Shadow to follow them?"

"Well, there was a Shadow that helped start the investigation into the Inaba murders." Naoto-kun said. "There can sometimes exist Shadows that aren't born from someone's troubles, and they develop sentience. I think something like that must have happened to all of the Shadow People around town."

"Wait." I asked, as I helped Naoto-kun over the pile of rubble. "You got involved after a Shadow asked you to stop the murders?"

"Actually, I was the last member to join." She said, as we walked out. "Teddie was unusual. He actually developed a Shadow himself."

"How'd the Shadows work in the TV world, anyway?"

"Someone gets trapped inside the TV world, if not saved by the next time a fog appears in our would, they die, and their Shadow takes a monstrous form based about their own insecurities." She said. "My Shadow almost made me undergo a sex change, and acted like a whiny child."

"What, are you insecure with your masculinity?" He asked me.

"Actually, I hated the fact that the police who I aided on the case usually ignored my help because I was a child, and I was a girl." Wait, what? "There were no women in the force."

"I hardly noticed you were a girl." I said. "You must be good at hiding your gender."

"Well, a bra was too obvious, so I used a sarashi instead. Anyway, what caused your Shadow incident?"

"A crazy old man collecting Shadows and trying to bring about the end of the world." I said. "Although, there were only a few people that could fight the Shadows, and they must have already have the potential to use a Persona. Unlike you, we didn't earn it, it just happened to us."

"Wow, just shows how different similar circumstances are, I guess." Naoto said, as I took out my cell phone. "{Hello, Chief Roberts? Sanada here.}"

*{Akihiko?}* The Chief asked. *{I was wondering when you'd call. Get this, the Coroner's report is finally ready. I already have it. Might I ask, where are you and Miss Shirogane?}*

"{We're outside the West End theatre.}" I replied. "{Sorry, it sort of got demolished, but we know who killed Fudge. We're on our way now.}" As I hung up, Naoto got into the car I rented, as I turned it on. "Coroner's report is ready."

"I want to get to the crime lab." Naoto said. "I'll take a look at the samples, see if there's some form of connection between them, maybe run a spectrometer test on them."

* * *

><p><strong>2107/2011**

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

As I got ready to head to Sirius' house, Fred and George just handed me a few pieces of paper. "Their names are on the bottom." Fred said, as I put them away.

"They're extremely powerful, but one use." George said, as I looked at one. 'Dragon's tongue'? What the hell is that? "Remember, emergencies only." Before I was able to ask what it was, Ginny grabbed me and pulled me towards the fireplace.

We already had an idea what we would do today. Liz got a call from her brother asking if she could help get aid to a few safe havens (The reason why Swansea was completely abandoned? Well, most cities were evacuated, and the citizens that survived were moved to three cities, London, Manchester and Birmingham, which are now being protected by the army as strongholds, with Dublin, Cork and Belfast now acting as strongholds in Ireland, and Cardiff and Edinburgh as Wales and Scotland's main fort), so Raph, Ginny and Charlie are going to get some trucks with supplies over there and take any injured people to a hospital. Meanwhile, Seamus, Luna and Neville would be heading to Knockturn Alley and investigate a few Death Eater sightings. Liz and Cho would be going somewhere with Dumbledore to look for a Horcrux and hopefully destroy it. And Hermione, Ron, the Twins and I would be heading to Gringotts and trying to get the Goblins' support against Voldemort.

As we arrived in the HQ and helped Raph out of the wall (Remember how we fly through if more than one person goes through?) by sending him through the wall. As I got up and saw Remus fix the wall, Sirius came over to me with a letter. "Harry," He said, handing it to me, "Sir Humphrey asked me to give you this. I have no idea what it's about, though." Wasting no time in opening it, I took out it's contents and read them to myself.

As I read it, the front door rang, as Sirius went to answer it. "Sir Humphrey, come in." Sirius said, as he opened the door.

"Has Harry been here today, or is he away?" Sir Humphrey asked, as I looked at the letter in disbelief.

"He's here at the moment, do you need to speak to him?" Sirius asked, while Hermione took the letter from my hand.

"Harry, are you okay?" Ron asked me, as Hermione read the letter. I hardly moved, just standing there in shock. "What's wrong with him?"

"Someone stole £250,000 from him." Hermione replied, handing him the letter.

"50,000 Galleons?" He said, as Sirius and Sir Humphrey came in. "Who could have done it?"

"My uncle." I said before falling onto the next seat. "The money was withdrawn around my cousin's birthday."

"The one that got thirty-seven presents when he was 11?" Ron asked.

"Thirty-seven?" Sir Humphrey asked in disbelief. "Well, I always knew Petunia always wanted to distance herself from the magic world, but I guess she must have spoilt her son rotten."

"Harry sent me a letter saying that he threw a PlayStation out the window because he didn't want to go on a diet." Sirius said. "What was that game Harry, 'Mega-Mutilation Part Three'?"

"Actually, I think it was Resident Evil 5." I said. "Those sons of bitches!"

"Yeah, I'll inform the police." Sir Humphrey said, as he wrote something down.

"No need." We heard Kasumi's voice say, as she suddenly appeared. "Give me the address, and I'll… well, I won't get the money back, but I'll equalise the damages."

"Kasumi," Ron said, as he gave her strange looks, "is it a good idea to tell us that you're going to in front of a lawyer?"

"…You're right." Kasumi said, suddenly spotting Sir Humphrey. "Unlike Asari, you have to tell the authorities."

"What?" Sirius asked, confused.

"Long story short, don't mess with me." She said, as she gave a handshake to Sir Humphrey. "Kasumi Goto. Don't worry, I already have a solicitor. Anyway, the last person that made me angry really regretted it after I smacked him around with a giant Ogre statue. Anyway, all I need is a hose, and a truck."

"Let me guess," Raph said, as he leaned against the damaged wall. "Saints Row 2?"

"Yep."

"This is going to go so, so wrong." Raph said as he put his head in his hands. "Just tell me you aren't going to get someone called Johnny involved."

"Relax." Kasumi said. "All I'll do is equalise the damage. Or else find some way to prove that he stole the money. Whichever causes the most damage to them."

"My aunt and uncle are pre-occupied with their desire to appear as a normal middle-class family." I said. "If you can destroy that fantasy, their little world will crumble."

"Well, Ezio's free," Kasumi said, turning on her cloaking device. "I'll get him involved to see how he can help." As we heard a crack, Liz tried to grab Kasumi, before she got away.

"If Ezio goes along with her, I'm going to make him bleed repeatedly." Liz said, as Dumbledore Apperated in.

"Oh, you're all here already." Dumbledore said, as he looked around the room, before realising something was off. "Is anything wrong?"

"We think the Dursleys have been stealing from Harry." Hermione said, handing him the letter. "We aren't certain, but due to several dates, we think that they used the money to indulge their son Dudley."

"What?" Dumbledore said, slightly angry. "I never gave them access to these accounts."

"Yeah, well, we're going to figure out how." Raph said. "Hold on, hand me that letter." As Dumbledore passed it over, Raph took out his phone and keyed a few things into it. "I'm sending some info to Ezio, he can pass it to a friend and confirm that it was the Dursleys. I don't want any brash decisions going on."

"One thing I want to ask." Sir Humphrey said, slightly confused. "How did that woman get in here? This place is protected by the Fidelius Charm."

"She's an acquaintance of Dumbledore's." Luna said. "Hermione and I found that out."

"Well, I'll look into it after we find the next Horcrux." Dumbledore said, as Cho and Liz walked over to him. "However, the Death Eaters are guarding the location, so let me fight them." With that, the three of them Apperated.

"Well, we're going to head off and help with aid." Charlie said, as Raph and Ginny followed him out the door. "If you need us, call Raph. He's the one who can use the mobile phones."

"We'll try and let you all know of any developments in Knockturn Alley." Luna said, as she, Seamus and Neville followed out the front door. "Should we get the bus?"

"NO!" The two boys shouted, as they opened and headed out of the door.

"Well, it's probably for the better." Luna said, as she left and closed the door.

"By the way, Sirius," Sir Humphrey said, as he handed Sirius a necklace. "I secured a time for your hearing. It's at noon in a private room in Gringotts."

"You're actually getting an appeal?" I asked, shocked. "Good luck, hope you don't get Kissed."

"Why do you think I hired a private room?" Sirius asked, as he put on the necklace. "I assume that this will take me to Gringotts at noon?"

"Yes, it will." Sir Humphrey said. "As soon as 12 noon passes, you'll be taken to Gringotts for the hearing. Well, I have to be going, I'm meeting another client soon. But I'll be present at the hearing." As he gave a quick nod and Apperated, Fred and George got out their wands before pulling me out of the seat.

"Well, if you're rested enough Harry, I think we should go." Fred said, as they led me to the door.

"Yes, I think so too, brother mine." George said. "Wait, why are we heading to the door?" As they gave a grin, they turned us to face Ron and Hermione. "Grab our shoulders."

"If you're going to Apperate," I said, slightly worried, "make sure it's next to a bin."

* * *

><p>FILES:<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Gringotts Letter<strong>

Mr Harry Potter, I am writing this to you in order to explain some further developments about your parent's estate. It seems that they had several accounts in several Muggle banks. We are trying to properly link your accounts (as per your request), and the total amount in your accounts are worth 3,190,248G, 6S, 23Kn (£15,951,242.96). We don't know if this is all of the amount that your parents left you, however, but we will inform you when we discover the rest, if any, vaults your parents left.

However, there is an issue that has arisen when we checked the accounts. One of them was completely cleared of 50,000G (£250,000) when we looked at the account. This wasn't a one off event, the account was cleared over a period of 10 years. We are investigating this in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police, and we will report what we find.

May your endeavours lead to prosperity,

Ragnok

[What was left with the letter was a series of transactions of large amounts. Wait, most of these are around the end of June, or leading up to… that fucker!]

* * *

><p>Happy Christmas, and sorry if this chapter was a little late. Anyway, I want to say, yes, I fixed Keiji's name, and I will fix any other mistake that any reader points out, but there are rules.<p>

1) It must have supporting evidence in canon, unless there's no way of proving it (btw, I've only seen the movies, is there any evidence about when the books take place?)

2) I will not ship anyone unless it's canon (So I can let you guess who Shepard's romance is)

Also, about Keiji's name being wrong, I was actually told that it was wrong by two friends IRL. I was slightly embarrassed, so I decided to fix it. I have been thinking of either having him get killed off in Stolen Memory or keep him alive. I decided, might as well have a vote. Also, what should Kasumi do to the Dursleys:

A) Find Evidence that they stole from Harry and hand it to the police;

B) Steal the money back;

c) Steal a sewage truck and empty it into Vernon's place of work;

D) All three.

Vote for their fate in my new poll :D

Also, responses to a few reviews, because everyone does them, I suppose.

1) Fire-Warrioress, thanks to your kind words, and I will try and I will try and keep a limit to the amount of sources to this fic. And I have to say, the Shadows aren't from Kingdom Hearts, they're from the Persona series. But shame on you, now I have to include a joke about Kingdom Hearts. I was actually going to exclude that source.

2) aduck1, I wouldn't include Cerberus without some sort of plan to explain them. But thanks for the positive review.

As I said, I am accepting questions for characters to answer, both Ocs and borrowed characters. For example, 'What was your opinion about this', or 'What do you like about that', or even 'Would you like to engage in a mud wrestling match whilst completely naked with me and my sister?' *SMACK* What the hell?

'Isn't this story supposed to be rated for Teens?'

Hermione, that was… what the hell was that book?

'It's the Hogwarts Birth Register.'

Wait, the one that records all the magical births in the UK? *BOOM* Damn, it's thick.

'Well, I personally think that you should stop with all the vulgarness in the story, as well as… DON'T READ IT!'

Hey, I want to see when certain characters were born. It's not like I always have access to the Harry Potter Wiki.

'Why don't you buy the books, then?'

I bought all the DVDs, and I have the third game on PS2. Well, I got that for free, but… what the…

'Oh, come on, hand it over.'

Hermione, read that! *Hermione glances at the book*

'Wait, that's not right.'

Neither are aliens, wizards, superheroes, whatnot. But it is confusing.


	22. Operation Hogwarts 12: Intermission

To all of my subscribers, I'm back, but not completely. I'm still trying to get back into swing. For those of you who don't know, my PC broke. Specifically, my hard-drive died before I could finish the next chapter. So I lost it when I got the PC replaced. Luckily I'm back now, but I had to get back into rhythm, which mainly means 'Getting drunk, playing games, reading fanfic and lots of troping'.

I tried to get back into rhythm a few ways, so I decided to write a half chapter that shows the beginning of different missions. But I have to ask, should I give Conrad Verner a cameo? Really.

I might as well recommend a fic, if you want to read those. 'Friends Like These' is a Mass Effect short story about a Tali, Garrus, Joker and Chakwas as they try and figure out where Shepard has disappeared to on the Citadel. It's short, it's funny, and it gives Joker a Crowning Moment of Awesome. I hope you ME fans like it. I also started reading 'Nobody Dies', an EVA fanfic (I'm not a fan of the show, but it is funny).

I got Uncharted 3 for Christmas (I said that Nate and Elena were engaged. I CALLED IT!) and Saints Row the 3rd. Out of the two, I have to say, SR3 is better, but U3 has the better story.

I also got R&C: All 4 One. It's a good game, but I think there should have been better AI (I had no internet for a month, and the online service is horrific when someone joins or leaves). I only hate Quark more for it, though. His monolog is extremely annoying, and he used his shield during the last stage of the **FREAKING **_**FINAL **__**BOSS!**_ I died 5 times because of that bastard on that fight alone. I swear to god, if his AI wasn't intentionally stupider…

I also went to see a Giants match (The Belfast Giants are the local ice hockey team), and there were 15 fights, I think? One guy was in 10. I also got their team jersey.

And by the way, I use my own screen-name for Ezio's, no you can't add me on PSN (or SEN when they change it), Steam (Hardly play it) or Xbox Live (Don't have it). It's for personal friends only.

Anyway, here's the next half-chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

><p>Apparating can make you sick, or make you extremely nauseous. However, it's still better than using a Portkey. Believe me.<p>

Anyway, Apparating to the front of Gringotts and then falling into the snow for the purpose of completing a sidequest to earn enough respect to get people to help us fight Voldemort. How respected are we, anyway?

**RESPECT – 10, TEAM LEVEL - 13**

Thank you. Wait, team level? Anyway, "Well, let's get this over with." Ron said, as he winced in pain.

"Can you get off me?" I asked, before Ron jumped off of me. "Alright, I'm swearing off Portkeys and Apparation from now on. No more sudden travel."

"Sorry, Harry." Fred said. "I'm not that good at sideways Apparation. But look on the bright side." He then grabbed my arm and pulled me up. "You aren't missing a limb, or any flesh. Are you?"

"…what." I said, weakly.

"Well, that's why you're only allowed to use Apparation after you get a licence." George said. "If you're not careful, you could Apparate without a piece of your own body."

"…Come to think about it, Ezio attacked a few Death Eaters while they were Apparating." Hermione said. "Their bodies were completely destroyed when that happened. So… try not to piss him off."

"Please warn us about any other dangerous aspects of the people you meet." Fred said. "Okay, so here's the plan. We need Ragnok's help eventually when we storm Hogwarts. However, he deeply distrusts Wizards due to Ludo Bagman accumulating a large debt from gambling."

"He has money," George said, "but he's sealed it in his vault, and the only way in is with his vault key. We think we know where he is, and we're getting it confirmed. We called that Omar guy and asked him to put out a watch for the guy, and he's been spotted around Kent."

"So, you want to steal his key?" Ron asked.

"No, we can't legally get into the vault without his permission." Fred said. "But if we found a way to lead the Aurors to him-"

"We can get him legally arrested?" Hermione asked. "Sounds like a plan. Just one question, how do get him arrested?"

"That's a very good question." Fred said, "But the best question would be, 'How do we convince the Aurors that we're independent debt collectors'?"

"Okay." Hermione said, "How do we convince the Aurors we're complete bastards?"

"Fine, we'll just become bounty hunters then." George said, slightly dismayed. "Then we'll be allowed to collect a bounty, the debt he owes Fred and I, as well as get Ragnok's did Hermione just swear!"

"Everything is collapsing around us," Hermione said, "and when we save Hogwarts, I'll go back to being the same old Hermione you all know and care about." Hermione then leaned against the wall, giving a small smile. "So, how do we become bounty hunters?"

"Just George and I will get licenses." Fred said. "We'll then take the contract on Bagman and then head after him." They then lead us inside, only for the doors to open before they even touched them. "What?"

Out of the door came Dolores Umbridge, wearing the usual pink attire, except for a black cardigan instead of her pink one, and she was holding back tears, as well as Percy, who was carrying a suitcase. "Miss Umbridge," I said, "what a surprise to see you. I assume you're here on Ministry business?"

"Not entirely." She said, before giving a small sniffle. "I'm sure you've heard of Corneli- Minister Fudge's death."

"Murder, wasn't it?" Ron asked, deeply upsetting Miss Umbridge. "While I didn't believe in his political views, no-one should have to die."

"Miss Umbridge was made Executor of his last will and testament." Percy said, walking over to Ron. "I've been helping with his estate. Although I do need to speak with you privately as well as Fred, George." As the Weasleys walked off, Hermione walked towards Miss Umbridge and I, before handing a tissue to her.

"We'd like to give our condolences." Hermione said, as Umbridge took the tissue. "I assume that you were close friends with Mister Fudge?"

"He was one of the first people I knew when I joined the Ministry." She answered, before blowing her nose. "That damn thief will pay."

"While I know you're upset," Hermione said, "I should say that I doubt that the masked individual is responsible, he has an alibi. But I have to ask, could someone in the Ministry want him dead?"

"I doubt that anyone would want to kill him." She said. "Only Lucius Malfoy, or another Death Eater. But, why do you ask?"

"There's a Muggle theory called 'Schrodinger's Cat' that states that 'if a cat is kept in a box with poison, it will either be alive or dead until the box is opened'." Hermione finished. "It's a paradox about uncertain possibilities."

"What Hermione is trying to say," I interrupted, "is that until conclusive evidence is gathered about a crime, the suspect pool is too large to narrow it down. And since he has an alibi for the time of death, he can't be charged with the crime."

"But you doubt someone would murder him for a promotion or hire an assassin?"

"No," Umbridge replied. "And no-one could get into the Ministry yesterday. Cornelius ordered it closed early." That's interesting. Why would Fudge let himself become a target? Having guards around was easier. "He thought that if no-one else was there, no-one would bother attacking him."

"Why did he think he was safer when he was alone?" I asked. "Did he have someone impersonating him with Polyjuice Potion?"

"Yes." She replied. "How did you know about that potion?"

"Someone drugged Hermione, Ron and me with it back in second year." I replied. "But the person impersonating him is safe?"

"He wasn't even attacked." Umbridge replied. "…why are you-"

"You were right." I said to Hermione. "Someone was sent in as an assassin."

"Are you certain?" Umbridge asked.

"That must have been sensitive information." Hermione said, catching on. "Someone must've used the opportunity."

"Madame." Percy said, walking over. "I think it would be best to head back to the Ministry."

"Oh." Miss Umbridge said, as she regained her composure. "Thank you, Percival. I have to say, thank you for the information." As she Apparated, Percy gave us a small nod, before we walked into the bank as he left.

* * *

><p><strong>Ron<strong>

"Look, I know that you hate me-" Percy began.

"What, because you betrayed us for political clout?" George asked. "No, we're mad because you completely disowned us. Just so that you could have some sort of power? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Oh, just because I wanted a secure job, you're angry at me?" Percy asked, angrily. "I have a girlfriend, and I'm making 100 Galleons a week. And what about you three? Are you two going to keep pulling pranks for the rest of your lives? Are you going to just hang around with Harry and Hermione, Ron?"

"No, we're going to sell our merchandise on the Muggle internet and in Diagon Alley." Fred said. "Then we're going to sell Honeydukes sweets, before moving on to Quidditch merchandise, then books. Before long, we're going to sell all kinds of magical products online, making a large amount of money. And THEN, we're going to invest our money into several businesses, making sure to carefully resource them into investments, family and charity. But you think that you're secure as a politician? Well, what if there's a large cock-up? That would end your career."

"I'm a bureaucrat." Percy said, coldly.

"Oh, so you're more evil, then?" George said. "And stop trying to keep off the subject. What the hell is wrong with you, calling Harry a liar when you KNOW he can't lie?"

"He was an enemy of the Ministry." Percy said.

"Because he said something you w***ers didn't want to hear?" I said, angrily. "Bull****. You're all a load of malicious b******s who should never got into politics. You can p*** off, and don't you dare speak to me or my friends again until *** *** **** **** ********************* ************ ******* ************************* [AN: My god, you really don't want to know what he said. I feel dirty just thinking about it. And I have Frankie Boyle's DVD. The one where he began to criticise a couple for taking their 10 year old boys to his show and saying 'don't worry, your mum knows you w***'.] Now f*** off."

"What did you-" He began to say, before I whipped out my wand and use the Disarming charm to cause his wand to fly away.

"Didn't I just tell you to f*** off?" I said, heading into the bank. I didn't bother looking behind me, but I heard two cracks, as Umbridge and that **** Apparated away.

"Okay, things are officially going to hell." Fred said, as everyone else walked into the bank.

* * *

><p><strong>Raphael<strong>

"Okay," Ginny said, as we were about to crash into a tent. "Charlie needs a licence before he's allowed to fly in his dragon form." As I jumped off of Charlie's back and Ginny dropped to the ground, using her shield power to slow down her fall. Charlie landed face first into a dumpster. "Would the Ministry even let him get a licence?"

"No," I said as I went over to help Charlie. "but I expect Nexus to, since he's a Conduit."

"Christ, Raphael?" Jon asked me as he walked over. "How much steroids are you taking?"

"Good to see you too, Jon." I said as I gave him a smile. "How are you?"

"Good, good." Jon said, leaning on a large scythe he had. "The camp was ambushed by these bizarre monsters that looked like Death Eaters, and one of my friends went briefly berserk and started throwing fireballs like a madman, but other than that, he's cool. Finally figured out how to control my power, and I need help to get supplies to people."

"Alright." Charlie said, as he rubbed his wings. "But what was that about a Death Eater assault?"

"…when we managed to get their wands away from them, they just lunged at the Aurors who they were fighting." Jon said. "After we managed to harm a few of them, they turned into monsters… Or were monsters in the first place."

"That's…" Ginny began, "That's awful."

"And the guy who went insane?" Charlie asked.

"He's a friend of mine, a Shadow creature we called Leon. Some of the geeks around here call him and the others a Black Mage, though. After he was cornered by a few monsters, he panicked… then started throwing fireballs and laughing like a madman. After words, he couldn't remember anything about it."

"So, he suffers from Yagami Syndrome?" I asked, to everyone's confusion. "Like ASD or dyslexia, it's a mental disorder present from birth, but its present on a double Y chromosome, where someone who suffers from a large amount of mental strain will cause the sufferer to immediately go berserk and try and remove anyone else from their immediate facility, anyone they notice. It's one of the reasons why sufferers are given alternative forms of assessments other than exams. If Leon gets back into that state, get him isolated, or knock him out."

"…Raph, how do you know so much about it?" Charlie asked me.

"Ezio suffers from Yagami syndrome," I explained, "it's one of the reasons we moved back from the US. Let's just say that what Ezio did when he went insane was not pretty."

"… I want to know exactly what happened." Jon said. "Until then, we need to get these supplies out. Can one of you drive a truck and the others help protect the both of them?"

"I'll drive one of them." Ginny said. "I'll get it there with my shields. Do I get a co-driver?"

"That will be me." A Japanese boy with chakrams and an assault rifle said walking over to her. "Itsuki Koizumi, at your service."

"Big dragon guy," Jon said, "go with them and take out any big ones. Raph, can you help me and Leon?"

"Sure." I said, as we were splitting up. "But what did you mean by 'big ones'?" It was then that I saw something in the distance. "Great, more trolls."

"That's why we need two trucks." Itsuki said. "They destroyed the first one. We thought that if two trucks went two separate routes, they would split up."

"Okay, Itsuki." Ginny said, turning on the truck and surrounding it with a few barriers and making a plough out of it, "Make sure that the truck is safe, got it?"

"Alright, Boss." Itsuki said, as Charlie climbed on top and Ginny started driving away.

"Alright, I'll get in the back of the other truck." I said, as I climbed in. "So, how many are there?"

"12 trolls." Jon said, to my dismay. "They were brought in by those Ministry Assholes, but they just left them here, and they've been eating supplies. We aren't allowed to attack them or else the Aurors will attack us." As he started the car, Leon sat down nervously, as we headed down a separate road. "So, what was that about Ezio being a psychopath?"

"He only cracked twice." I said, glaring at him. "And even then, he was absolutely scared shitless."

"…Is this related to the Joker incident?" Jon asked.

"The serial killings?" I replied. "Yeah, it's related."

"So, he freaked out and went psycho." Jon said, turning and drifting on the ice. "And he's one of the most level headed out of your group?"

"He's not the most level headed, but he is quite calm." I explained. "Yamagi Syndrome actually makes the sufferer less likely to suffer from the symptoms of stress, but they'll become extremely violent when pushed too far."

"How many people did he kill?"

"He only killed that one guy," I said, "And even then, it was in self-defence. The second one was a cop who was harassing him."

"Remind me not to prank him or Leon." Jon said as we headed down the road.

* * *

><p><strong>Neville<strong>

"So, we're here at the abandoned office building." I said, gripping a sword in one hand and a wand in the other. "How do you two want to handle this?"

"I have this." Luna said, as she took out a rope and a belt with metal loops on it. "I can go through the ventilation system and cause a distraction while you two attack an entrance."

"Luna," Seamus said as he sat at the front. "That's not how air vents work. They're mainly thin sheets of metal, and they'll collapse under a certain amount of weight."

"This is a wizard's building," Luna said, as she stuck a blade on her flag. "Wizard ventilation actually uses internal corridors, not metal. By using a hook, I'll be able to sneak in and cause a certain amount of damage. And from what I can tell, we can take out a few Death Eaters if we repeat the C4 drop from Die Hard. Except we don't have any C4, do any of you have any explosives?"

"I have these." Seamus said, as he grabbed a few pieces of plastic tubes and a small button. "They're explosives Ezio showed me how to make, said that his teacher was insane. Press the button on the sticks to set them to explode, and the button on the switch to cause the explosion. Just be careful, they're really strong."

"Hold on." I said, before Luna could get away. "Are you absolutely sure you can do this? Because I should really be the one to do this."

"Because I'm a girl?" Luna asked me angrily.

"No, because you're the main tactician and you would be better off leading the main entrance assault." I replied, getting a nod of approval from Seamus. "Okay, how far should I be?"

"You should be fine from going deaf from at least 5 floors up, give or take." Seamus said. "Either that, or find a way of drawing the guards away."

"Alright, draw guards away." I said, before heading to the hole. "Should I take the explosives, just in case?"

"Take 3." Seamus said, as Luna stuck 3 bombs to my belt. "Make sure you're not spotted until you open the door."

"Okay." I said, as I began to sneak into the vent.

Getting out at the very first floor, I immediately saw that there were two guards standing at the door. I immediately snuck away into a nearby hallway, and began to find my way to the stairs. I saw a few of the guards walking past the stairs as I managed to get into the stairway. On the second floor, there were a few Shadows, but they seemed preoccupied with something. I just climbed the stairway onto the third floor and-

WHAT THE HELL!

* * *

><p><strong>Liz<strong>

"Okay, we have got to find the ring." I said. "Mr. Dumbledore, how far do we have to go?"

"Call me Albus." The bearded man said, as the three of us walked down the road. "It's only a few yards away."

"Well, I don't think we're all that safe here, what with this being where Cedric died." Cho said.

"What?" Dumbledore asked, shocked.

"Do you see that graveyard?" Cho said, pointing at the graves. "I spoke to Cedric's spirit, and he showed me where he died. That's the graveyard where a rat-faced man murdered him, I'm sure of it. I'd never forget that statue." It was a statue of the Grim Reaper. Is it supposed to guard the graves… or tell us that he's coming for us?

"Anyway, the cottage we're looking for is the Gaunt Shack, a small cottage only a kilometre from here." Dumbledore said. "The local village is Little Hangleton, whose most prominent family were the Riddles. Just to be clear, we should discuss strategy in case we're attacked."

"I'll be party healer," I said, gripping my spear, "and I'll also take out any Death Eaters since I'm immune to spells, so I'll also be a tank. Cho, since you have a fan, you should use a combo of magic and close range to disorientate them. Dumbledore's our main glass cannon so you should stay back and use magic to fight from a distance."

"…Well, I was going to say I'll handle all of the fighting, but if you're sure you want to fight, I won't stop you." Dumbledore said, as Cho pulled us down behind a bush.

"Look, on that hill." She said, as we looked at the nearby mansion. "Someone's coming out of the house." Looking carefully, I saw it was a man, dressed as a Death Eater, coming out of the house. Luckily, I had a pair of binoculars, so I took them out and looked through them.

"It's that 'Malfoy' guy." I said, as I gave Cho the binoculars. God I wish I had one of those ARIs. "There's someone else with him, I don't know who."

"What the hell?" Cho asked, probably confused. "That's- That's Draco."

"Draco Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked, slightly gobsmacked. "What's he doing here?"

"The Death Eaters took over Hogwarts." Cho said, as she continued to look. "Lucius is loyal to Voldemort, perhaps he pulled a few strings in order to save him. But…"

"Who wants to kidnap him?" I asked. "He might know a few things."

"Well, that is a good idea." Cho said, but leaning against a tree. "But we're here for the ring. Your call, professor."

"Cho can take care of the Horcrux, so I'll go with her." He said. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"If the Horcrux is a trap, I'll lure them away." I said, as I jumped over the bush. "Besides, I want to see who we're screwing."

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

Okay, this is boring. Liz wouldn't let me leave because I was tired, and I'm growing a tail. So now, I'm browsing the web for any info.

**DMD_K1ng:** Are you free to web chat?

Well, talking to Jimmy will be a good idea.

**Res20stupid:** Yeah, sure.

As I said that, I sent a chat invite to Jimmy, which he accepted.

"How are you, Ezio?" Jimmy asked.

"Bored." I replied. "I fainted from overusing my powers, have to sit back for now, and I grew a tail."

"A… A tail?" He asked, astonished. "Never mind, I need your help with something."

"Sure." I asked. "I could use the exercise. What do I need to do?"

"There are a few underground stations around London, if you're near them, I need you to hack into some terminals and allow me access to a security network. Zeke asked me to find some info on the Militia, and they think they know who the leader is."

"Why store important files in England?" I asked.

"Aliens in Cardiff," Lamar said, deadpanning.

"Good to see you're safely back in New York." I said, with a smile. "What about Halley."

"I'm here." The young kid said, smiling. "So, how was the craft flight?"

"It wasn't until we flew into England that we realised that it emits radiation that's poisonous to Conduits," I said. "Also, it exploded mid-flight and hit me in the eye."

"Is that why it's stuck in Shadow mode?" Lamar asked.

"Yeah," I said. "Alright, send me the co-ordinates." I said.

"No can do," Jimmy said. "We have no idea where they are. I have a program to show find them, I'll send it to your BlackBerry."

"Okay," I said, as I closed the conversation. "Mrs. Weasley, is it possible to open a Flue connection for me?"

"Sorry dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "I'm afraid Elizabeth asked me not to let you leave."

"I'm not going to get into a fight," I replied. "I'm just going to go and meet a few people."

"Make sure you aren't getting into trouble," She warned me.

"Don't worry," I replied. "I'll see if I can get Victor and Fleur to come with me, just in case." As Mrs. Weasley opened the portal, I stepped through and immediately saw the two in question. "Can I ask for your help?"

"What do you need?" Victor asked me.

"I need to hack into a couple of computers in the underground," I said, to their worry. "I'll owe the both of you, and I'll get at least two more people to help me, act as backup. How about it?"

"This is going to explode in our faces," Fleur immediately pointed out. "There are vampires down there. And some of them have gone berserk."

"I'll handle that," I replied. "We should be fine as long as none of them use the name Cullen, then I'll possibly kill them in a blind panic."

"Yeah," Victor said, "I hear a lot of Muggles hate the Twilight books."

"Well, how about it," As they looked at each other, they just shrugged and took out their wands.

"Sure, let's go," Fleur said, as we headed out, and I took out my phone.

"Sun, where are you?" I asked over the phone.

"Just finished with a Terachmite who helped kill a resistance group here in the Polaris." Apollo replied.

"How can you get phone signal there?"

"The phone network has a node that uses quantum entanglement." He replied. "What's up?"

"I need to talk to you about a few things, can you meet me by the London Underground?"

"Sure." He replied. "See you there." As Apollo hung up, I called Kasumi's number.

"Moshi-Moshi."

"Kasumi, I need to borrow your boyfriend, if you're busy." I replied. "Are either of you up for hacking a few computers?"

"Hold on." She said, as someone cried out in pain. "Sorry, bit busy with a fatass bully. Keiji said fine, I have to opt out to investigate something. Meet at the entrance?"

"Sure." I replied, as I made one last call.

"Hello?" Someone said on the other end.

"Is this Akihiko Sanada?" I asked. "My name is Ezio, we spoke earlier."

"Oh, right." He replied. "You said you wanted to talk to me. Do you want to meet up?"

"Actually, I need your help." I replied. "I need you to help me hack a few terminals. I'll give you something in return."

"You want to commit a criminal act in front of a police officer?" He replied. "How good is this 'Something'?"

"How about a year's worth of emails from Minato Arisato?" I replied.

"How do you know him?" He asked.

"I can't explain over the phone." I said, as we headed down the road. "All I can say is, I know a lot about SEES and Tartarus. That's all."

"Alright, when do you want to meet?"

"ASAP," I said, as he hung up. This will make for interesting conversations.

* * *

><p><strong>Sirius<strong>

"We are gathered here today in order to determine whether Sirius Black is to be acquitted of crimes he has been accused of committing 13 years ago." Madam Bones said, as she opened my hearing. "Before we begin, does the defendant have anything to say?"

"Yes, I do." I said, as the Ministry persecutor scoffed at me. "For 13, nearly 14 years, I was not only accused with the betrayal of my two best friends, the murder of 12 people, as well as being part of a group who murdered both of them and my brother, and also being the victim of betrayal myself. I only want my name cleared, as well as the public recognition of my innocence." As I sat back down, Miss Bones looked over several items that we submitted to evidence.

"Does the persecution have any questions?" She asked.

"A few." The man said, as he walked over to me. "Mr. Black, how did you escape from Azkaban?"

"That question isn't relevant to the hearing." Sir Humphrey said. "I object."

"Objection sustained." Miss Bones said, as the persecutor gritted his teeth.

"Alright, can you explain how Peter Pettigrew betrayed the Potters?" He asked instead.

"…when James and Lily discovered that Voldemort was after them, they informed Dumbledore that they were going into hiding with the Fidelius Charm. At first, they made it look like I was the secret keeper."

"But that wasn't the case?"

"Peter Pettigrew was made the secret keeper at the last minute, as we all thought that I was too obvious of a choice."

"So, let me get this straight." The persecutor asked. "You swapped with someone because you expected that you would be captured and he would be safe to keep the secret?"

"Yes." I replied. "Isn't that what I just said?"

"So, Peter Pettigrew was captured instead-"

"No, he wasn't." I pointed out. "That's what caused me to chase him a few days later. We thought that he was the most trustworthy of the group, and the least suspicious. I myself went into hiding in order to maintain the illusion."

"So, was Peter captured?"

"No, he betrayed them." I shouted. "Peter was the Secret Keeper, but he didn't get captured. I saw him a few days later drinking a bottle of beer in a bar as if nothing was wrong."

"And then you tried to kill him?"

"I never tried to kill him," I said, "I never even had my wand."

"We have sent Aurors to Belfast to reclaim the body." Madame Bones said, "And we have already confirmed his identity. As for proving whether or not you were responsible for the murder of the 12 Muggles, that is the difficult task."

"Oh, please." Sir Humphrey blurted out. "We have already proved Peter Pettigrew faked his death. How do we prove that he didn't kill those people."

"I may be able to help, Madame Bones." The Persecutor said. "As you know, the use of Pensieves and Veritaserum is not usually used in courts now due to Occlumency. However…"

"You think you have an alternative?" Madame Bones asked.

"It's due to the use of magic that people are able to lie, even through Legitimancy." The Persecutor said. "The only ones who can't are children, and that's unethical. But, if we use a mentalist, we can discover the truth."

"…A Mentalist?" Madame Bones asked. "Are you saying, a Conduit with telepathy powers?"

"That's exactly what I mean." The Persecutor asked. "So, Mr Black, how would you like to use your memory as evidence?"


	23. Operation Hogwarts 13: Paths

**Seamus**

"Okay, I'm worried about Neville now." I said, as Luna and I snuck over to the front door. "It's been 15 minutes, now. What do you think he's doing?"

"He's on the third floor." She said, looking up. "He's shocked, but safe."

"Luna, how do you know that?" I asked, slightly confused. "Or are you always this weird?"

That made her angry. "Listen, Seamus," She almost shouted. "When my mother died, I was given the ability to see things that no-one else can. I've known since I was 5 things that most adults wouldn't know in all of their years. I know things that Dumbledore doesn't. Do you know what pulls the carriages at Hogwarts?" Weakly shaking my head to say 'No', I realised that this was something to be feared. "They're called Thestrals. They can only be seen by someone who's seen death and completely understands it. When I discovered I could do that, people laughed at me, saying I was weird. Well, do you know what a Zoni is?" Confused, I just shook my head. "They're spirits that make sure that the universe doesn't become unstable. I first saw them when my mother died, and have seen them throughout my life. I asked one of them to watch Neville for me. Being near them has made me slightly strange. I've been researching to find something, anything, that would let me know what happened to me, and everyone calls me strange. But if you do it, I will rip off your head, stick my wand down your throat, and use the reducing spell to destroy your heart, after I find a way to make you an immortal. Got it?"

"You're so creepy when you're angry." I said, as I began to sneak off to use the bathroom.

"Make sure no-one gets through this door." Someone said, as we both looked out to see who it was. Some woman with dirty blonde hair. "Or is that too much to ask of you?"

"**You yelled at us the last time you asked us to do that**." The masked man said, in a bizarre voice that sounded like a mix between a mormal human's and a combination of demonic voices. "**We were told not to let anyone into that other building**."

"Dammit." The woman said, running her hand over her head to nurse a headache. "Alright, I'm going to show you a few pictures." She then took out a few pictures and showed them to the guards. "The first one is a witch called Luna Lovegood." Crap. "The second is a wizard called Neville Longbottom." Shite. "The third one is a Half-Blood called Seamus Finnegan." F***. "If you see any of them, kill them immediately. They attacked the first base, and we think they're going to attack this one." As the Apparated away, Luna and I looked at each other before we snuck away.

"So, what do we do now?" I asked.

"Well, those guards are either Golems or Homonculi." She said, putting a hand to her chin. "However, I doubt either theory. Golems are made primarily of clay, but the guards seem to be mostly magical, as well as lacking the ability to talk. I doubt that they're Homonculi because of their size. Homonculi are usually kept in small bottles."

"Could they be an experimental hybrid of the two?" I asked. "If they tried to create a new artificial human, but something went seriously wrong."

"I would highly doubt it." Luna said, as she looked confused. "That isn't how magic works, but it is a plausible theory. Hold on, I'm going to call Neville."

"He's inside the building." I pointed out. "He's going to get caught."

"Hello, Neville?" She asked, already in a conversation. "Are you okay? … Are you sure? … Okay, we'll get in, somehow." Pressing a button on her phone, Luna wiped her hair out of the way, panicking. "Neville's having a panic attack, he walked into a room with a dozen corpses, and guards have entered the hallway."

"Okay, how do we get in?" I asked. "They know our face."

"…I have an idea." She said, as we walk away into a bathroom. "Are you aware of the principles of a 'Bavarian Fire Drill'?"

"Yes." I replied. "It's when a person pretends to have authority that they don't have by fooling someone into thinking that they are someone else, such as pretending to be a police officer to get onto a crime scene."

"The guards are obviously stupid," She said, with a grin, "so it will be easy to fool them. I'll be back in a second; I'm going to get some wigs. You, however, can't infiltrate a Death Eater stronghold with a full bladder." She's good… wait, what?

"Luna, are you sure all we need are wigs?" I asked, as the blonde haired girl ran off. "What about different clothes? Luna? Luna!"

* * *

><p><strong>Ginny<strong>

"So, you're a witch?" the Japanese boy said, as we drove along, "As well as a Conduit. Your parents must be really proud of you."

"No offence," I said, gripping the wheel hard enough that my knuckles turned white, "but can we talk after we get these supplies to the people that need them? I'm not that good at driving a car, let alone a truck on a frozen road."

"Sorry." He said, scratching his head, "I was just trying to help you calm down. You know my name, Itsuki, but I don't know yours."

"My name's Virginia." I replied. "Virginia Weasley. But everyone calls me Ginny."

"Nice to meet you, Ginny-Chan," He said, with a smile.

"What's with the 'Chan'?" I asked.

"It's an honorific." Itsuki replied. "I'm from Japan, where referring to someone without an honorific is considered rude unless you're really attached to them. Chan is a common honorific in Japanese that's used to refer to girls; its male equivalent is 'San'. Think of it as like calling someone 'Sir', or 'Miss'."

"Alright, Itsuki-San," I replied. "Got any powers, yourself?"

"Actually, I have a few." He replied. "I'm able to create fireballs from any environmental heat in the area, some flying, and empathy. That last part means I can feel emotions off of people."

"Is that how you can tell that I'm scared?" I asked.

"Yeah, pretty much." He replied, as he pushed a few buttons on the radio. "Sempai, this is Koizumi. We're heading into the main danger zone. Is there any problems on your end?"

"No, nothing," Jon said. "Although, it seems that the trolls are splitting up. Get ready, there seems to be a few near you."

"Understood," Itsuki said, as he held out his gun and lowered his window. "I'll focus on trolls with Charlie; you focus on getting us through this. Okay?" Giving a quick nod to him, my partner stuck his head out the side of the truck and sent a small fireball up ahead, hitting a troll and knocking it over. "Charlie, fly up and see how many more trolls there are."

"Okay." My brother said, as he took off, before I received a phone call from him.

"I'll take it." He said, as he grabbed my phone and held it to his ear. "How many? … Shit." He then hung up, setting it in a small glove compartment. "There are 6 of them."

"What?" I shouted, as the car began to turn. "How do we get out of this?"

"There are only 3 on our road." He said. "So, just focus on driving, Charlie and I will focus on fighting." That's when we saw a troll in the middle of the road, as Itsuki threw another fireball at it. "Uh, oh."

The fireball knocked the troll back, but it didn't get out of the way. "Please tell me we're NOT in trouble."

"Well, it will take me a minute to create another fireball." Itsuki said, as the troll started running. "Can you turn around it?"

"Hold on," I said, taking out my wand. "Grab the wheel for a second, I have an idea." As he grabbed the wheel, I leaned out through the other window, and aimed my wand. "Reducto!" I shouted, as it hit a nearby crane, causing it to fall on the troll. "Well, that ought to deal with it."

"Alright, there are just two more then." Itsuki said, before a large crash could be heard when something hit a building. "Okay, make that one." Then we heard a crash on our truck.

"There's just one more, and it's blocking a really narrow path." Charlie said. "Ginny, you should stop the truck as we take it out."

"Alright," I said, as I put my foot on the petal, except we weren't slowing down. "Maybe it's just the ice."

"There's no ice on this road." Itsuki said, as I began to panic.

"Hey, Charlie," I shouted, "do you know how we can slow down?"

"Use the brakes." He shouted back.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen." I replied. "We don't have brakes. Do we have anything else?"

"Charlie, open your wings." Itsuki said. "Keep them open for a minute until we stop. Ginny, get your foot off of the gas." As we did that, the car slowly came to a halt, and Charlie jumped off as Itsuki got out of the truck, and I opened the car door to take a look. "Alright, stay here until we clear the way."

And then, we heard a roar behind us. "Another troll!" I asked, horrified. "Really? For f***s sake, that's overdoing it."

"Oh, shit." Itsuki said, "I forgot there were 12."

"12?" I asked. "12! What do we do?"

"I'll focus on taking out the first one," Charlie said, "Itsuki, focus on keeping that one behind us away from the truck. Ginny, get in the truck and be ready to drive away ASAP."

Nodding, I climbed in the truck and waited, watching the two fighting. Charlie was busy blocking attacks, and Itsuki was dodging. Itsuki then threw a fireball at the troll, in order to daze it. It was getting desperate, as the troll was overwhelming Charlie, and Itsuki was severely injured. "Dammit." Stopping the truck, I headed towards Itsuki and used my patented Bat-Bogey® hex (No, really, it's pending though, but it's mine!), causing the troll to try and swat away the bogeys, as I pulled up the injured boy and pulled him towards the truck. "Stay in the truck, until I come back."

"Alright," He winced, as I walked over towards Charlie and the other troll. Taking out my whip, I smacked the troll straight in the eye. As it screamed, Charlie grabbed one of its arms and threw it up into the air, before jumping up and slamming it headfirst into the ground, then moving it out of the truck's way.

"I told you to stay in the truck, Ginny." Charlie said. "Do you know how mad Mum will be if you get injured?"

"Itsuki's hurt." I replied, as Charlie climbed on top of the truck. "So, I just used my Bat-Bogey hex in order to distract the other troll."

"Okay, get the truck out of here." He said, as I climbed in. "Itsuki, how are you?"

"Winded," He said, as I took out a bottle and handed it to him. "What the…"

"It's a healing potion." I replied. "Drink it; I'll give you another to stop the bruising." As he swallowed it and I drove the truck away, I pulled another potion out and set it next to him.

"Hey, are you two okay?" The radio blared, as Jon spoke over it. "I saw you two stopping."

"We were ambushed by two trolls." Itsuki said, as he took a speaker. "I got hit, badly, but we're fine. What about you?"

"You too?" Another voice said over the radio. "We were stopped by two trolls who cut us off. Well, we've got four trolls down. How many have you got?"

"Four." Itsuki said. "Eight down, twelve to go. We're halfway to the next camp, what about you?"

"Yeah, we're nearby-" The other voice said, before suddenly trailing off. "Oh god NO!"

"Leon, are you okay!" Itsuki shouted.

"OH CRAP!" And then we heard a large crash over the radio, before the other truck suddenly crashed in front of us. "Well, nine down, we were just whacked by another troll."

"No shit!" I said, grabbing the radio. "Can one of you tell me where Raphael is?" I asked, before the 7 foot man suddenly crashed into the other truck, leaving a dent in the hood. "Never mind."

"Well, this could be worse." Itsuki said, as he looked on ahead. "The next three could attack at the same time. Hey, can you pull up along to the other car?" Itsuki asked. As I pulled up, he leaned down the window and stuck his head out of the window. "Hey, Leon!" He shouted. "Do you expect a trap up ahead!"

"Yeah," the Black Mage replied, "They're too organised, someone else is co-ordinating them!"

"Hey, need any help?" A voice said, over the radio.

"Haruhi," Jon said, "Get off the channel."

"The Death Eaters got a truck and are about to try and run you off the road." She said. "See?" Looking behind me, I saw a larger truck coming at us, at an increasing speed. "Now, don't worry, I've got an idea, I'll be there in a minute."

"N-Nanda?" Itsuki asked.

"I tried to stop her," another voice said, male, "I really tried." As we were watching the other truck, we saw two lines of smoke behind us, as they flew towards the truck, and caused it to explode. While the smoke rose, something passed through it.

"Really?" I heard Raph shout through the radio. "A f***ing attack chopper!"

"Hey, I saved your asses!" She replied. "I'll fly on ahead in order to take care of any more problems. See if I can take out any trolls." As the helicopter flew ahead, I saw a camp nearby. So, that's our target.

"That's Haruhi Suzumiya." Itsuki said, rubbing his forehead. "She's a friend of mine; we came here on a school trip. That other voice you heard was a friend of mine, called Kyousuke Tamagishi, but everyone calls him Kyon."

"Is she always like this?" I asked.

"Normally, she doesn't have her hands on a helicopter." Itsuki replied. "But yeah, she does crazy things all the time. Although, I'm wondering where she got the helicopter in the first place."

"There are three trolls up ahead." Haruhi said. "Getting ready to-"

"Haruhi, don't fire yet!" Jon shouted. "Where are they?"

"They're near a petrol station." Haruhi said. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh." Kyon said. "Wait for a minute and let me see if anyone's nearby." As we continued down the road, I saw the helicopter flying in the air around a few trolls. "There's someone in the petrol station. Haruhi, don't fire any rockets, it could kill them."

"I don't have control of the chopper's minigun." She replied.

"I do." Kyon replied. "Sorry, we're in two separate compartments, here. Look, I'll take on the trolls; get those supplies to the camp."

"Alright, Kyon," Itsuki said. "Good luck."

"Well, it should be smooth ridings from now on." I replied, as I continued driving. "Well, mission accomplished, I think."

"Well, how about some music." Itsuki said, as he pushed a button on the radio.

*~_Are you ready, are you ready for this?  
>Are you hanging on the on the edge of your seat?~*<em>

"You're a Queen fan?" Charlie asked Itsuki?

"Hey, it's a good band." He chuckled.

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"So, you grew a tail?" Apollo asked me, inside the underground.

"Yep," I said, as I let him look at it.

"Yeah, you're right," He replied. "It does look like a Lombax tail."

"So, he's turning into a Lombax?" Victor asked. "So, when you have some alone time with your girlfriend, if you get a bit frisky, is that cannabilism?"

*CRACK*

And that was one of the loudest slaps I've ever heard. Fleur slapped Victor straight across the face, obviously disgusted. "How can you say something so vile?"

"I saw a video of Frankie Boyle online," He replied. "Compared to him, that was lighthearted."

"He's right," I said. "I can't watch his second DVD anymore due to the Amy Winehouse jokes he told."

"She's dead?" Apollo asked. "How much coke?"

"It was alcohol." I replied, putting the tail into my trousers. "But anyway, I have to head out now."

"Yeah, if you wind up in space," Apollo said to me, "I highly recommend not letting anyone know about that, especially in the Polaris Empire."

"Tachyon?" I asked, getting a nod. "Anyway, you should head out. I'm meeting with a detective working with the police on Cornelius Fudge's murder, and I hear you're a suspect."

"Look, I wasn't involved in that," He said, obviously annoyed. "He died around midnight, right? Well, I was helping take out a few Death Eaters on another part of town. Besides, why would I kill him when I can just make him scared for the rest of his life?"

"Well, if he deserved the terror, I can see why you would do it," Another voice said, as we all turned around to see him. "Detective Akihiko Sanada, London Met. And don't worry, you're no longer a suspect, but I do want to speak with you."

"Sorry, but I have business to attend to." Apollo said, as he was about to leave. "Although it's nice to meet- Oomph!" He said, as another person tackled him.

"Apollo, right?" The blue haired girl said. "Naoto Shirogame, you're under arrest as a suspect for the intended assault of a politician."

"Uh, Miss Shirogame?" I asked. "You can't actually arrest him, no matter what you do, or if you have a warrant."

"Because he's an alien?" She asked. "The legal definition of person is someone who is able to take responsibility for their actions, on a moral or educated level. Since the laws of this planet are written with that loophole in mind…"

"Well, I'd like to talk, but like I said, I have something to do." With a small flash, Apollo was gone, and Naoto was now lying on the ground.

"So, you're Ezio?" Akihiko asked me. "It's a pleasure to meet you. And these two are?"

"My name is Victor Krum." He introduced himself, offering to shake Akihiko's hand. "This is Fleur Delacour."

"And you're not actually cops." I said. "The rank of Detective doesn't exist in the Metropolitan, and you're both Japanese. So, are the police really that overworked?"

"They'd be able to do their jobs if the Aurors would actually work with them." Naoto said. "They're trying to keep people safe, but the Aurors are endangering people. Did you hear about what they did near the Houses of Parliament, or at the refugee camps?"

"Of course," I replied. "My girlfriend's brother is organising the people there, I heard that they left a few trolls nearby. As for the Parliament troll, I was there when it went wild."

"So, you were one of the people who saved those protesters?" Naoto asked me. "You must be considered a hero by those people."

"I'm no hero," I replied. "But I should say one thing. Don't try and arrest Apollo, Fudge deserved what Apollo did to him. The chasing, not the murder. Also, he was seriously injured by the Aurors at the time."

"What did Fudge do?" Naoto asked.

"Sent a dangerous creature to try and murder a fourteen year old who was warning about Voldemort's return since June." Victor replied. "He also then tried to have that same kid expelled, then given a mock trial to criminally convict him."

"And he's head of the magic government in England?" Akihiko asked. "Well, I'd ask you about those messages, but…"

"[Would you rather we talked in Japanese?]" I asked, to his shock. "What? I'm an anime fan, and I can watch Stand Alone Complex in Japanese without subs."

"You speak Japanese?" Fleur asked.

"And Italian, as well," I replied. "Raph can speak Italian as well, but he also speaks Irish. Anyway, [I was going to explain how I know Minato. Before he started attending Gekkoukan High, I was a pen-pal of his. He explained most of what happened over two years ago, from Tartarus, Personae, the Shadows, how SEES was created to stop Apathy Syndrome, and Strega, but also things I don't think you know]."

"[Like what]?" Akihiko asked.

"Here." I said, handing him a flash pen. "All of Minato's emails are on that. You can keep it."

"Alright," he said, as he put the flash pen into his pocket. "So, you have to hack a few terminals down here, then?"

"Yep," I replied, as took out my phone. "It has to do with a gang my friends and I fought back in Belfast. I have a hack on my phone that will allow me to break into secure terminals, so I can get secure information about their leader."

"How many will you have to break into?" Naoto asked.

"I have no idea." I replied. "I'll know when I get to the first system. Although, we have to wait for another person, a hacking specialist I know."

"Well, at least you're flattering." Keiji said, as he came down the stairs. "You need a hacker?"

"Only if this software doesn't work," I said, as I started the app. "Keiji, if this software isn't able to break into a secure network, can you?"

"I think so." Keiji said. "How secure is this network?"

"I don't know; I just need to wait until I break into the local wireless network to find the first terminal." I said. "The first terminal is… the ATM machine?"

"It's a trick mainly used by many teen hackers who have to hide some secure data." Keiji explained. "It's like having a secret passageway disguised as a bookcase. The only difference is that you know about the secret passageway due to how common they are."

"Alright, found the USB slot." I said while plugging my phone in, as Keiji looked at the screen.

"It's encrypted with several different coding languages." Keiji explained. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Is it that hard to code different languages together?" I asked.

"No, not that," he said, "This software can break it in an instant. I have got to get my hands on this."

"I'll ask the author." I said, as my phone rang. "Jimmy, you there?"

"Yeah," Jimmy said. "I've got the locations of most of the computers."

"Wait, what do you mean 'most'?" I asked. "Wasn't that computer supposed to tell you where all of them are?"

"It seems that the last one is kept safe by encryption." Jimmy said. "The algorithm isn't complete; you need to crack all of the others. There's 3 I know of, and 1 still protected."

"Hey, can you send me a copy of that app?" I asked. "Someone is interested in it for legal purposes, in order to take money from secret bank accounts."

"How much?" He asked. "And it isn't mine, Halley wrote it."

"He's good." I said. "He's really good."

"Yeah, it's a side project he's working on while we're waiting for our analysis of our AI to finish."

"You're making an AI?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's actually a commissioned project, for some General in the Navy or something."

"I'll get the other docs for you." I said, as I hung up. "Alright, I'm looking at the map, the next terminal is… in the tunnel."

"We're going into vampire territory?" Fleur asked. "What great plan do you have for this?"

"Those special blacklights should help us," I said, taking out a few torches.

"Do you really think UV will kill vampires?" Victor asked. "I'm not really sure you thought this through."

"Actually, I've seen a few vampires die from UV before." Keiji said, as we headed into a tunnel. "It's mainly a deterrent, though, so don't rely on the lights."

"Alright," I said, as we all drew weapons. I took out my katana, Fleur and Victor took out their wands, Keiji took out an SMG and Naoto took out a revolver. "This will be fun."

* * *

><p><strong>Ginny<strong>

"_~We Will, We Will Rock You!_" We all sang, as the three of us headed into a large field, as our truck was followed by Jon and Leon's. "Sing It!"

"Uh, guys?" Kyon said, over the radio.

"Kyon, this is Ginny, are you in trouble?" I asked.

"You're with Koizumi, aren't you?" He asked. "I can hear Queen."

"Yep."

"Listen, we're being attacked by something, and it's pretty big," Kyon said, as we saw the helicopter spinning around. "Since we've taken down the trolls, we're going to fly down next to the- Damn it!"

"Kyon?" Itsuki asked, grabbing the radio. The helicopter was now spinning wildly, as it headed down to the ground. "Suzumiya? Are you okay!"

"Damn," Haruhi said, obviously wincing. "We're fine. I think I hurt an arm. Kyon?" She asked. "Kyon!"

"Haruhi, what's wrong?" Jon asked her.

"He's unconscious," She said, panicking, as she said something I couldn't understand. I think it was Japanese.

"Where are you?" Itsuki asked.

"It's just outside of the football stadium," She said. "He's bleeding from the head, what do I- Oh, god."

"Haruhi, don't move," Itsuki said, as we made a turn towards the stadium. "What do you think it was?"

"I saw a smoke trail heading towards the chopper," I said. "I think it was a rocket." I saw a crashed helicopter as we parked with Charlie's wings, and we got out of the truck. "Hey, are you okay?" I called out, to a girl who was cradling an unconscious boy, drying up the blood. "We're here to help."

"Behind you!" She shouted, as I jumped out of the way of a spell.

"So, you're an Order bitch," She said. A Death Eater. "You really aren't smart, are you?"

"That's rich, coming from an inbred whore like you," I replied, as I dodged a Killing Curse that she cast at me. "When you're done wasting our time, we've got to get this boy some medical help."

"I'm the destiny of magic, along with all of the other Death Eaters," She said. Wait…

"You're Bellatrix Lestrange, right?" I asked. "You really think that being devoted to Voldemort will really get him to love you? Are you really sure you want to love him?"

"How dare you, you filthy Blood Traitor!" She screamed, as she used a curse to summon a whip that I caught in my hand, to her shock.

"All that did was sting," I said. "Are you aware of anything about Riddle, before he took up the name of Voldemort? He's a Half-Blood. He's a Half-Blood, and he's gotten the whole lot of you listening to his bullshit. He's only the Heir of Slytherin because he's a bastard son of a whore of a mother. And you love him? What a joke."

"Well, if that's a joke, see if you can handle this," She then Apparated away, leaving a seal around us, sealing Itsuki, me and, to our surprise, Haruhi and Kyon.

"Ginny, I can't get in!" Charlie shouted. "Be careful!"

"We're in trouble, aren't we?" I asked.

"I think so," Itsuki replied. "Do you have any more of those potions?"

"Sure," I said, as I ran over, taking out a few bottles. "Haruhi? My name is Ginny, I'm here to help."

"How?" She asked me, as I tilted his head.

"This is an awakening potion, this should make him regain consciousness. Give him the red bottle, then the blue bottle after he regains consciousness." As she did so, I took out my wand and whip, and began striking around the area we were in.

"Suzumiya-Chan?" Itsuki asked, as she ran over to him. She began to say something in Japanese, which I think was 'I'm sorry'.

"Guys," I said, looking around. "I don't think we're alone in here."

As I said that, we were all startled by something hitting the ground, sending snow high into the air. "What the hell?" Charlie shouted, as the snow settled to show…

"A cerberus?" I asked. "Great, just great, got any ideas, you two?"

"How about this?" Itsuki said, as he fired his gun straight at one head, as I used a bat-bogey hex to cause a distraction and raised a few shields between the Cerberus and the helicopter. "Okay, I can understand a giant three-headed dog, what with all this magic and all, but why is it wearing some masks?"

"Oh great," I said, leaning against the shield, "it's a Shadow. See if you can crack the masks, it should weaken it. Glacius!" As I used a freezing spell to crack the right mask, Itsuki shot at it with his rifle, and another gunshot, from Haruhi, caused it to shatter. "Nice shot!"

"Gomo," She said, as she shot at the left mask now. "That hardly put a dent in it. See if you can freeze it again."

"Alright," I said, aiming my wand. "Glacius!" It didn't seem to faze it, in fact, it seemed to fix any damage that it had. "Crap, it's healing."

"Let me try a fireball," Itsuki said, as he created a small fireball. "This is going to take a while, see if you can find a weakness in the middle mask."

"How about this?" Haruhi shouted, as she took out a bow and drew it back. "Eat this!" Releasing it, the arrow hit the mask in the lowest part, causing it to break off in an instant. "Well, that did something."

"Use physical attacks on the middle mask," Itsuki said. "I'll only be a second before I'm done."

The Shadow started to bang on the shield, trying to get at us. There was no way we could attack as it was on the offensive. "Hey, mind if I give you an idea?"

"KYON!" Haruhi shouted, before heading over to apologize.

"Listen, that monster will just keep attacking, so we have to take it out," the injured young man said. "I can only hmove my hand, and it's on the control stick. I want you guys to move away, I'm going to do something really stupid."

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"He's going to eject and blow up the helicopter," Itsuki said.

"Kyon, don't be stupid!" Haruhi shouted.

"You have to kill it," Kyon said, as he gave a smile. "Come on, as if you'll let me die, right?" I adjusted the shields in order to move us away from the Shadow, and gave Kyon a nod. As he nodded back, I lowered his shields and let him make his move. "Hey, ugly!" He shouted, getting the Shadow's attention. "Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelled of Elderberries!" He shouted, in a french accent. "Now get away from them, or I will taunt you again!"

The Shadow began to walk over towards the helicopter, as Kyon put his thumb and middle finger on his control stick and gave a grin, letting his other hand raise, while obviously in pain, to flip off the Shadow. "See you in hell, asshole!" Pressing the buttons at the same time, the part of the helicopter Kyon was in was launched into the air as the helicopter exploded, knocking the Shadow out, before the pod came down and crashed onto its midsection. "Go, now!"

"Showtime!" Itsuki shouted, as he threw the fireball at one of the masks, causing a few cracks to appear, as Haruhi shot an arrow square into the other mask, which caused the Shadow to wake up, as it screamed in pain, thrashing wildly. "Hey, it's pinned down!"

"Alright, mind if I pitch the next idea?" I asked to get their attention. "Let's kick the everloving crap out of it!" I shouted, as I collapsed the shield and ran to the Shadow. Kicking myself off of the arrow, which caused it to imbed deeper into the Shadow's skull, I span around to build momentum in my whip, then causing the whip to strike the mask and seriously crack it, before Haruhi shot the mask with her gun to shatter it. Itsuki, however, ran over to the other mask and, drawing his sharp metal hoops, began slashing at the mask and causing more cracks to appear, then backflipping and causing his hoops to strike the mask, causing severe damage. As he landed, he grabbed his rifle and aimed it at the mask. "Mind if I get the last shot?"

"Go ahead." Haruhi said, as Itsuki brought the rifle up, took a calm breath, put his finger on the trigger… before a clicking noise was heard, causing him some confusion as he took something out of his gun.

"Out of bullets," He said, as he put the magazine into his pocket. "Haruhi-San?" He asked, as the girl handed him her handgun, and he walked up to the Shadow. "Well, second time's a charm." He said, as he brought the gun up and aimed. Another click, as he took out the magazine, inspected it, pulled back the top of the gun, and *BANG* "Suzumiya, that is why you clean your gun."

"Sorry," She said. "I'll go check on Kyon. Oh, you're Ginny, right? I'm Haruhi Suzumiya. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Virginia Weasley," I replied, as I followed her onto the Shadow. "Everyone calls me Ginny. So call me Ginerva if you want a death wish." As we got on top, we knelt down and looked into the small hole at the wincing Kyon. "Well, it's a good thing you had your seatbelt on. How are you, Kyon?"

"Fine," He replied, as we began to push. "What are you doing?"

"Well, we have to get you out some way," Haruhi replied. "Well, at least the bleeding stopped. Thanks for giving him those potions."

"Yeah, one to wake him up, one to stop the bleeding, and one to act as a painkiller," I replied. "Although, I don't think the painkiller worked for you. Alright, on three, push. One, two… Three." As Haruhi and I pushed, the pod began to roll, as we almost fell off. We eventually jumped down, as Itsuki unbuckled Kyon and Haruhi helped him pull the injured boy out.

"Hey," Itsuki said, as he looked at the barrier. "Shouldn't the ward have collapsed whenever we killed the Shadow?"

"Come to think of it," I said, as I rested against the Shadow, "normally they explode after they die." As if waiting for me to say that, the Shadow's body disintegrated, launching me headfirst towards the ward.

"Ginny!" Charlie shouted, as he ran over to me as the ward faded. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, just a mild sting, nothing major," I replied, with a smile. "Hey, why do I taste iron?"

"You have a busted nose," Haruhi said, as she handed me a tissue. "Just tilt your head back while we drive you towards the camp." As they helped me get into a truck, I sat next to Haruhi, while Kyon got the window seat and Itsuki was driving. "Thanks for helping us, you two."

"Hey, you helped us," I replied, as I held the tissue in place. "Jon, how are you?"

"Leon's having a small panic attack, but we're at the camp," He answered as we pulled up to the checkpoint. "Have you got Haruhi and Kyon?"

"Yeah, Kyon's injured and I've got a busted nose from an ambush," I replied, "But we'll live."

* * *

><p><strong>Seamus<strong>

"Sorry I'm late," Luna said, wearing a black wig, "Do you know how rare a blonde wig is in London joke shop? I had to settle for a grey one." She handed me the wig and I put it on, as she took out her wand. "Okay, now it's time for a Bavarian Fire Drill."

"Luna, at least tell me what the basic plan is," I ordered.

"Just follow my lead, and only talk when I ask to," She replied with a grin, before walking up to the door. "Are you the guards of this place?" She asked the two imposing figures.

"**And who are you**?" One of them asked.

"My name is Ebony Darkness." She replied, staring at one guard. "I'm one of the Dark Lord's secretaries." She then pulled up her arm and showed a Dark Mark. "That woman that you spoke to earlier is a traitor. Ignore all of her orders."

"**Yes, ma'am**," they said in unison.

"Also, if she shows up again, stall her, and call another Death Eater," She replied. "Tell them that the Dark Lord told you to send her for questioning."

"**Yes, ma'am**."

"We also need to get in," Luna replied. "We have to make sure she hasn't caused any damage."

"**The door is open**," a guard said, "**Go in whenever you need to.**" As the two of us headed up the stairs, we opened the door as the two guards saluted us, and we headed to the doorway.

"Oh my god," I said, beginning to laugh, "They're so stupid. That was glorious, let's do this more often."

"Sure." She said, giving a small smile, as we headed to the third floor. "Neville? Are you in here?"

As she said that, I heard something in a nearby bathroom. Heading in, I saw someone boking into the toilet. "Neville, are you all right?"

"… Oh, my god, what the f*** is wrong with these people?" Neville asked, as he weakly stood up. "There's a room filled with nothing but red drawings on the floor and 19 hanging corpses."

"Really?" I asked, as I walked out, and looked into a nearby room, and then bolted into the bathroom to empty my stomach. "Holy shit!"

"Is there a problem?" Luna asked, as she followed us into the toilet.

"They're moving…" I said, before boking again.

"There's a room with moving corpses inside!" Neville shouted. "We have to burn it!" As he grabbed a nearby canister of gas, he walked into the room, turned a valve, and struck a match as we all ran towards a staircase, as a large explosion went off.

"You had a bomb!" I shouted, as Neville ran off.

"I know!" Neville shouted, as he took out the bomb and threw it into the room. "Alright, can we go?" *BOOM*

"What was that?" I heard from downstairs. "Intruders!" Damn, a Death Eater. Human, not monster. "Well, just don't stand there, do something!"

"**We were told to wait for backup.**" The guard said, to the woman's annoyance, before another Death Eater appeared.

"Is there a problem?" the Death Eater said.

"Lucius!" The woman shouted. "Someone just blew up an office, and these two won't let me in!"

"**We were told you were a security risk and not to let you in,**" one guard said. "**The orders came straight from the Dark Lord through his secretary.**"

"The Dark Lord doesn't have any secretaries." He said. "There are intruders, get out of the way, now!" As he ran inside, we all began to panic.

"Smooth move, Neville, you raised the alarm," I deadpanned. "It was a wonderful explosion, but it was stupid."

"You saw it too." He said.

"Yeah, I know." I replied. "Come on, we have to get out of here." Looking around, I headed straight for the staircase and stuck a bomb onto it, then armed it. "Get up the stairs, now."

"You're going to blow the stairs?" Neville asked.

"Just go." I said, as Luna and I ran up, followed by Neville. On the fourth floor, I hit the detonator, and listen to the large explosion that occurred. "Now, that's how you handle Death Eaters."

"Great, one path down, but what about the elevator?" Neville asked.

"Die Hard." Luna said, taking the last bomb, arming it, and walking over to the elevator shaft. "Someone help me open the door here." As Neville took his sword out, he smacked it into the cage of the elevator, eventually opening up a hole, large enough for a bomb to fit through.

"We're going to get you!" A female voice shouted. "We'll make you suffer, or my name isn't Alecto Carrow!"

"Carrow?" I shouted down the elevator shaft. "There was someone called Carrow in Belfast! He was killed in an explosion, right?" That caused a reaction, as the woman began to shout in rage. "Fitting." Luna then armed the explosive and dropped it down the shaft. "ADIOS, ASSHOLES!" As Luna took the detonator and pressed the button, we immediately ran into a problem. "Get down."

A fireball suddenly came up from the shaft. "OH, SHIT!" Neville shouted, as we ducked out of the way, and the glass around us shattered, with a ringing in my ear.

"**** **** *** ***" I think Luna was trying to say something. "*** *** ****"

"****," Neville too. The ringing was beginning to die down by this point.

"* **** **e y** **ay?"

"W**t?"

"Are you okay?" Luna asked.

"Yes." I replied. "Okay, we have to get out of here."

"How?" Neville asked. "We blew up the exits."

"With rope." Luna said, taking out her bundle of rope. "Okay, we have to get to the other side of the building so that we can use this to get into the building next door. When we get that done we'll just head into the next building."

"Okay," Neville said, as we headed across the open floor and opened the window. "Okay, tie one end to the fire escape?" He asked.

"No," Luna said. "Here's a hook. Throw it to that gutter," She said, as she handed one end to Neville. As he spun it around, she handed me a belt, and put one on herself. "Put it on." As I did that, she took out a belt for Neville, who managed to hook the rope to the gutter.

"Luna, couldn't we just head down the fire escape?" Neville asked.

"Look down." She said, as we noticed a few Shadows looking up at us, as well as the Death Eaters coming around the corner. "They wouldn't dare come after us, where we're going." She then stepped over the fence, tying the rope to her belt. "Hook on." We did that, as we both began praying. "On the count of three, okay?"

"Okay." I said, beginning to panic. "One…"

"Three!" She said, as she pushed the two of us off, and we swung face first through a window, screaming, landing in a bundle as several dozen goblins looked on. "Hello," Luna said, peacefully, removing her wig. "I am going to pay for that window."

As she said that, we were all violently pulled back towards the window and almost fell through it. "The gutter's broken." Neville said, as he took his sword and began cutting the rope, as we almost slipped, then swiping at the rope over and over again, until we fell through the rope and landed in another bundle.

"So, the bill?" Luna said, taking out a key. "Where do I pay, here or at the till?" As a goblin waved for us to follow, we stood up, I removed my wig, and we headed towards another elevator.

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"I'm so sorry to keep you waiting, Mr Potter." Ragnok said, as he waved our hands. "There was a serious problem with our records, something about Ministry financial records being replaced with copies. Accurate copies, but just copies. Is this about your vault, or any other business?"

"Actually, Fred and George are the ones who need to speak with you." I said, as the twins stepped forward. "I'm just here to help them."

"Mr Ragnok," Fred began, "We're aware of certain magical laws, such as how you have the authority to give people the rights to arrest people over financial issues. And someone hasn't been paying their bills."

"We know where Ludo Bagman is," George said, as he sat down. "Well, mostly know. We have at least 3 possible sightings, but an information broker who will go unnamed will find out where he is for us. We're willing to go after him, and bring him in for you, even for minimum price. We just need a favour."

"Well, if you're asking for our guaranteed support against the Death Eaters, you already have our support," Ragnok replied. "But if you need business support…"

"Well, we are trying to set up a web business," Fred replied, "But we also want to set up a store in Diagon Alley. Can you help us with that?"

"Then it's agreed." Ragnok replied, as he took out a piece of paper and handed it to Fred and George. "This is a warrant for Ludo Bagman. It makes the arrest legal, but you have to take him to the Auror's department. However, only you two can actually arrest him as you're legally adults."

"Well, that was easy." I replied, as a phone suddenly went off. As Fred looked at it, he just held it up to his ear.

"Hello? … Thanks." He then hung up and stood up. "He's in a seaside town in Kent."

"Well, I can get you two a Portkey if you'd like." Ragnok said as we began to leave.

"Actually, we already have something to get us there," George replied, putting the warrant into his apartment. "We'll discuss our business later. Nice meeting you."

As they turned to leave, the door suddenly knocked. "Ragnok, there was a bit of commotion on the third floor," The goblin began. "Three children crashed through a window and destroyed a gutter, but they insist on paying for it."

"Alright, bring them in," Ragnok said, as he poured out a drink.

"Hello, Harry," Luna said, as she walked in with Neville and Seamus, while she was carrying a key. "I would have expected you all to be in the Burrow by now."

"Oh, we've been waiting for most of it," Hermione said. "Did you really crash through a window?"

"We couldn't use the regular exit," Neville said, wincing when Ron bumped into him. "So, Luna created one."

"Here's the key to my family vault," Luna said, setting the key down on the table. "Take out whatever is needed to repay the damages and send my father the bill."

"The bill is 7 Galleons, 5 Sickles and a Knut," the other goblin replied. "We need your authority to do this."

"It's a small amount," Ragnok replied, before writing something out. "Go ahead and withdraw the money."

"How about you wait until we come back, so that we can pay the damages?" Ron said.

"Fine, but I can't let them leave until after you come back," Ragnok said. "Find and arrest Bagman, and then they can go." As our group began to leave, I walked closer to Ron.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked. "You've been obviously quiet after you spoke to Percy."

"…I said something really nasty to Percy," Ron said. "He pissed me off, and I said something really disgusting."

"It can't be that bad," I said. "What did you say?"

"Have you ever heard of 'Feel Boss'?" he asked.

"No, what does it mean?"

"You don't want to know," He said. "But I said it after he said he would agree with anything the Ministry said, and also mentioned that he wouldn't care about you if Fudge said not to."

"Was that all?" I asked. "You would never get that angry about something about me. Sure, you'll violently defend Hermione when anyone calls her a Mudblood, but I shouldn't comment on your love life."

"What?"

"Oh, come on, Ron, everyone can see you like her. In fact, the only people who don't know you care about each other are… Each other," As Ron started scratching as we entered the elevator; I noticed that he really uncomfortable.

"…I have no idea what I want to do after school," he said, looking ashamed. "Hermione can enter law, Fred and George have already started a business, and you're a bloody icon, and a growing celebrity."

"I don't want to be famous," I said. "Knowing what happens to Muggle celebrities, I'll mainly be on reality shows for a good chunk of my life. Well, unless I become a Broadway star and do something outrageous with a horse." That actually got a small chuckle out of Ron. "Look, this year, we're getting a career consultation with Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore. And if you're worried about your grades, then have Hermione tutor you. Or torture you until you learn."

"Are you coming?" Hermione asked. "Seriously, what are you talking about?"

"Ron told Percy to perform a Rusty Trombone," George said.

"Ron!" Hermione shouted, completely disgusted. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," Ron said. "And that wasn't a Rusty Trombone."

"What's a Rusty Trombone?" I asked.

"You don't want to know," Hermione replied, rubbing her forehead.

"Alright, what's 'Feel Boss'?"

"You **REALLY** don't want to know."

"Wow, you really were angry, huh?"

* * *

><p><strong>Liz<strong>

"What?" A venomous voice said, from inside the house. "How could something like that happen?"

"If I may, my Lord," A man said, as he was obviously in pain with severe burn marks. "The Shadows aren't actually intelligent; they can only follow small orders. When I got there, the guards were tricked into keeping Carrow out, and I was only called by the guards when she returned. The guards were killed in an explosion, and I was just barely able to get both Carrow and I of the way, before we were both killed."

"And where is Carrow?" Another voice asked.

"She's receiving treatment for burns," the second voice said. Wait, Lucius Malfoy? "She's also raving about killing them for the death of her brother."

"Well, I'm angrier about the destruction of the ritual place," The first voice said. "We need that to keep our numbers high."

"My Lord, may I be rude enough to ask," Lucius began, "as to why we don't send our forces to Hogwarts? The Order of the Phoenix is systematically attacking us, so we should focus our attention to completing the Ritual of Emigré, in order to make you stronger?"

"Not until after the trap has been sprung," So, the first voice is Voldemort? The room I'm in is the main entrance of the house, with a dining room to the left. I began sneaking upward, and heading to a doorway on the left of the upper floor, which led to a balcony overlooking the dining room. "When Dumbledore sends someone after the ring, we'll just let the curse I put on it to keep it safe to kill them, and if that doesn't do it, which I doubt, then we have someone in wait to kill them."

"…My Lord, didn't you take your ring from the hut?" The black-dressed woman said, obviously confused.

"Exactly," Voldemort said, as he stroked a snake. "And if Dumbledore is foolish enough to go himself to retrieve the ring, then better." 'It's a trap, ambush + no ring, head back,' I texted to Cho, as I began moving towards the door.

"My Lord," a new voice said, coming in through the door from the hallway, "Lucius, where's Draco? Where is he?"

"He's safe," Lucius replied, "He's in an upper floor bedroom." As he finished, he winced in pain.

"Lucius, are you hurt?" She asked, as she walked over towards him. I have to admit, she is a beautiful woman. "Oh, what happened to you?"

"I'm fine, Narcissa." Lucius replied. "I'm going to see a Healer now."

"He was caught in an explosion," Voldemort replied, as the snake now moved upward toward his lap. "He managed to save Carrow from an explosion after someone intruded into one of our bases, saving her life."

"Narcissa, just take Draco out of here," Lucius replied. "Don't go back to the house, take him to the cottage."

"Yes, dear," Narcissa said, as I began to sneak out of the room. "Just, take it easy. Your injuries are severe."

"Narcissa," Voldemort replied, as she was about to leave, "May I ask, would you mind if I asked Draco to join us?" She appeared to freeze in her tracks, as she began to panic. "I'll only send him on intelligence missions, not anything dangerous."

"…If he doesn't want to join, don't force him to," Narcissa replied, as she looked Voldemort in the face. "He may talk big, but he is easily overcome with nerves." I just walked out of the door, making sure not to let the door creak.

"How many of you are there?" A voice said, as I felt a point at the back of my head being poked. Someone was holding me at wand-point.

"I'm alone," I replied, as I saw a nearby reflection. "You know, most Purebloods don't know the wonders of a good handgun. If you're going to threaten someone, you can just cock your weapon, usually from a distance." A blonde-haired boy, around 14-15, he was dressed in expensive clothing, and his hair was neatly cut. "Now, compared to a wand, you can threaten someone by either pointing it at them, pressing it into them, like you're doing now, Draco, or you can hit them with a spell."

"How do you know my name?" Draco asked, slightly stunned at that, as I spotted my opportunity. Spinning around in order to force his wand over my shoulder, I put my hand to his mouth, forcing him to back step to cause him to lose orientation, as I took out my Combustor and cocked it.

"You're not going to turn me in," I replied. "You would've already hit me with a stunner, so, why not? Oh, and if you call anyone, I'll shoot you in the head, just for safety."

"Check my left back pocket," He replied, as he dropped his wand. "Look, I'm unarmed." Grabbing into his pocket, I took out a small ring.

"What the…? Oh, come on, I've only met you a few seconds and you're already proposing?" I joked. "Sorry, I'm already engaged."

"The Dark Lord hid it here," Draco replied. "He's really nervous when anyone else gets their hands on it."

"So, this is his Horcrux," I answered, as I pocketed it, before releasing him, keeping my gun aimed. "Alright, give me another reason not to shoot you?"

"There are hostages in the basement." He replied, as he began to walk back to his wand. "I'm not going to attack, I'm holstering my wand." As he picked up the wand, he put it into a pocket in his jacket. "A few Muggles from the local town and a member of Hogwarts staff are being kept down there. They'll die if anyone tries to attack the house." Draco then set down a key and began to walk towards another door on the other side of the room. "Get them out of here." He then began to make a small run as he heard a nearby door opening. I grabbed the key, then sneaked behind a cabinet, and watched as Narcissa walked up the staircase, and entered the same door Draco went through. Taking out my phone, I saw a text from Cho. 'We're in the graveyard. Have you got the ring?'

'Change of plans. I got the ring. Hostages present. We have to save them'

I began to sneak down to the lower floors and found my way to a door at the back of the staircase, which I then opened. This door was unlocked, so I just headed down, with my gun ready, as well as my wand.

In the basement was a single large room with a single sleeping guard. He was human, so I would have to be careful not to raise the alarm. Walking over, I noticed that the door was locked with a combination lock. Taking my gun, I kicked the guard in the balls with it, causing him to wake up, wincing. "Tell me the combination to the door."

"Go to hell," He said.

"Don't make me angry," I told him, "I could just cut off a testicle until you tell me."

"Fine," He said. "It's 3-6-3-7".

"Thank you." I replied, before putting my hand on his mouth to stop him from screaming and punching him on the side of the head to knock him out. Opening the lock, I walked through, noticing a large cage filled with children, and a really big man, which had two men guarding the entrance. Taking out the key, I looked at it, and noticed that it had an engraving like on the lock.

"Hey." Cho said, frightening me. "Dumbledore is waiting in the courtyard, waiting for a signal to act as a distraction. So, what's the situation?"

"The situation is 'Text me whenever we're on a sneaking mission or else you're going to get a bullet to the face'," I replied, as I let Cho take a peak. "There are 18 kids and a bigger adult male."

"That's Professor Rubeus Hagrid," Cho replied, as she pulled back her wand. "He's the half-giant Groundskeeper of Hogwarts, as well as professor of 'Care for Magical Creatures'. He looks like he took a beating."

"Possibly tortured," I replied, "Possibly by Bellatrix for kicks. I have a key; I just need some help taking out the guards."

"Okay, how?" Cho asked.

"Put your hand to their mouth to keep them silent, then punch them to the side of the temple," I replied, "It's just above the eyes, just here," I pointed to her head. "Make sure it's with the first two knuckles, or you'll break your hand."

"Okay." Cho said, as she jumped up on a bookshelf, and moved over a plank towards a better position. As we then snuck up to the guards, we gave a nod, before we put our hands to their mouths and then punched them in the head with our free hand, as the children took notice. "Hey, are you all okay?" She asked the kids, as they all stood up.

"Cho?" Hagrid asked, just waking up. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping you lot." I replied, as I took out the key and opened the cage. "Elizabeth Richards, I'm a medic. Are you hurt?"

"Yeah," He replied. "It's just a small injury."

"Small injuries don't involve 15 centimetre blades," I retorted. "Cho, wait for a minute to get these kids out of here, I need to work my skills here." As I began to heal Hagrid, Cho took my gun and headed for the doorway.

"You're a Witch?" Hagrid asked.

"Yeah, but I only discovered that about 2 to 3 days ago." I replied. "I'm still going to heal you… Seriously, a missing kidney!"

"Yeah, I've been meaning to get Madame Pomphrey to look at that for a year."

"Alright, this might hurt a bit." I said, as I suddenly saw my body become surrounded by red light. "Great, a limit break, just what I need." Causing a healing pulse to spread out, Hagrid's injuries began to fade away as I helped him stand up.

"Uh, Liz," Cho called over, leaning against the doorway. "Someone's here."

"Grab him and throw him against the wall," I said, as Hagrid told the kids to keep quiet.

"Huh?" Someone gasped, before *WHACK* they were slammed into the wall. "Hey, Cho, it's me." Draco said. "It's just me, I swear!"

"Be quiet, Malfoy." She said, as she aimed the gun at him.

"He's cool," I butted in, taking out the ring. "He gave me this, as well as the key to the cage."

"He also saved my life," Hagrid said, still holding his stomach, "I was captured, but he convinced a few Death Eaters that I hid something they were looking for. By the way, if you need it, I managed to hide this." He then took out a sword and handed it to Cho.

"The Sword of Godric Gryffindor?" Cho asked, as she looked at it. "How did you manage to hide this without letting them know?"

"I can tell what injuries someone has," I said, "And do you really want the answer to that one?"

"That's the same one that Potter used to kill the Basilisk, right?" Malfoy asked.

"Yeah," Cho said. "It's made from goblin steel, of the highest quality. It can absorb what doesn't destroy it." Looking at each other for a second, I set the ring on the ground, and then let Cho strike the Horcrux with the sword, causing a series of green lights to shoot out of it. As they were about to lash out at Malfoy, I stood in the way, and took the blunt of the punishment, as my skin began to wither and heal itself, before I fell onto the floor, panting.

"You saved me?" Malfoy asked. "Why?"

"You're not a Death Eater." I said, as Draco helped me up while Cho pocketed the ring. "You're a good person, just surrounded by the wrong people."

"He's knocked out!" Someone said, from a distance. Shit, they're on to us. "There's someone down there."

"Cho, get these guys out of here!" I told her, as she headed over to the kids. "Take Hagrid as well."

"Aye-Aye," She said, as she went over to the kids. "Everyone, grab onto me." As everyone grabbed her, she faded away, taking everyone with her.

"Okay, why aren't you with the others?" I asked. "You're only putting yourself in danger."

"There was a bit of a commotion, something about someone being in the village," Draco explained.

"Shit, they spotted Dumbledore," I said, horrified. "Okay, I'll handle the fighting because I'm immune to Unforgivable Curses, you ambush attack everyone else, okay?"

"Fine," Draco said, as I headed up the staircase. Shooting one guard, I began to run as I heard another gasp. As I got to the top, I leapfrogged over him, before tripping him up and kicking him in the head.

"Stay there, Muggle!" Another wizard shouted, as he had his wand trained. Flicking through my weapon wheel, I chose the shredder, before an opportunity arose.

"Expelliarmus!" Draco shouted, disarming the Death Eater, before I shot him with the shredder.

"I love this job," I said, as we headed to the exit, "shooting bad guys with my boom-box."

"That's my uncle," Draco said, giving me dirty looks.

"Come on, everyone here's a sick bastard," I replied. "Hell, even me. I once punched a guy in the nose during a concert because he made a racist remark against my friend, and he was the lead singer."

"What happened?"

"I got a signed Metallica CD and a lifetime ban from concerts," I replied. "James Hetfield actually told them not to ban me, but the manager said otherwise. That didn't stop me from going next year. Come on, we've got to save Dumbledore."

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"Alright, I've got the second terminal," I replied, as I hooked up the phone, before it hit a snag. "Keiji, your expertise is required."

"Okay," Keiji said, as he looked at the terminal, before reading the screen. "Okay, the problem is that it needs a password from the first document, it gives a key to find it. Alright, Paragraph 2, line 2, 7th word."

"'Mitochondria'," Fleur said, reading the file after I sent it to her phone. "What is a 'Mitochondria', anyway?"

"Don't they have biology in magic schools?" Naoto asked, as she looked around, gun ready to shoot. "Mitochondria are found in the cell, and release energy by making carbon dioxide from oxygen and sugar. Of course, what would this 'Bertrand' want with Conduits?"

"I've got the next file," Keiji said, as he handed me the phone. "Well, it's an interesting read."

"You read a whole document in a few seconds?" I asked. "How?" As Keiji brought his hand up to the side of his face, a light pattern covered his eyes.

"It's a greybox, an internal hard-drive," Keiji said, taking down his hand. "It automatically converts text into a computer file, anything I see into video files, and any song I hear, automatically downloads if I'm interested in it, even if I only hear it for a second."

"So, you have a hard-drive in your head?" I leant against the wall, scratching my head. "You're a magic cyborg with telekinetic powers? Dear god, I'm going to ask Kasumi to stop you watching Nahora."

"Look out!" Akihiko shouted, before we dodged out of the way as a claw came down on us. Taking out my Combustors, I aimed them at the assailant. "What the hell is that thing?"

"That," Keiji said, taking out his wand, "is a berserk vampire." It was a rat-faced monster, with a few bat wings and oversized claws.

"It looks like Orlok!" I shouted, as it ran straight at me, before it started floating about helplessly.

"Singularity," Keiji said, as he hit it with a spell. "Focus fire on it, now." I began to shoot, hitting its wings, as Akihiko used Ziodyne, as Fleur and Victor hit it with a spell to slam it into a wall. Naoto then aimed her gun and shot it straight in the face. "Well, that sucked."

"So, that's Biotics?" I asked. "It's giving me a headache being near it. What about you, Fleur?"

"Well, I'm a little faint," she replied, confused, "But not that much of a bother. Why, do biotic forces cause Conduits to become sick?"

"Yeah, they do," I replied. "I should know; a Mass Effect core blew up in my face. Well, I couldn't hear any thoughts from this guy. He must have been brain dead."

"What makes you say that?" Victor asked me, as he went over to look at the creature. "It was killed with a bullet to the brain."

"I couldn't hear anything from it, couldn't feel it," I said, walking over. "When I was at St Mungo's I could feel a faint static from a higher floor, but no distinct thoughts. The higher floors contained a ward for the insane."

"You mean the permanent spell damage ward?" Victor asked. "It must have been people permanently affected by the Cruciartus curse."

"Cruciartus?" Naoto asked us.

"Magical torture," Keiji replied. "Anyway, be careful, there could be more." _Oh, crap. Oh, crap. Oh, crap!_ "Alright, where's the next termin-"

"There's someone down here." I replied. "Male, adult, scared."

"Let's hurry." Victor said, as he ran over towards a tunnel. "Where is he?"

"I think he's close to the next terminal." I replied. "It's in the main office, according to this map. We'll be fine as long as-"As I said that, we all heard a few growls, and then a few bestial screams. "That doesn't happen. Grab your asses and run!"

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"How did you get a flying bus?" I asked, as we flew over a seaside town. "In fact, how do you plan on landing it?"

"We've had more experience with flying vehicles than you," George said, as he flew the bus down towards the ground. "Okay, Omar said that he was held up in a nearby bowling alley, and that Death Eaters are looking for him as well."

"How did he get that information?" Ron asked, confused. "It looks like a ghost town."

"Apparently, he's been pulling a few favours people owe him," Fred explained. "And the bowling alley uses a private security company in order to keep it safe."

"Okay, how far is it?" Hermione asked, as she got out of the bus. "Oh, there it is." They parked it right outside of the bowling alley.

"Okay, let's be careful," Fred said, sneaking up to the door with George. "There's a fire escape in the back, wait beside it." Ron and I then headed over towards the door, taking out our wands and waiting a few steps away from the door, before raising our wands. As we gave a nod back to Hermione, she gave a hand wave as we heard the front door opening.

"Okay, stunner?" Ron asked, as he took a step back (He would otherwise be hit by the door if it was opened).

"How do you use a stunner?" I asked.

"Stupefy," Ron said, with a weak smile.

"I'll disarm him first, and then you hit him with a stunner," I said, before we heard a ruckus. "Alright, good luck."

Suddenly, we heard a large explosion out front, as I began to walk closer towards the entrance as Hermione came around the corner. Suddenly, the door swung open, as Ludo Bagman came out. Without thinking, I disarmed him, causing him to stumble in shock. "Harry Potter?" He asked me, obviously confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Stupefy!" Ron shouted, as Ludo suddenly became stiff, before falling over, as Ron walked over to him. "Alright, I'm going to tie him up," He said, before taking out a small plastic wrap. "Hermione, what the hell was that explosion?"

"A car exploded," She replied, as she came over to us and helped Ron lift the unconscious body into the bowling alley. "Bad news, by the way."

"Death Eaters?" I said, taking out my knives and guarding the others. "We can handle those." As a few explosions occurred nearby I dodged with a backflip to get out of the way. "What the…" And that was when a few Drophyds flew down into the alleyway. "I've been wondering where they've been." Closing the door behind me, I made sure to stick something into it, a pool cue that was nearby, in order to keep it closed.

"What's going on?" Fred asked, as a few windows exploded as more explosions blared out. "Who gave the Death Eaters bombs?"

"They're not Death Eaters," Ron shouted, as Drophyds flew in. "Great, they're inside. Now what do we do?"

"Harry, sneak around and attack them from behind," Hermione said, taking out a Combustor. "We'll provide cover fire." Cloaking, I jumped over the nearby pool table, as I grabbed a hanging power cable and strike a nearby Drophyd with it, before jumping onto another one and striking it with that. As I leapt off of it, I took out a knife and struck the glass of the third one, causing a crack to appear, and then casting a disarming charm inside, before jumping off as the Drophyd was shot out of the machine and into a wall. I landed on my arm, however, possibly spraining it. "Are you all right?"

"it's nothing," I replied, wincing, "Just a sprain."

"Sprains don't bend at right angles," Ron said, as he pulled me up. "Fred, George, grab Bagman."

"Already have him," George said, as he did something with his wand. "We've got him in a body bind and are lifting him to the bus."

"You expect to drive when there could be more Drophyds!" Ron asked, horrified, as he got to the door.

"Harry can turn invisible, can't he?" Fred asked. "Just let him turn the bus invisible."

"I can't disguise the tracks." I complained, as we all climbed aboard. "Wait…"

"Create an illusion of tracks, while we stay here." Fred said. "Then, we'll fly out of here." As I turned the bus invisible and sent a fake copy out to lead them away, before making it disappear.

"Okay, fly us out of here," I said, as George got behind the wheel and lifted us off. "So, it will be another hour until we get to London, right?"

"Afraid not," Fred said, as he began to fly us away. "There's a scanner around town that WILL pick up the bus, let them know where we are. That's where you three come in."

"Destroy the scanner?" Ron asked, as he looked out the window. "How will we know what it looks like?"

"They should look like a large green orb," Fred said, "Don't worry; it's near to the bus station, that's where we'll be. We'll call you whenever you're near it."

"Well, this is going to suck," Hermione said, as we all got out and saw a faint green glow. "Well, there's the first one."

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"Alright, when are these things going to leave us alone?" I asked, as I jumped a barrier, as a vampire leaped straight at me, before a beam of light struck the creature and causing it to run off, before more beams of light spread across the room. Screaming in pain, the vampires all ran off, straight into the tunnels.

"Are you alright?" A voice said, as he walked over to us. "What are you doing down here? There are insane creatures down here and you could've gotten killed!"

"We're looking into it, as well," I shouted, before taking out my wallet. "Who the hell are you?"

"Conrad Verner, I'm an off-duty US soldier," the man said, walking over to us. "I saw a CCTV feed of the station and found out there's a train trapped down here with several dozen people. And you are?"

"Special Agent O'Malley, FBI," I replied, showing him my wallet, "I'm working with the London Met, along with Akihiko Sanada, a vacationing Japanese police officer, Naoto Shirogame, a private detective, Keiji Okuda, a hacker who's helping us start up the station, and Fleur Delacour and Victor Krum, two wizards with training against vampires."

"Those weren't vampires," Conrad replied, "they never tried to drink anyone's blood. They only cut someone's throat and then go looking for other victims to kill. They die of starvation. And the ones that don't die from eating sharp metal."

"There's something seriously wrong here," Victor said, confused. "Those were vampires, but the physical mutation from starvation is way too advanced than when vampires normally die. Also, vampires aren't malicious creatures. If they kill, it's out of desperation, self-defence or to feed. They never kill more than their fill, otherwise."

"Also, they're completely photosensitive," Conrad replied, "Most of the normal vampires are able to operate around the stations whenever there are no UV lights."

"So, these vampires were kept alive by artificial means?" I replied. "Alright, we've got to get those people out of there."

"All we need to do is start up a few generators," Conrad said, as he walked over to the tunnels. "But we have to be careful. The creatures ripped apart a wire near a generator. It has to be started up with another generator. But we have to be careful, since we have to pump up the juice at this station. If we mess this up, it could knock off the whole local grid."

"That's pretty difficult for someone to do by themselves, who are you doing this with?" Keiji asked as I began to look around for the next terminal.

"I was working with someone in my squad," Conrad replied. "He's an electrical specialist, but I haven't heard from him in a whole 3 hours. I'm expecting the worst. If you guys help me, I'll say a few things to the local camp heads and let you guys rest up nearby in an emergency."

"Alright, how can we help?" Victor replied.

"Someone has to stay nearby and wait with a phone to hit a button when we connect the generators," Conrad explained, "As soon as we say, hit the switch to return power to the last few stations."

"I'll stay behind and hit the switch," Keiji replied, as he sat down on a bench. "What do I need to do?"

"It's simple," Conrad said, as he grabbed his rifle. "I'll show you what to do." As they walked away, Akihiko and Naoto walked over to me, obviously angry.

"[You're an FBI agent and you didn't tell us?]" Akihiko asked. "[Knowing that would make our job easier]."

"[I lied]," I replied, with a grin, taking my wallet back out. "[It's an official FBI badge, just not for an FBI agent]."

"You're walking around with a fake FBI badge?" Fleur asked. "I'm no Muggle Studies expert, but that's a serious crime, even in magic society. Do you know how much trouble you'll be in?"

"Read it," I said, as I plugged my phone into the next terminal. "It's an official notice that says that if I'm ever brought into police custody, especially on the Eastern Coast, then an FBI agent has to be informed immediately as soon as possible. If I ever move back to the US, I have to show this to the local police department, and failure to comply causes the FBI to take over the case."

"Is this the only time you've ever used it as a fake badge?" Victor asked.

"As a badge, yes, but when I used it as a visitor's badge at an FBI office, the only one that figured me out was actually impressed about it." They all looked at me in confusion, wondering what I did. "He asked me if I ever wanted to work for the FBI when I was older, and he would give me a recommendation. He was actually confused about how I got into his office though, considering he was the director of the FBI."

"[Are you always that stupid?]" Akihiko asked me.

"There is no better refuge but in audacity." I replied.

"Why do you have it, anyway?" Naoto asked, giving me an inquisitive look. I'd better think of an answer that won't make her think I'm in serious legal trouble.

"…Are you aware of a mental disorder called, 'Yagami Syndrome'?" I asked.

"I've heard of it," Naoto asked, as she sat down. "A mental disorder that exists on the double Y-Chromosome, it causes individuals who suffer from it to go into a berserk state under high amounts of stress. What did you do in order to get that badge, then?"

"Not what I do," I said, leaning against the wall. "I went berserk twice, one time when I was almost killed by a serial killer, and the other was when I was harassed by a cop."

"Now I know where I saw you before," Akihiko said, as he looked at me. "You were on an episode of Criminal Minds, weren't you? The New York Joker murders."

"What?" Fleur asked, obviously confused.

"Criminal Minds is a documentary series about the Behavioural Analysis Unit, an FBI team that hunts down serial killers by using psychology," I said, sitting down. "When I was 13, I was kidnapped by a guy who had killed around 35 people in New York City. I was almost victim 36, but I was found in the nick of time. I went insane out of fear, and butchered the bastard, before I fainted from the adrenaline high. The second time was within the local police district, when I was being questioned for the murders."

"Wait, you don't mean…" Fleur said, catching on to what I was about to say.

"I was going to be charged with the Joker murders," I said, putting my head against the wall. "The detective who was running the case was an incompetent idiot, so much so that the FBI actually took over the case after he caused me to go berserk. Hell, who else has a restraining order solely enforced by the FBI?"

"What?" Victor asked, obviously disgusted.

"It's the reason my family moved back from the US," I explained. "It got really bad; I've been framed for 16 different murders by that guy. I swear he probably killed at least one of them. Every time I leave the country, I have to get a restraining order beforehand, or else we have to cancel it."

"There's a famous fictional police officer that is a lot like that," Fleur said. "Although I don't think he's that bad."

"The guy's name is actually Detective Jean Javert," I said while looking at her. "He read Les Miserablés and thought that the Inspector was a tragic hero."

"Alright, are you ready?" Conrad asked, taking out a gun. "It's only towards the next station, about 300 metres away."

"Alright, if we pull a few lamps and mirrors over," I began, getting up, "and then aimed them down the tunnel, we'll be able to… wait, is that a Combustor?"

"Yeah, it is," Conrad replied, confused. "You know what this is?"

"Where's the nearest vendor?" I asked, as he put it away. "I've got a few repairs that I need to get done."

"It's just up the stairs," Conrad said, "it's only across the street from the restaurant."

"I'll be back in a minute!" I replied, leaving the others for a minute, as I left the subway. "We're across from the Savoy?" Looking around, I immediately saw the egg-shaped vendors, and scanned in to the armour vendor.

"Well, if it isn't Mister O'Malley," Grummel-2 replied. "We have a new set of armour available, if you want to buy it."

"Can I just get my last one repaired?" I asked, as I flicked through the wrist and took out the armour.

"Yes, the visor's broken," Grummel-2 said, as he took a look, "And the on-board shields are fried. What did you do to cause this?"

"…an anti-gravity device blew up in my face." I replied. "Is this going to cost much?"

"Well, the cost for repairs is about 500 bolts, but I've already checked, and you can afford it," Grummel-2 answered. "If you want this repaired, you'll have to come back in, about an hour, I think."

"Alright, I'll be back by then," I said, before the vendor closed and I headed downstairs.

"What was that about?" Victor asked.

"I was just getting something done," I replied, as I saw Keiji and Conrad lift down a large light. Just with a thought, I caused it to float in the air, before setting it down on the ground, then sneakily moving my phone into my pocket. "Need anything else moved?"

"You're a psychic?" Conrad asked me. "Yeah, we need a few more of these lights down here." Lifting them up and over to the ground, Keiji began throwing cables up towards Victor and Naoto, while Akihiko and Fleur tried to move a few mirrors.

"We're going to shine these down the tunnel to clear it out of creatures," Akihiko said, as he got down, before I moved the mirrors down for him. "[You're an Esper?]"

"[Hey, you've heard me through telepathy, right?]" I replied, before the lights turned on and shone down the tunnel.

"Okay, the creatures won't attack as long as we're in the light, but we've got to move the lights in such a way that the cables won't touch the rail, or the lights themselves don't hit any oncoming trains," Conrad said, as he plugged one light in and turned it into the tunnel, causing a few vampires to scurry off. "Great, they're waiting for us."

"Well, we're better off as long as they don't figure out power switches," I responded before taking out my beam katana and started using that as a torch. "Someone shine another light down while I move a mirror!" As I floated a mirror over towards myself, I heard someone shine a light down the tunnel before I made it over towards a bend and set a light down, causing the vampires to run off even further down the tunnel. "It's working!" *CRACK* Turning around, I saw that they threw a stone straight into the mirror in order to break it. "Clever girl. Alright, we're going to have to move a light down here!"

* * *

><p><strong>Liz<strong>

Sneaking out of the mansion, Malfoy and I looked down onto the nearby village and immediately saw a barrage of magic fly off into the open air. "Oh no, there's a lot of fighting going on down there," Malfoy said, leaning down. "What are we going to do?"

"Stay here," I ordered, before jumping over the porch and attacking a waiting Death Eater, by dropkicking him to the ground and using him as a board, before hitting a grave at the bottom of the hill and jumping off, rolling behind a bush to make sure no-one saw me. Taking out my phone, I made a quick call, hoping to get a map of the town. "Hello, Ezio?"

"Hey Liz," he responded, sounding out of breath. "Is this going to take long? I'm in the middle of something?"

"Please tell me you're not out of the house," I asked, slightly annoyed. "I told you that you were exhausted, and the shock from earlier could make you tired."

"I'm not using my powers that much," Ezio responded, "I'm just doing a small favour for Jimmy. Get this… The head of the Militia was studying Conduits. He's also a wrestling fan. UWC!"

"Can you do a favour for me and get me a map of a small village?" I asked. "It's called Little Hangledon."

"I'll ask Jimmy to send you a map, but why didn't you use the map?" Ezio asked me. "It has GPS."

"Oh," I replied, before looking around and saw a Death Eater coming towards me. "Gotta go, bye," As I hung up, the Death Eater stopped before the bush, and looked away from me, before I punched him straight to the crotch, pulled him over and punched him in the side of the head. Sneaking around, I looked into a nearby pub window before pulling back. The pub was crawling with Death Eaters. I couldn't take them on directly, so I sneaked away until I saw Draco coming down the hill. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I found these." He said, handing me a few grenades. "Are these useful?"

"I think so," I said, pulling a pin. "Go hide somewhere, I need to do something." As he opened a nearby car door, I threw the grenade into the pub, before diving out of the way as a large explosion blasted out. Getting up and climbing into the car as some Death Eaters Apparated toward the pub. "Why are you helping me, anyway?" I asked.

"There's a magic principle called a life debt," He said. "I'm magically bound into a debt since you saved my life."

"Help me save Dumbledore, and we're even," I said, as I looked at the bottom of the compartment. Ripping a small plastic cover off, I crossed two wires together to start the car, before driving off. "Buckle up for safety, mother-" I said, before driving into a large battle field. Seeing Dumbledore was fighting Voldemort, I hit the gas and crashed head on towards Voldemort. "Get in, now!" I ordered Dumbledore, as a snake leapt at me. Draco, however, lifted up the sword I had, and threw it straight into the snake's mouth, causing it to become impaled on the blade, as it faded away in a large smoke cloud. "Thanks. Are we even now?"

"Yep," Draco said, as Dumbledore grabbed the sword and climbed into the back seat. "Alright, what do we do, now?"

"We drive around until Dumbledore Apparates us away," I explained, as I turned the car around, sliding on the ice as Draco and Dumbledore screamed in terror. "Oh, this is so much more relaxing than painting!"

"SLOW DOWN!" Dumbledore shouted, as I crashed into a Death Eater, sending him into the air. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

"I'm having some fun," I replied, as I pressed in the lighter. "How soon can you Apparate us out of here, anyway?"

"As soon as you slow down!" As the lighter clicked, I took a spare fag and, with one hand, lit the cigarette and started smoking.

"You really shouldn't have said that- Oh, cool! We have nitrous!"

"What?" Draco asked, as I hit a switch and sped up the hill, flying over the mansion, and landing on an ice covered road, before Dumbledore grabbed my shoulder and Apparated away.

* * *

><p><strong>Sirius<strong>

"Champagne!" I shouted, cracking open a bottle as I entered the house, along with Tonks, Andi, Ted, Moony and Sir Humphrey, after being formally acquitted. "Champagne for everyone!"

"There's no-one here," Tonks said, as she sat down. "Save some for when everyone gets back. I'm sure Harry will be absolutely delighted to hear that you've been cleared of his parents' murder."

"That means that he doesn't have to live with Petunia, right?" Remus said, as he patted me on the back. "Either way, a terrible wrong has been made right. Good job."

"Well, until I hear back from Madame Bones about that charge on breaking out of Azkaban, we shouldn't rest easy," Sir Humphrey said. "However, considering you were able to leave by walking out of Gringotts, I doubt that you'll be charged. By the way, how did you do break out?"

"Now, Sir Humphrey," I said, mockingly serious, "I wouldn't want you to go and tell Madame Bones about that, since you are legally required to tell any information that would cause your client to become guilty for a crime." I then poured a glass of champagne and drank it, before grinning. "I'm an Animagus."

"An Animagus…" He repeated, obviously intrigued. "Of course, Dementors can't detect animal emotions!"

"Well, all we can do now is waiting for everyone else to appear." Andromeda said, as Dumbledore appeared with Elizabeth and… a blonde haired boy.

"Draco Malfoy?" Remus asked, confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Where's the bathroom?" He asked, as he was obviously green.

"The kitchen is down the hall." I said, as he ran off, before vomiting, hopefully in a sink. "It's nice to see you two. I was acquitted of all my crimes. Champagne?" As I offered them two glasses, Dumbledore took his and swallowed it in a single gulp, as Liz took hers with a smile. "Need an ashtray?"

"That would be lovely," Liz said, as I pointed her towards it. "Well, you obviously haven't been in a car before, have you Professor?" Liz asked, as she tapped the tray with a cigarette.

"I've never been to hell before," He replied, sitting down, "until I got into a car with you."

"Hello, Ezio?" Tonks asked, into her phone. "I think Liz is a little out of character. Hold on. Liz, how many cigarettes have you smoked?"

"I'm lighting my second one right now," she replied, with a match closed to her face.

"She's on number two," Tonks said, before passing the phone over. "He wants to speak to you."

"Hello? Are you really that scared? Why should you be worried whenever I smoke?"

"THE F***ING TIME YOU WERE ARRESTED FOR ATTACKING YOUR DAD!" Ezio shouted, so loudly that we could all hear it.

"Alright, I'll throw the other 18 cigs away, are you happy?" Liz replied, before handing the phone back to Tonks.

"Okay, is that everything?" Tonks said, before hanging up. "Liz is on PMS alert."

"My period was two weeks ago, and I'm perfectly fine," Liz said, before putting out her cigarette. "Anyway, I might as well call Cho; she warped out a large group of children from Death Eater HQ, as well as this guy called Hagrid. I still have to heal that missing kidney he lost last year, I think."

"Hagrid was captured by the Death Eaters?" Remus asked, shocked.

"The Death Eaters had children hostage?" Ted asked, horrified.

"Hagrid was missing a kidney since last year?" Andromeda asked, confused. "How did he react so calmly?"

"Hello, Cho?" Liz asked. "Where are you, I would've expected you to take the kids to HQ? Alright, I'll pass it on. She's at the Leaky Cauldron, I'll head over now. Oh, and Hagrid refuses to go to Saint Mungo's."

"I'll head over with you," Andromeda said. "You can't Apparate, and I really want to make sure the kids are okay. So sorry to leave when you want to celebrate, but this is important, Sirius."

"Sirius Black?" Draco said, as he entered the room. "The murderer?"

"Actually, I was acquitted of those crimes earlier today," I responded, before handing the blonde haired boy a glass. "Champagne?"

"…is it always this weird around here?" He asked, scratching his head.

"Not always," Tonks said, as she took a sip. "Usually, there are more people around here." As if on cue, Charlie, Ginny and Raphael appeared by Apparation. "Speaking of which, how did your job go?"

"Fine," Ginny responded. "I learned how to drive a truck then took down a large Shadow and even got a cute guy's email address."

"She broke her nose," Charlie responded, as he looked around. "You're Draco Malfoy, right? What's he doing here?"

"He defected," Liz responded, taking a sip. "He helped me destroy two Horcruxes, so that leaves only two."

"Which two did you destroy?" Lupin asked.

"The ring," Liz said, "And the snake. I just barely saw Voldemort's face, and he was in agony over the last one." She then stood up and walked over to Draco. "Draco, this is Raphael O'Malley, my boyfriend's brother. He'll be back in a while, I think."

"He went out in the field?" Raph said, looking at her. "Didn't you say not to after he… were you smoking?"

"Two," Liz said, as Raph walked started rubbing the back of his head. "Ezio already apologised."

"Dear god, I'll have to find a bar, soon," Raph said. "Either way, it's nice to meet you."

"What are you, a half giant?" Draco asked, shocked by Raphael's height. "There's no way you're a Muggle."

"Actually, I'm a Conduit," Raph said. "It's basically a way of describing someone with different powers and some magical resistance."

"We aren't affected by Unforgivable curses, for example," Liz said, as she and Andromeda Apparated away.

"Now, where is everyone else?" Charlie asked, as he looked around. "Shouldn't the others be back by now?"

"We aren't affected by Unforgivable curses, for example," Liz said, as she and Andromeda Apparated away.

"Now, where is everyone else?" Charlie asked, as he looked around. "Shouldn't the others be back by now?"

* * *

><p><strong>Ron<strong>

"Where is it?" Hermione asked, as she looked around the area where the light was coming from. "Where's the scanner?"

"I think I found it," I said, as I poked around a broken machine. "What broke it? Now that is an important question."

"Hey, guys?" Harry asked, calling us over. "Why are those Drophyds hanging from hooks?"

"I have no idea," Hermione said, as she walked over and looked at them. "They're not frozen, so it was a recent death, and rigor mortis hasn't set in, so they were killed recently."

"There's some sort of lines on the ground here," I said, as I moved the snow out of the way. "It looks like something I once saw in a horror film I saw as a kid."

"These are genuine magical runes," Hermione said, as she began to read them. "Whoever made this is an expert in Arithmancy, as well as ancient runes. It says something about 'Shadows' and 'Emotional insecurities'." I went over, taking a look at the red lines, before I felt slightly delirious. "Harry, are you okay?" _Potter, come here!_ What the hell, what was that? "Wait, where's that voice coming from?" _You're as useless as ever, no wonder you're parents went and died on you, they would be ashamed of you!_

"Harry, isn't that you're uncle's voice?" I asked, as I stood up.

"Yeah," Harry said, looking around. "I remember that, it was when I was seven."

"Who would say that to someone who's seven?" Hermione asked, disgusted. "What is wrong with that man?" _Come on, Potter! I can do whatever I like to you! You're worthless!_ "What the hell?"

"That was my cousin, Dudley, on his 9th birthday," Harry said.

"These markings… I think they're a spell," Hermione said, as she stood back. "Something involving despair."

"Is this supposed to get Harry to kill himself?" I asked, horrified. "Who would make something like this?"

"I have no idea, but they're wrong, Harry," Hermione said. "You might think you're useless, but you're one of the best people I know."

"Hermione's right," I said, walking over. "You've helped us, haven't you? You saved Hermione from that troll in first year, and saved her, along with everyone else that was petrified, back in second year."

"You proved Sirius wasn't the one who betrayed your parents, and you stopped him from being Kissed by Dementors."

"**What about all the mistakes he made?**" a voice said, as all three of us turned around, to look at the centre of the marking, to see a black cloud pull itself together in the centre. "**All the trouble he got into, all the people who have been hurt, even the one guy who even died.**"

"…What the hell are you?" Harry asked while wide eyed and stepping back.

"**I know everything about you,**" it said, before taking a form that looked just like Harry, only emitting black smoke and with yellow eyes. "**I am your Shadow, after all.**"

"What the hell are you?" Harry asked, as he was beginning to panic.

"**I already told you, I'm you,**" the Shadow said, grinning at Harry. "**I'm everything you hate about yourself. I know every single secret you have; I know every single thought going through your head.**"

"You're full of bullshit," I said, stepping forward. "Go on, tell me something I don't know about him."

"**Did you know he was going to kill himself in Belfast?**" The Shadow said, glaring at Harry. "**He was ashamed for causing Cedric's death, since he was the one who should've died. He's worthless, and a living disaster, causing pain and suffering just by living, he's better off dead.**"

"No," Harry said, suddenly becoming angry. "That's a lie. IT'S A F***ING LIE!"

"**Oh, really?**" The Shadow said, as he looked Harry over. "**The Dursleys were right, you're completely useless. Hell, Ron and Hermione would be better off without you, you're just pulling them down. And your parents…**"

"You shut up right now!" Hermione shouted. "Harry's parents loved him, they died for him!"

"**Silly, naïve Hermione,**" the Shadow said, giving her a weak smile, "**Priding yourself on your intelligence, yet not seeing the bigger picture. Harry was the only one meant to die that night; his parents were an unfortunate side effect.**"

"…What?" Hermione asked, shocked.

"**Voldemort only intended to kill Harry, not his parents,**" The Shadow said, as the grin became a weak grin. "**He even gave mum a chance to walk away, but she fought, and vanquished the Dark Lord in a suicide attack, which you took the credit for as the 'Boy Who Lived'.**" The smile then became a fearsome scowl, as the Shadow's smoke became thicker. "**What the hell is wrong with the Wizarding world anyway? Praising me for something I didn't do, then turning their back on me whenever their leader told them to, what a load of bullshit. Every single wizard and witch is stuck in the dark ages because of their own stupidity, and all of them are worthless and deserve to die, especially you!**"

"What did you just say?" Harry said, obviously angry.

"**Hermione doesn't even belong in that world, she's a filthy Mudblood, and Ron is worthless, no matter what he does,**" the Shadow said, before giving a weak smile. "**But that's what you really think. Isn't that right, 'Me'?**"

"…no," Harry said, weakly, before glaring at the Shadow. "NO! YOU'RE NOTHING LIKE ME!"

"**Oh, really?**"

"YOU CAN'T BE ME, YOU BASTARD!" Harry shouted, "YOU'RE NOT ME!"

"…**ha, ha, ha ha ha.**" The Shadow was now laughing at Harry. "**Ha ha ha ha ha. HA HA HA HA HAA!**" The smoke cloud then became extremely thick, completely obscuring the Shadow."**THEN IF I'M NOT YOU, I GUESS THAT MAKES ME THIS!**" As it said that, the smoke cloud suddenly swept away, showing that the Shadow had taken on a much larger form, a humanoid that had several holes in its body, a sort of deer-body where the legs would be and a large set of antlers on its head, which seemed twisted and cracked, with the body loosely covered with a shredded cloth, and a severely cracked mask where the face would be.

As Harry began to withdraw in terror, several hooks appeared from the seal and wrapped around him, and violently held him in place. "HARRY!" Hermione shouted, before a hook struck her and me, sending us flying in pain.

"**I am a Shadow, the 'True' self,**" the large monster said, as it appeared to be showing off. "**I might as well destroy everything about the Wizarding world. Congratulations, you'll die first.**"

"Harry, just hold on, just for a minute," Hermione said, looking at the trapped young man.

"We're not just going to leave him here," I said, taking out my axe. "Come on, let's kick this imposter's ass!"

"**That's rich, coming from you.**" The Shadow said, as a hook came straight for me, and struck me in the arm, luckily not enough to embed into it.

"Hermione, mind using a summon attack?" I asked, as she stood up behind me. "I'll provide cover for you."

"I've already started," She said, as a seal began to cover the floor. "We just need to hurt it enough to make it leave us alone."

"Expelliarmus!" I shouted, in order to strike a few chains out of the air. "Well, this isn't going to end well. Harry, how are you?" I asked my friend, who wasn't responding. "…Harry?" Suddenly, a nearby screen, that initially appeared to be broken, suddenly started showing what appeared to be a younger Harry, as he was forced into a cupboard, wait for his aunt and uncle, and… forced him to watch Cedric's death.

"**You're the only reason he was there,**" The Shadow said, obviously talking to Harry. "**You could've left him in the maze, but you just had to help him out. He would be alive if you hadn't been acting the hero. Admit it, you murdered him!**"

"Sh-SHUT UP!" Harry screamed, as Hermione's seal finished, causing Lamperough to jump up and strike the Shadow and knock it over, but it was only just standing up.

"Ron," Lamperough called, as he began to fade. "Harry could be hallucinating. Find a way to break him out of it, which should make the Shadow weaker."

"Alright," I said, as I headed over to Harry. "Well, until I do that, I'm going to protect him to my last breath. You hear that, you son of a bitch?" As the Shadow stood up, it began to glare at me. "If you really want to kill him, kill me. Because otherwise, you're just going to lash out!"

"**Gladly,**" The Shadow said, before thunder suddenly struck me, causing me to wince in pain.

"RON!" Hermione cried out, before a chain struck her again, knocking her over.

"**And now,**" the Shadow said, as a chain suddenly extended in front of it, "**DIE!**" The chain then flung straight at me, as I could tell Hermione was screaming at me, but it was silent to me. I was more fixated about a light I could see in front of me.

"?" It was pretty confusing, as a shape appeared out of it. "A card?" Suddenly, the card shattered, as a light enveloped me, before the chain stopped straight in front of me.

"**What the hell did you do, Weasley?**" The Shadow shouted, as I saw a disembodied hand had grabbed it.

_I am thou,_ a voice said within my head. _Thou art I._ As I looked up, the shattered card was beginning to take a form, as a large armoured creature appeared in front of me. _From the sea of thy soul, I cometh._ It was a large, bronze armoured creature, with a red-haired lion's head, a massive cross between a sword and an axe in one hand, and shield in the other. _I am Arthur of the Round, the Defender_.

"Ron, what is that?" Hermione asked, obviously confused.

"You're the one with the power of wisdom, I was expecting an answer from you!" I shouted, slightly scared, as the spirit started grabbing chains and holding the chains in place. "Alright, how do we fight this thing?" _I do not know, but I have a few skills that may be helpful at this time_. "Wait, what skills? Just use anything, as long as it keeps my friends safe!"

"**You really think you can protect him for- AAGH!**" The Shadow screamed in pain, as it was set on fire by the large guardian, as it fell over.

"Hermione, got your rapier ready?" I said, as Hermione made her grip on her blade tighter. "Charge!" As Hermione and I ran straight at the creature, the guardian held it in place, with its own chains, as Hermione and I stabbed and whacked at it, causing some serious damage to it. "Hold on, I have an idea."

"Ron, what are you planning on doing?" Hermione asked, as I kicked Harry straight to the face, while the guardian did the same to the Shadow. "RONALD WEASLEY!"

"What was that for?" Harry asked, slightly confused, while rubbing his face. "That hurt."

"Sorry," I said. "I really needed to get you out of that hallucination." I then helped Harry stand up, as Hermione walked over to us.

"Harry," She asked, obviously worried. "Were you… actually going to kill yourself?"

"…I was," He said, ashamed of himself. "I was the reason Cedric was killed, me and me alone."

"No you weren't," I said, putting my hand on his shoulders. "It was Barty, and the Death Eaters, especially Voldemort. They were the ones who wanted you there at the graveyard, and there's no way you could've known about it."

"Then why do I have nightmares about it?" Harry asked, as he began to cry. "That thing is right, it's my stupid fault that Cedric's dead, and I have to pay for it."

"It isn't your vault, Harry," Hermione said, as she hugged him. "You're just angry with yourself, since you survived." She then pulled herself away, to look him in the eye. "Harry, if you could talk to Cedric, he wouldn't want you do end your life. Hell, if we went to his parents, they wouldn't blame you, they would blame the Death Eaters, his actual murderers. They wouldn't hold you accountable."

"…You're right." Harry said, as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "I'm actually getting it now." He then turned to look his Shadow in the face, obviously not afraid of it. "You're what I've been feeling since Cedric's death. Hatred for myself. Despair. Agony. And that's what I've been running from."

"**Don't you dare accept me when you discarded me like yesterday's rubbish!**" It shouted, as it sent a few chains straight at Harry, before I ordered the guardian to grab the chains. "**What the hell?**"

"Arthur!" I shouted, as the large creature suddenly raised it shield in order to have it facing the Shadow, before a fireball struck the Shadow and caused it to disintegrate into a black cloud, as Harry's Shadow took a form like before it freaked out, as the guardian faded away and Fred and George came running over to us.

"We ran over here as soon as we saw you getting attacked," Fred said, as he came over to Harry. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, sure," George said, as he came over to me. "Forget about the fact that Ronny saved him. That was actually quite impressive, getting a Persona to fight for you."

"Is that what it's called?" Hermione asked, amazed. "A Persona?"

"Hey, George?" Fred said, as he pointed over towards Harry's Shadow, as it was just standing there, completely silent.

"Got anything else about me to get out into the open?" Harry asked, as he took a step forward. "Because, if we're going to have an intervention to stop me from killing myself, we might as well be better safe than sorry."

"…" The Shadow was completely silent, obviously calm.

"…Why the hell am I saying that?" Harry said, as he walked over towards his Shadow. "I guess I'm just trying to steady myself. But you're right. You are me. You're something I would never admit under normal circumstances, no-one would, anyway. I guess I should use that to make myself a better person." The Shadow began to give a weak smile, as Harry stuck out his hand. "I'm Harry James Potter, proud son of a loving father and a loving mother, both of whom died to protect me from certain death. It's nice to meet you." As the Shadow accepted the hand, it began to faintly glow. As he shook it, the Shadow had completely faded away, leaving behind a completely different figure, a humanoid with two deer legs, deer's head and branches of horns, a flowing green cape and a crest in its chest that appeared to be made out of wood. It was surrounded by blue light, and faded with the light, as a card appeared and fell into Harry's now open hand, before disappearing. "It's nice to meet you, Oberon." As he said that, he fell over, obviously faint, as I suddenly became dizzy.

"Hey, are you two okay?" George said, before the twins and Hermione helped us up. "You two must be faint after summoning those spirits."

"Yeah, I think so," I said, as I began to walk away. "Can we go home now?"

"Sure," Fred said, as we all headed away, making sure we weren't spotted by any Drophyds.

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"Well, I'm screwed when I get back to HQ," I said, as I moved the last light through the tunnel.

"Yeah, you seemed extremely scared when you were on the phone," Conrad said, as he threw a few flash bangs into the tunnel. "Is it really that bad?"

"My girlfriend has been smoking," I said, as I turned the light on, causing some vampires to run away. It was then that I saw a large series of broken wires. "The last time she smoked five cigarettes, she attacked her dad with a fire poker after he tried to murder me."

"Why did her father want you dead?" Fleur asked, as she sent a light from her wand onto the train platform.

"She's an Irish Protestant, I'm an Irish Catholic," I responded. "Do the math."

"I don't get it," Fleur said, scratching her head. "Why would religion be that important, you're both Christians, right?"

"Catholics and Protestants have always been on edge, but the situation is extremely bad in Ireland, especially around Northern Ireland. Most Catholics side with Sinn Fein, an Irish Republican political party, which wants Northern Ireland to join with the Republic of Ireland in becoming independent of British rule. [A/N: Which is why some of them are extremely angry that Scotland can have a vote for independence, when they've been campaigning for that for less than the Irish? We fought wars to break away from Parliament. I'm trying to keep this fic politic-neutral, but isn't that called hypocrisy?] Most Protestants however, join Unionist parties, like the DUP. Since the political scene there is 'If they don't agree with us, we're not going to bother working with them', causing long breaks between Stormont meetings, giving any indication that you're a different religion than those in a particular area is like committing suicide. And the situation is extremely bad in towns like Belfast, where there are quite a few of these people in close proximity to one another." We all looked over, shocked at Victor, for giving a very accurate description about Northern Irish politics. "What? I took Muggle Studies, and Northern Ireland was my main assignment. I'm just insulted that res put an author's note in the middle of my dialogue. [A/N: Sorry ~_~] Then stop doing it, then!"

"Anyway, the lights are now ready," I said, as I looked around. "Hey, I've found the broken wire."

"And there's Lucas," Conrad said, looking over a nearby corpse that had its guts ripped out. "Dear god, what the hell is wrong with these things?"

"Alright, let's see…" Akihiko said, looking at the cables. "How do you repair these?"

"I think you're supposed to match up the cables," Naoto said. "If they have the same coloured cables, then you should combine those."

"Let me do it," Conrad said, as Akihiko moved out of the way. "I've had some electric training, so I should be able to handle it."

"The vampires seem to be doing something," Fleur said, as she looked around, as a vampire jumped her, before I forced the creature off and threw it at the wall, causing it to become limp.

"They're becoming really aggressive," I said, helping Fleur up. "Are you okay?"

"I was scratched on the arm," she said, as we began to walk away. However, a vampire just jumped me instead, as I felt it bite into my shoulder, before I was able to force it up, as it was suddenly forced off by Fleur striking it with a roundhouse kick. "Are you okay?"

"Do bites turn you into vampires?" I asked, as Akihiko helped me up.

"What the…" He said, looking at the vampire. "It just sprouted a tail." The creature then started convulsing, as it began to start growing fur as well as metallic plates. It then began to roar, before it started coughing blood and fell over, dead. "Okay, there is something seriously wrong with you."

"I've never seen a vampire mutate from drinking blood," Victor said, as he walked over to it, and then over to me, as he reached into my…

"Victor, what the hell?" I shouted, as he pulled out my tail, "That hurts, Asshole!"

"You have a tail?" Naoto said, as she looked at it.

"It's a physical mutation," I said, pulling it back into my jeans. "I only got it this morning."

"Well, we have a good reason to understand why it mutated," Conrad said, as he came over and looked at the creature. "You're not entirely human, so it's possible it absorbed alien DNA from you and then caused it to violently mutate, and the trauma caused it to die."

"Oh, that's completely stupid," Fleur said, as she wrapped a cloth around my wound. "That never happens in real life, why would it suddenly happen now? Also, how are we certain that he isn't completely human, and why would the vampire grow plates?"

"Fleur, I stopped questioning whether weird shit actually happens after I saw my uncle beat a guy to death with his LEG, and then reattach it in an instant, let alone we're in a war between superheroes, magicians and aliens," I said. "I just want to know, do I have alien DNA, and what species?" _We're certain about Lombaxes,_ I said through telepathically, _but I have no idea about why it has plates of armour_. "And by the way, these aren't normal vampires, remember?"

"Well, I've got the cables ready," Conrad said, before I took out my phone and called Keiji, putting the phone on speaker. "Keiji, whenever you're ready, hit the switch."

"Is it safe?" Keiji asked, obviously hesitant. "I don't want to kill you by pressing a button."

"All we have to do is get off the tracks, it will only take a second," Conrad said, as we all climbed onto the platform, using various lights to keep the vampires away. "We're all off the tracks, hit the switch."

"Okay," Keiji said, as the wires began sparking, before the station's lights began to flicker, then suddenly shone through the tunnel as the vampires all screamed in pain, before falling dead and dissolving into dust. Except for the one that mutated, it burst into flames since it was bridging the rails together, before suddenly flashing into dust.

"Great, that should complete the circuit around the whole network," Conrad said, as he went over towards the tunnel and looked down through it. "Keiji's on his way, now."

"Okay, now what?" I asked, as I heard a train coming from the other direction. "That's the train with the passengers, isn't it?"

"It's stopping here," Conrad said, as Keiji joined us. "Thanks, to all of you. I wouldn't be able to do this without you."

"It's okay," I said, as people then began to get off. "Just make sure that everyone is safe." Conrad then nodded, before heading off. "Everyone, there's a camp only a few streets away! If you know of someone who's injured, please help them."

"So, where's the next terminal?" Keiji asked me, as I took out my phone, and walked around to find the terminal.

"It's… on the train," I said, as I climbed aboard. "Hello? Is anyone still on?" I asked, before looking around for the terminal, as I reached the end of the train. "It's in the driver's compartment." Taking out the phone's USB cable and plugging it in. As the phone hit a snag, I let Keiji move into the compartment, as he messed around with y phone, before he handed it back to me.

"It doesn't support Python," Keiji said, with a grin. "Well, we have all the files, let's head out."

"Okay," Akihiko said, as he began to climb the stairs, before we all followed. "Well, that was an interesting day. Of course, until I get to talk to Apollo, we're technically stuck in our investigation."

"Well, you're not going to get him to work with you that easily, especially since Naoto jumped him," I said, as we all left and started moving through the snow covered streets. "He's mainly operating in the Polaris galaxy, where he's a fugitive due to his species, and he became a rebel fighter. To him, becoming known to the authorities is a death sentence."

"Except that the local chief inspector wants us to question him," Naoto said, before letting out a weak sigh. "Well, I guess my moment of recklessness cost us an investigation."

"[I'll see if I can talk to him,]" Keiji said, before rubbing the side of his head. "[Although I doubt that you'll be allowed nearby, Naoto-kun.]"

"Well, things can only get better," Fleur said, as she began to stretch.

"I hope you're right," I said, sighing, as I checked my phone. 'Can you come to the Leaky Cauldron? Liz' "Well, perhaps I can just relax for a while."

"Not unless I bring you in," A voice said from behind me, before I grabbed him and threw him against the wall. "Get your filthy hands off me, criminal."

"What the f*** are you doing here, Javert?" I asked, holding the grey haired bastard in place. "I still have a restraining order against you, remember?"

"I will bring you to justice for those murders," He said, gritting his teeth at me. "You may have fooled the FBI but I know that you're nothing more than a cold-blooded murderer."

"Well, if you actually did your job and actually kept your head out of your ass," I said, before pressing up against him, "then the Joker would only have killed round 5 people, and not 35."

"You're harassing an innocent man for a crime he didn't commit," Akihiko said, before walking up to us. "Isn't that a crime?"

"He's a murderer," Javert said, "He has the killing gene-Ooph." I then struck him in the stomach to shut him up.

"I'm no murderer," I said, before beginning to walk away. "But come after me one more time and I will kill you."

"Then I'll kill you first!" He shouted, as he took out his gun, before I took out my katana and cut his gun in two, before breaking his arm through telekinesis. "What the hell…?"

"Jean Javert," Naoto said, taking out a pair of handcuffs, "I'm arresting you for attempted murder, reckless use of a firearm, carrying a firearm, carrying a weapon with intent to kill, and harassment. By the way, carrying a gun as a civvie is a pretty big no-no here. Can one of you Apparate us to the police station?"

"I'll do it," Keiji said, as he walked over to the three of them (Including Akihiko), as Naoto put handcuffs onto Javert. "Good seeing you Ezio. Nice meeting you two, Fleur, Victor."

"You're nothing but a murderer!" Javert shouted, trying to get out of Akihiko's hold. "You'd kill your own parents if you-" He tried to say, before I held him in the air and threw him against the wall.

"I should arrest you for that!" Naoto said, while stomping towards me, before settling on decking me. "I get that your parents may have recently died, but that isn't a reason to use your powers!"

"Sorry," I said, while standing up. "I have to ask, about down there..." I weakly said, while signalling towards my tail. "Please don't tell anyone."

"We won't," Akihiko said, before Keiji Apparated away.

"Alright, should we head towards HQ?" Fleur said, as she wiped the blood from my mouth. "Naoto really has a hard hit."

"Actually, I got a text, Liz wants me to go to the Leaky Cauldron," I said, as I began to walk away.

"And you need a drink?" Victor asked.

"You're catching on, Mr Krum."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"I just got the notice from Madame Bones," Ragnok said, as we entered the office, as Luna and her team stood up. "Thank you, as soon as Mr Bagman pays his debts, he'll be released. Here's the bounty money, minus the repairs to the building."

"Thanks for the job," Fred said, as we all walked out, as the twins arranged a business meeting for setting up their business.

"Are you two all right?" Luna asked, as we headed into the elevator. "You both seem kind of upset, as well as drained."

"Harry got attacked by his own Shadow," Hermione said, as I began to drift off, leaning against the wall, processing what happened today. Shadow, my monster, Persona… "Harry?"

"What?"

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, obviously worried.

"No, no… Just tired," I said. "What is it?"

"You got a Persona, right?" Seamus said, while the elevator headed to the ground floor. "There were two people who could summon them, last night."

"Yeah, I think that's what they're called," I said, closing my eyes. "That's what Fred and George said, while we were heading back."

"Can you summon it?" Luna asked, intrigued. "So we can see?" Looking at her, I just focused on my Persona, wondering how to call it. Thinking about its image, I suddenly felt something in my hand.

"So, you figured out how to do it, too?" Ron said, as he showed off his card, with an image, a pair of hands holding fire, with an infinity symbol on top, with a roman 1 below it and his Persona on the other, before I looked at my card. A roman 0 with a man about to walk off a cliff, then turning over to show my Persona, Oberon.

"Per…" we both began, "So…" we said, holding our cards to face upwards, "Na!"

Our cards then turned into a blue fire, as we held them up, before closing our hands, as our Personae then appeared in front of everyone, to Seamus and Neville's amazement, but to Luna's mild interest. "Which one is Ron's?" Seamus asked, trying to touch Oberon, but only having his hand move through it.

"I think the lion-headed one is Ron's," Neville said, looking at Ron's Persona's weapon. "They're both ginger, right?"

"Harry, I see that your Persona is modelled after Oberon," Luna said, looking at my Persona, to my, and its, utter confusion. "In folklore, particularly English Avalon folklore, Oberon was king of the fae, magical beings that are born from magic."

"Oberon was married to Tatiana, the queen of the fae and his co-ruler," Hermione said, as she looked at Oberon. "In fact, in English folklore, having horns was actually a sign that a man was cheated on by their lover. You can guess what happened?"

"My guess is that your Persona identified itself with Oberon in order to show that you have leadership skills," Luna said, "but obviously went with a mythological being that Harry isn't familiar with to show that he himself doesn't realise this."

"It takes a mainly dear form to relate to your Patronus," Hermione said, taking a step, "in order to make it more identifiable as a part of him."

"The cloak is a reddish colour, just like is house colours, so it acts as a way to show his house traits, such as courage."

"But the green to show that he has hidden Slytherin traits, which isn't exactly obvious."

"I'm impressed, Miss Granger."

"As am I, Miss Lovegood."

"Can you guys do that to Ron, then?" I said, as I caused Oberon to disappear. "I hate being the centre of attention."

"How about we try?" Neville said, as he and Seamus stepped up to look at his Persona. "Alright, lion head, to show his courage, and to confirm his position in Gryffindor House, as well as the red fur or hair."

"The large weapon to show that he will strike down anyone that hurts him or anyone he cares about," Seamus said, "but a much larger shield in order to show he'll put defending them above anything else."

"Bronze is a cheap metal, so he's convinced that his poor background is permanent to his life, but there are some gold spots in the armour, so he's still thinking that it can be turned around."

"Is there a specific type of magic that it uses?" Seamus asked Ron.

"It can use fire magic," Ron said.

"Fire… Well, it's definitely destructive, so it shows that you're going to defend your friends, and you'll hurt anyone that threatens them."

"And the tarot card must have a meaning, but I don't know much about fortune telling," Neville said. Ron's Persona then disappeared, as the ground floor elevator opened up, and we all headed out, before I suddenly fell over. "Harry, are you okay?"

"Yeah…" I said, as Seamus and Fred helped me up, while Neville opened the main door for us. "After that whole Shadow business, I've been feeling really tired."

"Then we're heading to the Leaky Cauldron, before heading back to HQ," George said, as we all headed towards the bar.

"Why, so I can rest?" I asked, as we headed inside.

"No, so we can get you Fire whiskey," George replied, as we headed inside. "Liz, Cho, what are you doing here?" Cho?

"Oh, we managed to destroy two Horcruxes as well as save a dozen or so hostages, so Liz and Andromeda are healing them while I have a glass of butterbeer," She said, while we sat down and George brought over a shot glass for all of us. "What are you drinking?"

"Harry and Ron had a run in with a demon, so we're getting them Fire whiskey to steady their nerves," Fred said, while he poured out something from a bottle. "Thanks, Tom."

"I really shouldn't let you have that, since you're giving it to minors," Tom said. "Was this 'demon' really that bad?"

"Yeah, it was," Hermione said, as she nursed a bruise, and I sat my broken arm on the table. "Liz, when you're done with your last patient, can you fix Harry's broken arm?"

"Sure, I'll do it now," She said, as we heard footsteps coming from the stairs. "For god's sake, I told you to stay in bed!"

"I'm telling you, I don't need rest." Hagrid? "I'm perfectly fine. Harry, it's good to see you."

"Hey, Hagrid," I said, trying to stand up, before my legs gave way.

"Seriously Harry, just rest for a minute," Fred said, as Liz came over and started healing my arm. "Hagrid, I thought you were in Hogwarts."

"I was," Hagrid said, as he pulled up a chair. "I was then captured by the Death Eaters, and kept in their basement, along with all of the Muggle children."

"Children?" Hermione asked, horrified. "What did they do to them?"

"Nothing physical," Andromeda said, as she came downstairs. "But they're all badly shaken up, since they probably saw their parents die."

"And that's why we're going to kill Voldemort," I said, as I swallowed the whiskey, before I started coughing. "We're going to shove a pole up his ass and wave him like a flag."

"That was his only glass," George said, rubbing his forehead. "I swear to Merlin, it was his only one."

"Well, I should also tell you that we got a student out as well," Liz said, as she removed her hand from my arm. "Draco Malfoy? He helped us destroy two Horcruxes, the ring…" which Cho then dropped in front of us, "and the snake. I swear, Voldemort was really upset by that one."

"You took Malfoy back to HQ!" Seamus asked, standing up. "What the hell were you thinking, Liz!"

"He killed a Horcrux," Liz said, raising her hands, defensively. "We probably have to explain that he can't betray us, but there's no way Voldemort will want him around." Suddenly, the door burst open, as Ezio barged in and headed straight to the bar. "Ezio, what were you thinking-"

"NO TIME!" He shouted, as he headed straight to the bar. "Tom, right? What's the drink with the strongest kick, how much, and serve it now, or so help me, I'll do something incredibly stupid!"

"On us!" Fred and George shouted, as Tom set a bottle of Fire Whiskey on the bar, which Ezio then grabbed and drank, straight from the bottle, before spitting flames.

"How badly did it go?" Liz asked, as Fleur and Victor walked in and shook the snow from his boots.

"He ran into some asshole called Javert," Fleur said, as she sat down near our table. "The guy shoved a gun in his face and everything."

"Javert?" Liz asked, walking over to Ezio. "The jackass who harassed you in the hospital?"

"He's been arrested," Ezio replied, while taking another gulp. "How the hell did he get out of jail?"

"Can someone rewind the conversation for me?" Neville asked. "Isn't Javert a character from Les Miserablés?"

"Similar name," Ezio said, while leaning against the bar. "This is the same bastard that thinks I'm a serial killer, who almost killed me, I should point out, and the framed me for more murders."

"When Ezio was in hospital, over a year ago, the bastard went and tried to have him arrested for a crime that he couldn't have committed because he was unconscious at the time," Liz said. "Ezio, no more booze, I'm getting you back… is that a bite wound?"

"Vampire," Ezio said, as Tom took back the bottle. "F***ing ugly vampire, and it became uglier after taking a bite out of me. What's that stinging?"

"It's the alcohol getting into your mouth wound," Victor said, he pulled Ezio away from the bar. "So, how did everything else go?"

"Fred, George, Ezio, remember when we confronted that Agnus fellow and he was standing inside a red magic circle?" Luna asked, hoping for them to remember.

"Yeah, Harry, Ron and Hermione ran into another one in Kent," Fred said, sitting down next to the table, after pouring everyone a shot. "When Harry went near it, it summoned his Shadow, and it almost killed him."

"What?" Ezio asked, obviously shocked. "What happened?"

"Ron summoned a Persona, and helped Harry overwhelm it," Fred replied, before taking a shot. "After that, his Shadow became a Persona. Harry summoned it inside the elevator on the way down from Ragnok's office."

"We ran into another one in the disused building, here in Diagon Alley," Seamus said. "Neville managed to blow it up, blowing our cover."

"Hey, that room had corpses hanging from hooks," Neville said, defending himself. "It had to be destroyed. Perhaps I can get someone to Obliviate me, before I get a shower, and some disinfectant."

"Yeah," Seamus said, taking his shot. "We'll get a box of disinfectant, on the way back."

"Wait, did you say, 'Hanging from hooks'?" Hermione asked, as Luna's team nodded. "There were Drophyds around the seal in Kent, just like that. And when Harry's Shadow attacked him, it held him down with hooks and chains."

"Well, that 'Agnus' guy is definitely behind it," Hermione asked, "And when I tried using my Babylon Library power, it said that the seals were demonic in nature."

"'Babylon Library'?" Neville asked.

"When I try to find particular information without the use of books, I see myself in a Library, while shelves of books fly past until I find the information I'm looking for," Hermione explained. "I tried looking up 'Shadows' and 'Personae', but I couldn't find anything about it, except a book about Jungian philosophy."

"That's what you should have read," Ezio said, as he suddenly peaked up. "Everyone has a Shadow, a dark self that we don't want to accept, and a Persona, a facet of our personalities that we present to the outside world to protect ourselves. When someone gets attacked by their Shadow and accepts it, it willingly serves their other self as a Persona, a guardian who can either be an angel who protects or a demon who destroys. My pen pal was a Persona user. Sure, I didn't actually believe most of that weird shit until I met someone who he knew and was a Persona user as well."

"What do the cards mean?" Ron asked.

"They're a person's arcana, a basic reading into their personality," Ezio said. "Look up Tarot symbolism; I'm too drunk to explain."

"Well, we might as well head out to HQ," Victor said, as he began to stretch. "It should be easy enough to get everyone back. Right, Cho?"

"Yeah, it will," She said, as all of us stood up. Well, Fred supported me, and Ezio was being healed by Liz, but you get the idea.

"Oh, by the way," Liz said, as she stopped Cho before she teleported us. "When I got back to HQ, Sirius was celebrating. He was acquitted of betraying the Potters and the murder of those 12 people." All of us began go cheer, as Tom came from behind the bar.

"Well, when you get the chance, tell Mr Black that he's welcome here at any time," Tom said.

"Well, a bit of a warning," Liz said, as she stepped back. "He's already opened some champagne, so we're all expected to drink it." As she grabbed onto Cho, the entire group, including Hagrid, were all moved towards the… wait.

"Hold on, what happened?" Cho asked, as we were all standing outside in the street. "Why are we outside?"

"You're moving a group of drunken teenagers and two adults, one of which is a half-giant," Liz said, as we all looked around. "Well, we might as well head inside."

"I was wondering where the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters was," Someone said, as we all looked around to see Rita Skeeter, standing next to a tree. "I was looking around for a while; it's a good thing I went to that information broker."

"May I ask why you're here, Rita?" Hermione asked, as she stepped forward. "Because, since we're doing discrete operations-"

"Discreet?" She asked. "I remember seeing three of you causing a large explosion in an office building, then swinging through a window at Gringotts." Luna seemed to be smiling, as Neville and Seamus seemed to be wincing. "Either way, I actually want to ask a favour. I've been asked to do a documentary for a television network called 'Channel 4', about the lives of the magical community. Specifically, the justice system."

"You're going to have a really hard time there," Seamus said, as Ron began to snort with laughter.

"I know," She said. "I heard that Sirius Black got acquitted for his crime, so I wanted to interview him. I also want to ask if you would like to have me interview you for the Daily Prophet, Harry, as a piece about Wizarding celebrities."

"He'll have to get back to you on that one," Neville said, as I was still being carried. "We'll ask him again when he's feeling better. And we'll pass the message on to Sirius."

"Oh, and Mr Hagrid," Rita said, turning to the large man, "I've been hearing rumours from some Aurors about how you were held hostage. If you would like I would like to ask you about that time."

"…Why, sure," Hagrid said, obviously confused. "I was only freed today, so it will be a while."

"Were there any more hostages?" Rita asked.

"Yeah, but they were Muggle children," Liz said, stepping forward. "And unless you can arrange near perfect legal support for them, hell, I'll make sure that you never get anything printed again, got it?"

"Yes, perfectly," She said, with a smile. "I can already see the headline. 'Order of the Phoenix saves hostages'. That should get you a lot of civilian support."

"Miss Skeeter," Ezio asked, looking at her. "Where did you get that information from? Which specific broker?"

"I believe that his name was Omar," She said, as she put her hand to her chin. "I wasn't the only one asking for information, though, there were a few people. Your name is O'Malley, right? Someone was asking about you, actually."

"Grey hair, fedora, and plain long coat?" Ezio asked, as he looked very annoyed.

"Yes, that's the one."

"F***'s sake!" He shouted, waving his hands in anger. "Jesus Christ! Just perfect, just F***ING PERFECT! The one guy I could trust and he sold information to that w***ing ****! JESUS!" He then walked over to Rita, obviously angry. "If that bastard knows that you're a reporter, ignore him. Better yet, tell me, so that I can BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM!"

"Might I ask why?" Rita asked, obviously scared. "And the broker or the customer.

" The customer ruined his life back in the US by framing him for several crimes," Liz explained, "even a few serial killings."

"…Well, I must be on my way," Rita said, giving a smile. "News is business, after all." With a wave, she then snapped her fingers as she Apparated away, as we all headed into the HQ, Ezio swearing like a true Irishman.

"Might I ask why Ezio is screaming at the top of his lungs?" Lupin said, as he greeted us.

"Omar, I need to ask, did you knowing sell information about me to a man in his late 50's with grey hair?" Ezio asked, into his phone. "YOU F***ING W***ER! COULDN'T YOU DO A LITTLE RESEARCH INTO ANYONE ASKING BEFORE GIVING THEM THAT KIND OF PERSONAL INFORMATION! WHAT DID YOU SAY!"

"Wait…" Raphael asked, as he stood up.

"This 'Javert' guy threatened us outside of the Savoy," Victor said. "He even pulled a gun on Ezio, which he then cut into two before throwing into a wall. He was arrested by two cops though, after Ezio punched him out for saying he'd murder his own parents, first chance he'd get. It was pretty awesome."

"OF COURSE YOU F***ED UP!" Ezio continued to shout. "DO YOU NOT KNOW WHEN TO SHUT YOUR GOB! I MIGHT AS WELL MARK EVERYONE WITH TICKS AND CROSSES TO TELL YOU WHEN TO SHUT YOUR GOB AND WHEN TO OPEN IT! Jesus Christ! Well, you'd probably f*** that up, wouldn't you? X MARKS THE SPOT! YOU MIGHT AS WELL TELL EVERYONE ABOUT MY RAGING ERECTILE DIS- Oh, not to worry, not to worry, you sent your f***ing sister to fix it. YOUR F***ING SISTER! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING! F*** it, I'm coming over right now. Got it?" He then hung up before making another call. "Hello, Jimmy? I want you to find some specific information for me. First up, pass into Zeke and Cole any information about this Bertrand f***er, as soon as possible, then I want you to find out why UWC is funding galactic terrorism. Lastly, and most importantly, I want you to make Jean Javert's life a f***ing nightmare. Alright, I'll look at them. Goodbye." Taking out his phone, he then plugged them into the main computer, and started reading something. "Jesus Christ."

"Okay, how did Bertrand find you, and how badly can we make him suffer?" Raph said, as Ezio continued to read the file.

"I called Jimmy, didn't I?" Ezio said, as he unhooked his phone and headed straight towards the door. "I'm going to talk to Omar, little bastard sold information about us to Rita Skeeter, and information about me to a bastard who keeps ruining my life. Stay here until I call you." Ezio then stormed out the front door, as everyone looked around, confused.

"I'll explain later," Raphael said, as he sat down and rubbed his head in his hands.

"So…" I said, trying to break the ice. "I heard you were acquitted, Sirius."

"And I'm celebrating right now!" He said, before uncorking two champagne bottles in each hand, as one hit the grandfather clock, specifically, the bell. "Ding, dong, mother***er! Ding, dong!"

"We've been watching an action movie since you left this morning," Lupin said. "He really likes 'Boondock Saints'."

"Except that line was from Boondock Saints II: All Saint's Day," Tonks pointed out.

"Yeah," Ron said, as he took a glass of champagne. "Save it for whenever we kill someone with a bell."

"So, Malfoy," Hermione said, walking over towards Draco. "You actually turned against the Death Eaters? Why?"

"Because Voldemort is outright insane," Draco said, as he slumped into a chair. "Remember Professor ****, the Muggle Studies professor?"

"She's dead?" Voldemort asked, mournful.

"Voldemort tortured her, because of her stance on Muggles, about co-existing peacefully," Draco said, beginning to go into shock. "Then, he killed her, then he let that snake of his swallow her."

"Draco," Professor Dumbledore said, walking over. "Did he make you watch?"

"…Yes," He said, as he began to put his hands to his head. "He made all of the Death Eaters watch, as well as Vincent, Gregory and me."

"Crabbe and Goyle were in the mansion?" Seamus asked.

"They left the day before yesterday, after getting dark marks," Draco said. "I looked away… I looked away when they killed her… But they watched… They watched, and called her a Blood Traitor who deserved to die. I just ran off and was sick in a bathroom."

"So, they're around London?" Luna asked, obviously intrigued. "Do you know specifically where?"

"Crabbe is somewhere involving a concert," Draco said. "I don't know specifically where, though. Goyle, however, is around some hotel, planning on attacking a few Muggles from a group called 'Cerberus'."

"Well, it's a start," Tonks said, as she stood up. "Well, I've got to head back to the Auror office. I'll pass on the information to the Madame Bones, and see if she'll help."

"F***, no," Ron said, standing up, obviously outraged.

"Ronald Weasley, if you keep swearing like that, I'll wash your mouth out with soap!" Mrs Weasley said, as she came through the fireplace, followed by Mr Weasley, Ginny, Charlie and Vivi, who was carrying the Marauders' Map. "Where did you learn such language!"

"When Dad dropped an expensive glass table to the ground," he said, before turning back to everyone. "As I was saying, f*** the Aurors. They're serving the Ministry, and except for a select few individuals, they're all incompetent assholes! If someone's got to catch Crabbe and Goyle, it's us."

"After we all rest," Charlie said, as he walked over towards the bookcase. "My back's killing me after that troll attack, and Harry looks like he's ready to be sick."

"Well, until we figure out what to do, I've got some news," Ginny said, as Vivi put out the Marauders' Map. "I did a few tests earlier, and I've got confirmation that Vivi's a Seer."

"He can see the future?" I asked, leaning into the seat.

"Yep," she said, as she pointed at the map. "And he's a powerful one at that. The Death Eaters have put several traps around Hogwarts, and we now know where they are. And get this… We modified the map to show non-humans, so Shadows, dark creatures, even Animagi, all show up, even objects."

"Animagi showed up anyway," Sirius said, raising his glass.

"Yes, but it doesn't tell you what form, does it?" We all then looked at the map, seeing several black dots on the map. "The black dots are Shadows, so we can avoid them with the help of the map. Anything else that appears will show specific information, but the name is always shown, along with their recent footsteps. If you want to find out specific information, you have to tap it with your wand."

"What's the Marauder's Map?" Malfoy asked, as he looked at the map.

"It's a map I made when I was a student, along with Moony here," Sirius said while pointing at his friend, "as well as Harry's father and Peter Pettigrew. And you crossed his name out?"

"Actually, that was me," Ron said, speaking up. "He deserved it."

"Also, I added a few more bits of information," Ginny said, as I looked at it. "It will display passwords to secret rooms, as well as some secret information, as soon as you discover it."

"You added the Chamber of Secrets?" I asked, looking at the map. "Why?"

"Well, it could come in useful, right?" Ginny asked. "Voldemort might hide a few secrets down there, so it could be useful to check."

"Hey, there are only a few people on the map," I said, looking at it. "There's 'Agnus', as well as a few Death Eaters. Professor McGonagall, she's being kept in the dungeon, as well as someone called Tony."

"Oh yeah," Draco said, looking at the map. "I remember him. He was captured by a few Death Eaters, and impaled on a huge sword. He just pushed himself off, over the hilt. He was eventually chained to the wall as well, just in case."

"Well, we might as well rest up until tomorrow," I said, as I began to stand up. "I'm heading back to the Burrow, I'll see you there." Grabbing some Flue Powder and whispering the password, I just went back to the Burrow, and headed towards the stairs.

"Potter," I heard behind me, as I saw Draco come through the fireplace after me. "You too?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I felt you appear outside," Draco said, as he sat down. "You and Weasley? You both have Personae, don't you?"

"What?" I asked, before I suddenly felt a pulse. "What the…"

"Did you feel that?" He asked, as I gave a weak nod. "I think my Persona called out to yours, and I felt it. It seems to be a basic reaction, as a way of Persona Users to identify each other."

"Oberon," I said, as Draco raised an eyebrow. "My Persona is Oberon."

"…Narcissus," Draco said. "Of all the Personae I could have gotten, I got someone who was cursed by the gods for loving their reflection."

"Well, you're all about your image," I said. "You love surrounding yourself with sycophants who agree with you, no matter what, and have a girl constantly doting on you. You're the poster child of the perfect pureblood Wizarding family, even if you are an asshole."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Malfoy said, looking around. "I guess I'm seeing why it's all bullshit, though. The Death Eaters are getting their asses handed to them by Muggles and Muggle-borns, proving them all wrong. Well, I guess there's nothing else for it, then." As Draco stood up, he just walked over towards the window and looked outside. "It really is beautiful, the snow. But it can be cold, and bitter, and eventually, it has to melt away. It's just like the whole 'Blood Purity' stance. Hopefully, it will be gone by the time we're adults."

"That's not enough time to get rid of it," I said, leaning against the wall. "It's been a part of Wizarding tradition for thousands of years."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Draco said, as he headed back towards the fireplace. "I'm heading back towards the others; tell them what I know about the Death Eaters' plans. Harry, I have to ask… Is this what it's like to have someone to talk to?"

Suddenly, I heard a voice in my head, as time seemed to stop. _I am Thou, Thou art I. Thou has established a new bond. Thou are blessed when creating Personae of the Tower Arcana._ A card then appeared in my mind, showing a tower being struck by lightning, with a roman 16 on the bottom. As it disappeared, time began again, and I just smiled at Draco. "Yeah, pretty much. Now, if you don't mind, I'm heading on to bed. I'm absolutely tired after my Shadow attacked me." As Draco headed back, I just climbed the stairs and entered the large bedroom. "I'm going to have a good, long sleep."

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"What the hell were you thinking, Omar!" I shouted at the black teenager, who appeared to be going for the 'casual business' attire for his work in the info trading business. "Couldn't you at least ask about why he wanted the information?"

"It was busy when he showed up," Omar said, as he winced back, obviously scared of repercussions. "He overheard something about you when a reporter asked about the Order."

"And you sold that as well?" I asked, visibly pissed. "Omar, let me explain why I'm angry. Rita Skeeter is a tabloid reporter, who has apparently printed defaming information about Harry when he was competing in a tournament last year. If she prints any information that is extremely sensitive about us, such as any planned operations, it could seriously f*** us over. Now, about that man you sold information to-"

"He's CIA," Omar said, handing over a file about Javert. "He's been investigating possible terrorists, and asked about you because you were a possible threat."

"WHAT!"

"Look, I didn't know he was on a personal crusade about you," Omar said, standing up. "As soon as I get info on him, I'll email it to you, no charge."

"I'm more pissed off that he's CIA," I said, sitting down. "He could seriously mess me up, couldn't he?"

"You're on the federal no-fly list," Omar said, as he sat back down. "I'm asking someone I know if I can have you taken off of it." As my phone rang, I picked it up, and saw that it was Lamar's number.

"Lamar, what's up?" I asked, resting my head in my free hand.

"I heard that Javert's been harassing you, again," Lamar said, as Omar handed me a cup of coffee. "Jimmy's making a few calls at the minute, but I should warn you that-"

"Javert's a CIA agent now, and he's marked me as a possible terrorist," I said, taking a sip. "I figured that out, not happy about it. How can we ruin his life?"

"Hold on, what's that?" Lamar said, as I heard some talking in the background. "Alright, thanks. Jimmy sent an email to a white hat he knows, her name's Garcia, and she's hacking the list to take your name off. Also, we're currently hacking the CIA director's computer to 'kindly ask him' to make Javert back off." As Lamar said that, Omar was handed a piece of information by a braid-haired girl with a suit, which he then handed to me. "Javert was arrested a few minutes ago, but he somehow was let out of jail. He's pulling strings in the London Met."

"I'm with an information broker at the minute," I said, reading his note. "I've got all of his information, credit cards, bank account, passport, licence, and the works. I'll have him email the list to you, I want you to screw him into the 19th Century."

"We're on it," He said, as he hung up.

"Omar, I'm writing my friend's email address down," I said, grabbing a pen.

"I'll pass on the information," He said, as I handed the address to him. "Now any other intel you need?"

"Anything about the Death Eaters, here's my address," I then wrote down the email address and handed it to him. "I also need information about a group called 'Cerberus', specifically, a woman named Miranda Lawson."

"I don't know much about Cerberus, except that they had a secret lab around London that was captured by the Death Eaters," He said, as he tapped an iPad he was carrying. "I'll send the address to you. As for Miss Lawson, she came here asking about the Order. Specifically, she told me off for giving intel to that Javert guy. She's the only known Cerberus operative at the time… Well, to me, anyway… and is a Biotic, which involves cybernetic implants over her nervous system. Educated at a prestigious boarding school, she ran away from her father at the age of 13, and has been working for Cererus for 15 years. She's 31, blood type O negative, black haired, trained with handguns and SMGs, skilled with Judo, and is roughly a D-cup."

"…Omar, why do you know that?" I asked, giving him dirty looks.

"Guess he's just trying to flatter me," Miranda said, walking in through the front door. "Ezio O'Malley? I've been looking to meet you for a while?"

"Okay, why the f*** does Cerberus have intel on me, and where did you get it?" I asked, as Miranda took out a file, and handed it to me. "What the hell is this?"

"It's how we got the intel in the first place," She said, as I opened up the file. "Your father was a doctor in genetic engineering. Trained at Harvard Medical, he graduated at the top of his class, and was head-hunted by the best companies in the pharmaceutical business, including Umbrella, Ultor and Weyland-Yutani. Eventually hired by the Tricell Company, he was eventually recruited by Cerberus into working for a specific project."

"Inserting alien DNA into humans?" I asked.

"Project CHIMERA," She said, handing me another file. "It's basically a way of creating shape shifters."

"THAT'S THE REASON I HAVE A F***ING TAIL!" I shouted, to Omar's shock. "If you go blabbing that around, so help me, Omar…"

"You're already beginning to mutate?" Miranda asked. "That only happens when you're around 21… Oh, right, Conduits experience it earlier."

"So, how many of these Chimeras are there?" I asked.

"There were only around 8 at the start," Miranda stated. "However, specific DNA is required, a specific species."

"Lombaxes?"

"That's one of them," Miranda said. "Cerberus only confirmed around 3 species, including the Lombaxes. If that specific DNA isn't used, however, it causes severe health concerns. There were only 3 survivors, you included."

"So, what, you wanted us to join Cerberus?" I asked. "Sorry, but I don't want to be involved in the Space IRA."

"Well, you've obviously been speaking with Miss Goto," Miranda said, with a smile. "We're only interested in keeping humanity as a whole safe, and we'll willingly put ourselves in danger to do that."

"Then how did Cerberus get founded," I asked. "And who the hell is the Illusive Man?"

"You're both familiar with Roswell, right?" Miranda asked us.

"Aliens touched down on Earth, am I right?" Omar asked.

"The specific ship was a dreadnought owned by the Batarians, a race that bases their social system around a caste system," Miranda explained. "Unfortunately, there is a very bottom to the caste system."

"Slaves?" I asked.

"The batarians found the Charon relay at least 20 years beforehand, and were interested in humanity as a form of cheap labour. The US military was able to defend us from the batarian threat and, in a secret UN council, reported it to every single member nation, including the USSR. In fact, do you know all that competing for the space race? It was the UN's Systems Alliance trying to hide their probes going into space."

"Didn't the Council intervene?" I asked. "That wouldn't normally be allowed, right?"

"Attacking any world with a form of civilisation for the intent of capturing slaves is highly illegal," Miranda said. "When humanity first got past the relay, we secretly passed information about the batarians' actions to the Council about their attack in our world. And the Council let them have it. I don't know the specifics, but the batarians were stopped from colonising specifics planets that they were interested in, greatly hurting their financial market. Cerberus also started hurting them as well, as they try to come back to our solar system, we hit them when they least expect it. I actually blew up one of their dreadnoughts."

"Well, that explains the terrorism," I said. "And what can you tell me about the Illusive Man?"

"No one knows much about him," Miranda said. "I've met him in person, and I knew the instant I met him that he had reconstructive surgery to hide his original identity, since he had an uncanny resemblance to Martin Sheen. Doesn't interact with anyone, unless it's through a phone line, and he'll only directly meet with one or two people. And it's a hell of a trip."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked. "Wouldn't that hurt you lot in the long run?"

"Actually, I resigned from Cerberus," Miranda said, sitting down. "We have several branches that we interact with in order to perform research and acquire funding. I resigned after they used highly illegal methods. The Syndicate is mainly our funding side, as well as intelligence, back here on Earth, but there's also the science branch lead by Joseph Bertrand III."

"The Militia?" I asked.

"He used to be First Sons," Miranda said. "However, he recently broke off after the death of Kessler. Now he's leading a hate campaign against Conduits. Ironic, in a way." She then stood up and walked over to Omar's table, and sat down next to it. "I hear that you're trying to capture a few Death Eaters who captured a nearby Cerberus base. I'll help anyway I can." As she said that, she handed me a phone number that she had written down. "I still have the access codes, so I can open the entryways for you."

"Alright," I said, as I keyed in the number before heading to the door. "Thanks for telling me this information."

"It was a pleasure to meet you," She said, as I headed out the front door. "Now, about that 'Wilson' fellow?"

"Hey, Raph," I said, calling him on the phone. "We've got a big problem."

"Don't come back to HQ!" He said, almost shouting down the phone line. "Javert's waiting outside. How the hell did he get out of jail?"

"He's CIA," I said, as I swear I felt the phone becoming incredibly colder. "He put my name on a terrorist watch list, as well. That's not what I wanted to talk about."

"Yeah, why did your name appear on a Cerberus watch list?" he asked. "Are you in trouble?"

"It seems that Dad was a Cerberus scientist," I said, leaning over a balcony. "I'm one of their genetic experiments."

"Wait, what?"

"That's why I have… that problem. Anyway, I just met with one of their former operatives, who gave me this information. It seems that the guy in charge of the Militia was Cerberus as well as First Sons, before he went rogue."

"Who the hell are the First Sons?" he asked.

"Oh, right, you were unconscious… they're the guys behind Empire City, a year or two back. Anyway, he used to do research for them, before the head of the First Sons was killed."

"Make sure that Nexus gets that information," Raphael said, as he sighed. "Anything you can do for the night?"

"I'll head over to the Leaky Cauldron," I said, as I moved away from the balcony. "Can you get someone to Apparate there to meet me?"

"Sure," He said, as we both hung up.

"I would've expected you to be gone by now," Miranda said, as she came over to me. "Is there some sort of problem?"

"How long were you watching me for?" I asked. "Cerberus, I mean."

"Since you were born," She said. "We had to make sure that you didn't suffer from any complications. Hell, we actually put that Javert man in serious trouble when he harassed you, back in Ireland."

"He's waiting outside of the Order's headquarters," I said, as I headed for the stairs. "I have to meet someone to Apparate back, so that he won't attack me on the way."

"And I keep trying to have him assassinated," She said.

"Relax, I can handle him," I said. "Let's just see how much fun he'll have when he's put into about a million dollars' worth of debt."

"You must have some really skilled hackers to pull that off," She said. "I heard that Javert had a Decker helping him."

"Well, I don't give a damn about these 'Deckers'," I began. "But they're not going to… to scare…" I then began to suffer from a serious coughing fit, as I fell over.

"Are you okay?" She asked. "Dammit, hold on." She then grabbed something out of her coat, as I felt a searing pain over my chest. She then turned me over to have my back on the ground, as she unzipped by coat, lifted up my shirt and shoved a needle into my heart, while I winced in pain. "It's a reaction of CHIMERA. It starts with a single mutation to an isolated part of your body, before a severe pain all over as you begin to transform into a form that your DNA is modified to." She then helped me up, as I looked down to my torso, to see it was covered in blondish fur. "The next time it happens, you'll turn full Lombax, before being able to shapeshift between the forms. Wait until you go for the second one, which should cause severe problems."

"…Why?" I asked, slightly scared.

"Because it might kill you from incompatible amino acids," Miranda said, as I zipped up my coat. "Worry about that later, it should me in about a few months' time. Are you sure you can head back by yourself?"

"I'm fine," I replied, as I looked around, scared that anyone saw that. "The bar I need to go to isn't that far, anyway."

"Well, make sure that you stay out of trouble," She said, as she headed down the stairs. "Use the elevator instead, save yourself the hassle." As she waved me off, I headed over to the elevator doors and pressed a button, waiting for the elevator to open up. When I got inside, I just let out a small sigh. This was a completely shitty day. And I feel that it could get worse.

* * *

><p>FILES:<p>

* * *

><p><strong>First secure document<strong>:

Secure email between Joseph Bertrand III and TIM:

Illusive Man,

Our joint research between the link of Biotics and Conduits has revealed some fascinating research that can make it easier to control any Conduits that go wild. However, the link between them is still being investigated.

A Conduit's powers are related and directionally proportional to a specific form of radiation that is stored within their body, precisely their mitochondria. When a person with the Conduit genetic code is awakened, their DNA acts as a form of 'coding' for their powers, hence a wide range for their powers, as it seems to 'reprogram' their immediate vicinity. When a Conduit is exposed to Biotics or any other form of dark matter, the radiation is pulled out of their body, causing a great deal of disorientation in the progress for much stronger amounts.

As per our research into Conduit powers, we have also discovered that Conduit powers are passed on from father to child due to the child inheriting the father's genetic code for mitochondria, but 25% of children born actually inherit from the mother. We have also discovered that by extracting the mitochondria from an awakened Conduit, we can pass on a form of powers closely related, but with minor or major changes to that of the original Conduits (See research file into Mitochondria EVE).

We also believe that there's a way to limit the amount of differentiation of powers, in order to allow ICARUS to occur without a hitch. However, I'm still trying to arrange a few things with Vermaak 88, and I'm still waiting for your operative to show up. We're on a timescale, ever since the First Sons fell, we haven't been able to keep our activities suspicious.

Bertrand.

* * *

><p><strong>Second secure document:<strong>

[It's nothing much, it's just a few business transactions between 'Bertrand' and some charity groups. Cancer research, Trocairé, Child's Play, Make a Wish, UWC… Wait, he's an investor in Ultimate Wrestling Championship?]

* * *

><p><strong>Third secure document:<strong>

Bertrand,

We have asked you to study the different chemical states of Red Sand and how they react with different individuals. However, from looking over your research, we have decided that mass producing the liquid state of red sand, the chemical Macht, is neither worth the time and effort, nor of any benefit. The properties of Macht are too hazardous for Cerberus as a whole to use, and is not useful for us in the long run. While your research shows several benefits, here is exactly why we can't use it.

Use by plain individuals causes severe muscle hypertrophy in subjects, as well as brain damage in anyone who uses it in severely high doses. Overdosing also causes subjects to develop hardened skin in such a scale that they are left unable to move, as well as causes severe pain to the subject. Even if you get the dosage correct, the subject will become homicidally aggressive as well as suicidal (I saw that one man kill himself by tearing out his own spine, Bertrand. The official report was deleted before it was sent to you).

Use on Conduits will cause them to die from forced overuse of their powers, which also causes their powers to go out of control. If they do survive, they will suffer by causing severe brain damage as well as stunting their powers.

Use by Biotics is the same as Red Sand's powdery form, except that it is even more addictive as well as stunts powers from long-time use.

Use on Wizards is the only instance where powers are guaranteed to become stronger with no side-effects. However, Macht acts in tandem with their powers to turn into a very, Very, VERY powerful love potion, which lasts for 6 months. We had to keep the individuals separated until the effects wore off, and had to abort their children to prevent any mental damage (And yes, this was absolutely necessary, don't bother arguing with me about 'Destroying lives that haven't had a chance to live', children conceived under the effects of a love potion are extremely dangerous sociopaths).

Since we can't afford to make Red Sand, and to properly make Macht would involve very expensive technology, we can't afford to produce Macht.

In order to keep our operations secure, we have to keep them subtle. However, Macht lacks subtlety.

Illusive Man

* * *

><p><strong>Final secure document<strong>

List of individuals to watch:

Croft, Danielle [Deceased]

Brown, Connor [Deceased]

Carr, Matthew [Secured by Syndicate]

Duff, Daniel [Deceased]

Ikari, Angelo [Unknown whereabouts]

Kennedy, Mark [Deceased]

O'Malley, Ezio [Known to have met Cole McGrath and Zeke Dunbar, may join Nexus]

Pryor, Eddie [Secured by Syndicate]

Travers, Lucas [Deceased]

* * *

><p><strong>Miranda's file<strong>

[All the background information about both my dad and I. It also has some personal information… … … … …Is that a f***ing snake!]


	24. Operation Hogwarts 14: Mutation

**Ezio**

"So, you're finally here," Bill said, as he stood up.

"Hey, where were you today, anyway?" I asked. "I haven't seen you anywhere."

"Actually, I was checking something out for Dumbledore," Bill said, as he walked over. "I was up in Hogsmeade, creating a Portkey."

"So, when we attack the Death Eaters up in Hogwarts…" I began.

"We can send one team in to act as a distraction." As Bill finished his drink, he grabbed me, before waving Tom off and Apparating to 12, Grimmauld place.

"What was keeping you?" Raph asked, as I fixed myself up from the floor.

"Nothing major," I said, as he helped me up. "I stopped to talk to the Cerberus informant before I had a heart attack."

"How the hell is a heart attack 'Nothing major'?" Liz asked me, while standing up.

"Sirius, where's the bathroom?" I asked, as he pointed me upstairs, as I grabbed Liz and Raph and headed upstairs with them.

"Seriously, what's with you?" Liz asked, as I locked the door behind me. "You've been really strange lately, and this isn't going to- Agh!" She let out a small scream as I lifted up my shirt, as I let her and Raph look at my chest. "Ezio, why are you covered in fur?"

"I started convulsing outside of Omar's apartment-slash-office," I said, while they felt around. "I was speaking to someone who used to work for Cerberus, and when I started coughing, she shoved a needle into my heart."

"I can see the entry wound," Liz said, as she put her hand over and healed it. "But why were you talking to Cerberus personnel?"

"Read this," I said, setting down the file Miranda gave me. "Anyway, it seems Javert is now CIA, so we're going to have a hard time dealing with him. However, Jimmy is on it from the cyber point, but we have to have Javert distracted- WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Liz just grabbed my crotch!

"You're bigger," She said, in astonishment. "Anyway, I want to see how much area was affected. Take off your clothes."

"What," I asked, as Raphael began to leave.

"Keep your pants on," She said, as Raphael closed the door behind himself. "Underwear, I mean."

"Alright…" I said, as I removed my trousers and shirt. "Just… don't grab me like that again…"

"I'll warn you next time," She said, as she looked down my leg. "Alright, the legs and arms are thinner, and the torso is more compact. You seem slightly shorter, but the tail has gotten thicker. You've got markings on your body, they look like stripes, they're a darker shade of blonde than anywhere else and you've got a pure white stomach area. Ezio?" As I looked at her, I was slightly confused. "Remove your socks?" As I took them off, I was so startled to see that my feet had grown two claws that I fell over, screaming.

"Need a condom?" Andromeda asked, while knocking the door.

"We need a professional opinion," I said, before Liz opened the door and pulled her in.

"Ezio, what happened?" She asked.

"I'm turning into an alien," I said, standing up. "Anyway, can you tell me how much has changed?" As I said that, she took out her wand and performed a spell, as a light entered my body.

"Internally, the only major change is that your blood vessels have completely changed. Your heart is also slightly larger, with 6 chambers, compared to the average human's 4. Come to think of it, you're incredibly similar to Apollo in physical appearance, except for the head and skull, of course. You should try contacting him, as soon as possible. I'd like to compare you two, side by side."

"I'll call him ASAP," I said, as I began to put my clothes back on. "Wait a minute… Liz, we've never had sex, how did you know what size my genitalia were?"

"…I got to head back to the Burrow," She said, as she headed out of the room.

"Liz!" I shouted, as I put a jumper on. "The camping trip? You actually… Hold it right there!"

* * *

><p><strong>Neville<strong>

"So, here's where we think Crabbe is," I said, as I put a map with two crosses around London. "The first X is the O2 Arena, a concert hall. There was going to be a big concert, but because of the Death Eater attacks, it was cancelled. There's a refugee camp just outside of it, however."

"We have no idea where he is, but since the Death Eaters have sealed themselves up inside, there's a good chance that he's there," Seamus said, as he stepped forward. "Alpha team will break in and fight any Death Eaters, capturing Crabbe and then Apparating out of there. Harry will be head of Alpha team."

"We got some info from Ezio as to where the Death Eaters are," Luna said, as she pointed that the other X. "This is the Hilton, part of a chain of hotels. There's a secret lab under the hotel, where we think the Death Eaters have sealed themselves into. Bravo team, led by Cho, will walk into the reception, head towards the elevator and head to the top floor, before they head into the staircase and attack the penthouse."

"We have a spy in the Death Eaters," Dumbledore said, "and we need him secured. This will involve driving up in a car, heading into a shopping centre, then driving him back to 12, Grimmauld Street, where he'll divulge any information he has. He has already confirmed that Vincent Crabbe will be heading to the Penthouse, which is being used by the Death Eaters, in order to receive his first orders, tomorrow at noon. Bravo team, make sure that you take back the Penthouse, before capturing Crabbe."

"You raped me!" Ezio shouted, as he came through the fireplace after Liz. "You had sex with me when I was unconscious! For f***'s sake, you could have at least waited until I was awake!"

"Wait, you're more annoyed with that?" Liz asked.

"I can't say 'I was a virgin until my wedding night' now, can I?"

"Hey, you're ruining our meeting!" Luna shouted, as the two of them sat down. "Anyway, Charlie team will be led by… Bill." He then gave a small wave as Luna pointed at him. "Anyway, we have the three teams. Alpha Team, led by Harry, Bravo Team with Cho and Charlie Team with Bill."

"Can I ask for a Delta team?" Ezio asked. "That guy, Javert, whose been standing outside? He's going to be a liability, even if he doesn't realise it. When the Death Eaters realise he's after me, they'll know where we are."

"Yes, that is a liability," Dumbledore said, putting his hand to his chin.

"I've already got a plan, but all I need is two people to help," Ezio said, before taking out a piece of paper. "There's a nearby brothel that caters to extremely weird fetishes. I'm going to lead him nearby, then enter the brothel. We need two people to wait inside and ambush him."

"How will that stop him?" Draco asked. "He's not going to stay, is he?"

"Not willingly," Ezio said, as he gave a small grin. "I'm going to auction him off as a sex slave."

"WHAT!" Everyone shouted.

"Oh, quit being bitches and someone help me," He said, as Raph and Charlie stood up. "It's a gay brothel."

"Is he that much of an asshole to deserve this?" Charlie asked.

"Didn't you listen when I said, 'He framed my brother for several dozen murders'?" Raph asked. "Either way, it better make him suffer."

"Alright," Luna said, as she drew attention back to herself. "Harry, Cho and Bill are party leaders. They'll choose who to bring."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

**22/07/11**

**Harry**

With Ron, Hermione and Fleur (Who could Apparate) in tow, we arrived outside of the concert hall's main entrance, and looked around. "Okay, how do we get in?" I asked.

"Let's smash the doors," Ron said, as he saw a metallic wall outside of it. "Oh, that's a problem."

"I already looked at the main blueprints for the building," Hermione said, as we looked around, to make sure that the Death Eaters weren't waiting for us. "To raise the main gates, we have to turn a key that's on the other side of the entrance. To do that, we have to go inside and turn them from the inside. Due to the nature of this, it should be hard for all of us to use the side entrance, so-"

"Can you hold that for a second, Hermione?" Fleur said, as she headed towards the gate, before passing through it.

"So…" I said, while waiting for Fleur to open the gate. "Hermione, where have your parents been?"

"They've been around town, giving out tea at the camps, and also giving dental treatments," She said, as Fleur knocked on the door, before Hermione walked away and pointed at a particular spot. Suddenly, the metal gate then opened up, as Fleur then opened a door, before mockingly acting as a doorman, as we all entered.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Ron said, while looking around. "I'm expecting an ambush around any corner."

"Hey, it's better than fighting on ice," I said, as I drew my knives and began to walk around.

"I'd prefer dancing," Fleur said, as she took out her wand. "Okay, I'm taking a look in the main hall." Heading down a hallway, she crouched, as we poised ourselves for an attack. "They're in the boxes," Fleur said, as we all headed away. "How do we get up there?"

"There's a staircase near to the entrance," Ron said, as he walked away, only to freeze into place. "Shadows."

"Then let's fight them," Hermione said, as two Shadows appeared, a blob with a mask and a ball with a massive tongue. "Be careful, and stand back."

"Okay," I said, as I called a card into my hand. "Persona!" I shouted, letting the card fly up, before striking it with a backflip-kick, causing Oberon to appear as it caused a small tornado to appear, knocking the Shadow over. _Master, one of those Shadows uses fire magic. I'm particularly weak to it, which means you are, as well._

"My turn!" Ron said, as he stuck out his axe, as a card appeared above it. "Persona!" He shouted, while swinging his axe around in a circle, before Ron's Persona appeared and put its shield forward, as a fireball shot out of it. It hit the other Shadow, as it disappeared, leaving the other Shadow behind. "Alright, all for one and one for all."

"Let's go!" I shouted, as Ron, Hermione, Fleur and I rushed the Shadow and destroyed it. "Be careful, there's going to be more."

"That was incredible, you two!" Fleur said, amazed. "Did those appear during your fight with the demon, yesterday?"

"Yeah, it did," Ron said, before turning to me. "Actually, Harry got his Persona after that."

"Can we hurry up?" I asked, as I saw more Shadows appear. "We can't fight all of them." Running up the stairs, we immediately ran into a few Death Eaters. Fleur instantly disarmed them before we drop kicked them, as we then knocked them out, just like Liz showed us. We then snuck over towards one booth, as we saw Vincent Crabbe talking to an older man.

"I still don't see why the Dark Lord wants us to watched over these," the older man said, as he began juggling a purple object. "However, they were after these back in Belfast, so Dumbledore and the rest of those fools would be willing to bargain with them."

"Father, they're more likely just drawn to the bizarre glow of these," Crabbe said, looking at them. "Although it is quite pretty…"

"Vincent, focus!" Crabbe Sr. said as he sat the objects down. "Go check on the guards, will you? I've got to read over these reports." Grabbing everyone, I immediately turned invisible, as Crabbe walked away and headed around the corner. When he was gone, I stopped, before having a better look at the objects.

"What are they?" Ron whispered at me.

"They're guarding Blast Cores." I responded. "I'm heading in." Turning myself invisible, I sneaked into the room, and immediately walked over towards the Death Eater.

"Why are these important, anyway?" He asked himself.

"Because they give us powers," I responded, before punching Crabbe Sr. on the side of the head, as I felt my hand break. "Ah," I winced in pain.

"First and second knuckle, Harry," Ron said, as he walked in and grabbed two to three cores. "See how many we can take."

"We can fit all of them into my moleskin purse," Hermione said. "It's just a question of time."

"I'm tying the older man into the chair," Fleur said, as she pulled a rope out of Hermione's purse and tied the man into place, making sure that the chair faced the window of the box. "Hermione, you and Ron get into position, Harry's just dislocated his finger, I'll pop it into place." As the two stood next to the door, Fleur grabbed Crabbe's wand and pulled us under the table. "Harry, put this in your mouth. If you have to scream, just bite down on it."

As I put it in my mouth, Fleur put my hand down on the ground, as I heard a few steps coming in. "I can't find them, father- Hey, what are you doing-" *Smack* "Hey, let go!" *SMACK* "Get your hands off me, Mudblood!" *SMACK* *SMACK* *SMACK* As Fleur pushed my finger onto place I heard a larger whack, as I saw a few shelves fall down. As we climbed out from behind the table, or in Fleur's case, climbed through the table, to see an unconscious Vincent Crabbe with books over him, and Ron's Persona was standing there, holding his weapon like a bat.

"Sorry," Ron said. "I must've called Arthur by mistake when I heard Crabbe call Hermione a Mudblood." Ron's Persona just grinned, before disappearing. "Anyway, let's grab the cores before we get the hell out of here!" As we grabbed all of the cores, we then grabbed Crabbe, then let Fleur Apparate us out of the arena.

"What did you do to Crabbe?" Draco asked, as we dropped him to the ground.

"Ron's Persona smacked him into a bookcase," Hermione said. "Let's tie him up, ask him what he knows after he wakes up.

* * *

><p><strong>Cho<strong>

Luna, Neville, Seamus and I walked into the hotel lobby, making sure that we didn't raise any suspicions. Heading straight to the elevator, we called it before heading inside, as we waited for the elevator door to close, and begin the ascent upward. "Go time," Seamus said, as we then took off our larger overcoats to show our all-black clothing underneath, before we took out our guns, checking the magazines, then put on black sunglasses as the elevator doors opened up. Walking over towards the staircase, we climbed up, before ripping open a grating, as we Luna climbed in and we headed back down, and waited outside the elevator shaft.

The elevator then opened up, as a Death Eater fell over, unconscious, as we stepped inside to join Luna, as she put away the invisibility cloak and pushed the Death Eater out of the elevator. "Nine," She said, as she took out her handgun. "That leaves eight left, four in the main entrance, two in the kitchen, on the left, one in the bathroom to the right, and one on the roof, the staircase is straight forward, on your right." She then punched a few buttons on the keyboard, as the elevator began to move upward.

"It's 11:43, that means that we have 17 minutes to get this done," Seamus said, as we trained his gun on the main door.

"Alright, let's get this done," Neville said, as he cocked his weapon. "I'll handle the kitchen with Luna. Seamus, shoot the guy in the bathroom."

"That leaves me with the roof," I said, as I took out my gun. "Lose the shades," I ordered, as we put them away. "And… Action," I said as the elevator door opened. With one shot each, we shot one Death Eater each, before Luna shot one in the kitchen, followed by Seamus sliding on the floor to shoot the other. I ran across the living room, jumping over a chair, as Neville shot a Death Eater who was coming out of the bathroom. As I pushed a door open, I trained my gun on a staircase as a man ran downstairs. With a single squeeze, the gun fired, shooting the Death Eater as he fell down the stairs, before I walked back through the door. "That's them, what now?" I asked.

"11:47," Seamus said, as he sat down. "13 minutes, now what?"

"He could be early," Neville said, as he also sat down, grabbing a few balaclavas. "They're trying to look like Muggle thugs."

"They're planning Halloween now?" I asked, looking around the penthouse. "Hey guys, there's a huge ton of coins!" As Luna came in, I began to scoop Galleons and Sickles into my bag.

"Cho, isn't stealing rude?" Luna asked me.

"So is terrorism, so this is karma," I said, before continuing. "Also, they're dead, so there's no harm done." As if to agree, Luna started helping me gather coins, before Neville came into the room.

"They could have known we were here," He said, touching a nearby screen. "The screens automatically warn you whenever someone presses in the code for the penthouse."

"They were busy," I said. "And they are a bit thick."

"Yeah, they are," Neville said, taking out his gun. "Goyle's early."

"What?" Luna asked, as she looked into the screen. "He's getting in to the elevator."

"What do we do?" Neville asked.

"We capture him," I said, scooping up the last of the Galleons, "that's our mission objection, isn't it?" Seamus then walked in, wearing a balaclava, before handing one to Neville.

"We've got to f*** with him," He grinned, before Neville started grinning and put his on. As they headed towards the elevator, Luna pressed a button as she pulled the screen from the wall (It's removable? Sweet) and took it over to me.

As the elevator opened up, Seamus immediately grabbed Goyle and started screaming at him to get in, to get on the ground.

"I'M UNARMED!" Goyle shouted.

"SHUT UP!" Neville shouted, as we began grinning.

"It's me, it's Goyle," Goyle said, raising his hands, defensively. "I'm the funny man!"

"WHERE'S YOUR GUN!" Seamus shouted, to Goyle's confusion. "WHERE'S – YOUR – GUN!"

"It's in the suitcase," He said, as Neville headed over, before opening it.

"Goddammit!" He said, as he picked up the gun. "It's a damn six-shooter." He said, in a really convincing American accent. "WHAT WERE YOU PLANNING TO DO, LAUGH THE LAST THREE TO DEATH! HUH, FUNNY MAN!"

"I was told that there was two," He said. "The Dark Lord said there were only two."

"We've got to do him," Seamus said. "Kill him, right here." Goyle then began crying, as Seamus pointed the gun at his head. I leaned around from the counter to see that the gun was empty. "Right here, RIGHT NOW!"

"Please, please please," Goyle said, bawling. "I don't want to die! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" Seamus and Neville, while laughing, then removed their masks, before stepping back, as Luna and I stepped into the room.

"Oh, you should've seen the look on your face," I said, while leaning forward. "It was so pathetic."

"Finnegan, Longbottom?" He asked, while looking around. "What the f*** did you f***ing… seriously, f***… How the f*** did you… f***ing… F***!"

"Well, it certainly shows the diversity of the word," Luna said, as she sat down. Goyle then reached for his wand, only for Seamus to wave it about.

"Sorry, Goyle," I said, walking over to him. "We're with the Order of the Phoenix, and the boss wants to speak to you." As I said that, I punched Goyle in the side of the head, knocking him out, as Seamus and Neville lifted him up, as Luna grabbed a few boxes of clay. "Okay, let's get out of here," I said, before pulling all of us to HQ. "We've got Goyle, and we bear gifts." As I said that, I tipped out the contents of my purse to let all of the Galleons and Sickles to fall onto the floor.

"Hey, we got Blast Cores, but we didn't drop it onto the floor," Hermione said, as she pointed towards a neat stack of purple glowing tubes.

"Blast Cores?" Neville asked, confused.

"Hey, this is awesome!" Seamus said, as he went over and looked at them. "These can give Conduits new powers."

"That sounds useful," Luna said, as she sat down. "Draco, why are you so tense?"

"…Why are you dressed in black?" He asked.

"Sorry," I said. "We got too into character."

* * *

><p><strong>Bill<strong>

I was watching very carefully, from a distance, as Tonks walked around the shopping centre, having changed her appearance to that of a blonde-haired version of her mother, as she looked like in her old photos. "Are you sure you can do this?" I asked.

"Don't worry," Tonks said, as she walked over towards a Starbucks and bought a coffee, before grabbing a Daily Mirror and sitting down near to an indoor fountain. "You're watching for targets, right? My phone will pick up the whole conversation, and you're nearby, along with Remus. Isn't that right, honey?"

"Wow, this book is really bad," Lupin said, as he sat down on a different floor. "I'd hate for there to be a movie about this."

"The Twilight series has 4 movies," I said, "and they're making a fifth one."

"He's coming," Tonks said, as we watched, as a man in a suit came over and sat down on the other side of the bench.

"I was followed," Severus Snape said, as he read a copy of the Daily Telegraph. "They're not onto me, they're my security detail."

"For a teacher?" Tonks asked, giving him a glance. "Well, you're easily spotted in a crowd. Before we get you out of here, we're getting you into a hairdressers, make you less recognisable in a crowd."

"It's a wig," He said, as I spotted a man walking towards them. "They handed me an old druidic manual for a potion, but there are specific items needed to make it work. And unfortunately, after your surprise attack on Voldemort's stronghold, he's been trying to find out where you took that ring."

"Is it that important?" Tonks asked, as Lupin Apparated to the lower floor and put the Imperius Curse on the Death Eater to make him walk into a nearby bathroom.

"Are you aware of the Deathly Hallows?" Snape asked Tonks, who made a quick glance at him. "The ring you stole, it was the Resurrection Stone."

"It was a Horcrux," Tonks said, as I Apparated towards the Death Eater and reached in front of him and pinched the woman in front of him, who then promptly punched him straight out. I then saw that someone who was walking next to him reached into his pocket. "We had to remove the part of Voldemort's soul inside of it."

"He did it," I said to the woman, who then knocked out the Death Eater. While she thanked me for telling her about the pervert, I walked away to meet up with Lupin.

"Well, the Dark Lord is furious, especially since four of his Horcruxes were destroyed," Snape continued, before slipping a piece of paper towards Tonks. "I've located the last two Horcruxes, I think. One of them is somewhere in Hogwarts, but not even the Dark Lord knows where. That's the location of the other one." Tonks then pocketed the note as she took out the car keys.

"How many bodyguards do you have?" Tonks asked, as she lifted up her cup of coffee.

"Four," He said. "I don't know where they are."

"Head into the bookstore," Tonks said, as she gathered her things. "Our last operative will get you out of here. The bodyguard will follow you in, when we eliminate them." She then left, sliding the keys over towards Snape, who then waited for a minute to finish his coffee, then got up, grabbing the keys.

"I see the last bodyguard," Lupin said, as he headed in front of me. "She's in the bookstore!"

"Oh, shit," Tonks said, as she continued on with her part of the plan. "What do we do?"

"Who is she?" Liz asked, as she put down the book she was looking at.

"A blonde haired woman, she's in the romance section, reading some book with a train on it," Lupin said.

"I'll handle it," Liz said, walking over towards her. "Excuse me, is there a problem?"

"I'm looking for a specific book," She said. "I don't know the specific book, but I know it's a Poirot book. It involved a dig in Syria."

"An Appointment with Death," Liz said. "I can see it right now." She then walked over towards the mystery section, and then picked up the book, holding it straight up towards the Death Eater's face. "Is this it?" She then dropped the book and punched the Death Eater in the face, knocking her out, as Snape walked into the bookstore. "You're Snape, right?"

"Not so loud," he berated her. "I have no idea where the bodyguards are."

"Three of them were knocked out when you were talking to Nymph, and I just beat the shit out of the last one," Liz said. "Come on, into the back." We then walked into the store behind them, as the till worker pulled the unconscious Death Eater into the back as well. "Are you okay with her, Omar?"

"I'm not happy about it," he said, as he tied her up. "I know I fucked up with Ezio, but this… damn. I'll call the police right away, get the hell out of here." I grabbed Liz, and Apparated back to 12, Grimmauld, as Lupin and Tonks followed with Snape.

"Well, welcome to Order of the Phoenix HQ."

"And welcome to my humble abode," Sirius said.

"Black?" Snape asked, confused. "I heard that you were acquitted. Congratulations."

"Yeah, most of us got drunk after that," Harry said, as he came in, carrying a bowl of cereal.

"Potter?" He said, with a venomous voice.

"Oh, don't be an asshole," Harry said. "I'm not in any particular mood."

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"So, what do we do?" Raph said, as we looked around the corner as Javert continued to watch the street. "Just grab his attention?"

"I'll handle that," I said, handing them the address. "Just see that you're at the brothel ready to attack him. Speak to Madame Ana when you're there, and say that you're waiting for the package."

"I feel really, really dirty helping you two," Charlie said, as he slumped over. "There's no way I can do this with my powers though, but I might as well help, right?"

"Just head there now, I'll get him to follow me there," I said, as I got ready to sprint. "Hell, I'd streak to get his attention, but that's out of the question." As they Apparated away, I immediately started running down the street, as Javert started following me, although as a slow walk. I slowed down a bit, as Javert got into a car, and started following me at a greater speed then I could run. "Shit," I said, before jumping onto a motorbike and hijacking it, speeding down the road.

Carefully dodging the traffic, I headed towards the housing estate that the brothel was located, as Javert came at me at a greater speed. "Goddammit, at least I'm obeying the traffic laws!" I shouted, as he started firing at me.

A bullet managed to hit me in the lower back, as I fell off the bike, straight outside of the brothel. Heading inside, I headed into a hallway, past Charlie and Raph, and into a bedroom. Waiting until I heard a loud whallop, I walked out of the room as Raph wiped blood off of his fist.

"Well, that was easy, actually," Raph said, as he turned to me. "Jesus, are you okay?"

"The bastard shot me," I said, leaning against the wall. "Hit me in the back."

"Well, he's a strapping lad," the Madame of the Brothel said, coming forward. "He's going to go for a high price. Now, how do I pay the money to you?"

"Just give the money to some charitable causes," I said. "They'll need it more than me."

"Well, your loss," She said, as she called in two men in gimp suits to take him into another room, and Charlie Apparated us back to HQ.

"Great, more weirdoes," a greasy haired man said, as I just glared at him. Punching him straight to the face, I immediately walked over to Liz and sat down.

"Medic," I said, as I slumped over, and Liz started using her powers on me.

"Why'd you knock out our double agent?" Liz asked.

"Because I couldn't punch Javert," I said, as the blood flowed back into my wound.

"You sold him as a sex-slave!" Liz said, glaring at me.

"He shot me!" I said. "He shot me and tried to run me over."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

As I sat down in the kitchen at Order HQ, I sat across from Luna, Draco, Vivi, and Hermione and Seamus sat on my side. "I think I've figured it out," I said, glaring at them. "I know who did it! It was Professor Plum, in the kitchen, with the candlestick holder."

"Bullshit!" Ron said, as he slid me a card. Taking a look, the smile on my face turned into a frown, as I handed the card back.

"It's wrong," Vivi said, "Because it was Colonel Custard in the Billiard Room with the revolver." Since no-one could disprove him, he took the envelope and pulled out the cards, showing that he's right.

"Okay, we're never playing board games with Vivi again," Seamus said, as he stood up. "We have to find a co-op console game to play if we ever want to beat him."

"I guess you're bored just sitting around?" Dumbledore asked, as he came into the room.

"I'm tired of sitting around," I said, as I stood up. "We've got to hit the Death Eaters where it hurts. Let's do it now, or even tomorrow."

"As soon as possible," Dumbledore said. "However, there's still one more Horcrux, and we only have a brief idea where it is. Snape said it was at a facility owned by a group called 'Cerberus'."

"Then I'll help with that," Ezio said, as he came into the room. "I've got a former Cerberus operative's phone number, so she'll help us get in."

"Well, call her as soon as possible," Dumbledore said.

"Sure thing," Ezio said. "I'm heading out to meet a contact, but I'll be sure to contact her and ask for her help in getting in."

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I need to meet Apollo, along with Doctor Tonks and Liz," Ezio said. "It's about… something private."

"We all know about the tail, Ezio," Hermione said, as Ezio winced when she said it.

"He has a what?" Draco asked, intrigued.

"This doesn't leave the Order," Ezio said, glaring at us.

"Can I see?" Draco asked, standing up.

"Come over here," Ezio said, "And I'll have you killed."

"He'll actually do it," Luna said, as she and Seamus headed out into the living room.

"We're going over towards the refugee camps. Andromeda wants to help around there, along with a few Saint Mungo's Healers, in order to help with any patients." As he said that, he headed out the front door, followed by Liz and Andromeda.

"Well, since I'm bored shitless, I might as well do that interview," I said, taking a sip of tea.

"What interview?" Draco asked.

"Rita Skeeter asked if I could do an interview for her, and have it printed in the Daily Prophet," I explained. "Come to think about it…"

"I already told Sirius about the invite for the television interview," Hermione said, as she poured herself a cup of tea.

"Hold on," Draco said, slightly shocked. "You're not doing that interview until we have a long talk."

"Thanks for the concern, dad," I said, as I finished my cup.

"Potter, you hate fame, and Rita Skeeter could easily manipulate you," Draco explained. "Before you have that interview, I'm going to train you in how to properly act and react, how to manoeuvre through the interview, then you'll be ready for the interview."

"I might as well call Ezio," I said.

"Why?" Draco asked.

"So that, while he's still out, I can have him print out a few business cards that say, 'Draco Malfoy: Public Relations coach'."

"You're going to need it, Harry," Hermione said, giving me a serious look.

"I know," I replied. "Doesn't mean I can't have some fun teasing, now, can I?"

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"So, we'll just be in the tent," Andromeda said, as I watched the Healers set up. "I'll be diagnosing illnesses with some American diagnostician, so until then, stay nearby."

"Alright," I said, as Liz came over to me.

"What are you going to do, now?" Liz asked me, as we walked over to the main medical tents.

"I have to call Miranda," I said. "Did you know that she tried to have Javert killed because he was endangering my life?"

"You were an asset to Cerberus," She said. "She could be looking out for the group's interests."

"Except that," I began, "She isn't working for Cerberus anymore. Why would she still be interested in me?"

"Sounds like a stalker to me," Liz said, as she stood outside the tent. "Look, I can't judge someone without meeting them. If you think you can trust her, go ahead and try it. Otherwise, be careful. Well, I'm going to help with the wounded. See you later."

"Fine," I said, as I took out my phone and called the woman in question. "Hello, Miss Lawson?"

"Ezio?" She asked. "So, you need my help getting into that Cerberus base, then?"

"Yes, we do," I said. "I don't know the specifics of it, but we need to find a specific object that the Death Eaters hid inside. Would it be possible for you to meet up with us?"

"Well, I've got nothing better to do," She said. "By the way, about your mutation…"

"Only my head isn't outright changed," I said. "I was also told by a Healer that my blood flow completely changed, as well as my heart growing two new chambers."

"That doesn't sound good," She asked. "Look, whenever you do fully mutate, you'll be trapped in a Lombax form for up to 24 hours, although using a Rayacite shard should make it faster, probably by 4 to 6 hours."

"That's good," I said, as I leant against the wall. "Anyway, I'm going to arrange it for you to meet with someone with the Order. I'll have them meet you at Omar's, okay?"

"Fine," She said. "Is that all?"

"Actually, there's one thing I want to ask," I said. "Why are you still watching over me, even though you're not Cerberus?"

"Well, I consider myself a specific form of social worker," She said. "Making sure that what we did to you doesn't affect your everyday life. Does that answer your question?"

"No," I replied. "But it's a start. I've got to go; we'll pick you up tomorrow. See you then."

"Goodbye," She said, as she hung up, as I was suddenly knocked over by someone running straight into me.

"[Oh, my god]," the voice said, in Japanese. "I'm so sorry." As I looked up, I saw a brunette haired Japanese girl reached out to help me up.

"[Thank you]," I replied, as she helped me up.

"[Oh, you speak Japanese?]" The girl asked. "[It will be easier for me then to speak in my own language. I'm Haruhi Suzimiya, by the way]."

"Ezio O'Malley," I replied, shaking her hand. "[You should be a bit more careful whenever you run, though]."

"[Sorry, I'm in a bit of a hurry]," Haruhi said, as she then headed into a tent and gave the doctor inside a bottle, before running back out. "[I was asked to give that guy a bottle of medical alcohol. Anyway, I've never seen you around here, before. Did you arrive with the new crowd]?"

"[No]," I said, as I looked around to see a few buses heading in to camp. "[I've been here for a while. Although I'm not staying in the camps, I am a refugee]."

"[Are you a member of the Order of the Phoenix]?" She asked me, as I nodded my head. "[Then can you give this to Ginny-Chan? She helped me and a friend out yesterday]."

"[Sure]," I said, taking the envelope. "[I'll pass it on. So, why is a Japanese schoolgirl in London during an alien invasion?]"

"[I was here with my class as part of our yearly excursion]," She explained. "[My friends and I are helping around the camp]. So, do you have any specific powers?"

"I'm an Esper," I said. "Mind reading, empathy, telekinesis, scan power and mind control."

"My friend Koizumi's an Esper as well," She said, "Although he said that his powers changed suddenly on day Zero."

"What about you?" I asked. "You got any powers?"

"I used to be God," She said with a smile, "but after I found out, I had most of my powers sealed."

"Suzumiya-San!" Someone called over to her. "[Did you deliver that bottle]?"

"Yes, I did," Haruhi said, as I looked at the group. "Oh, I ran into this guy, literally."

"[She didn't break anything, stop worrying]," I said.

"[You speak Japanese]?" One of them asked, probably the leader. "Kyousuke Tamagishi, at your service," He introduced himself. "My friends call me…"

"Kyon," I said, with a smile. "Nice to finally meet you, Kyon. Ezio O'Malley." Kyon was kind of shocked to hear that, as well as the rest of the group.

"How do you know each other?" another Japanese male asked.

"[We're pen pals]," Kyon explained. "Small world, huh?"

"Yeah, small world," I replied. "So, what's this about Haruhi being God?" As Kyon began to explain, we headed towards the main sleeping area where they were staying. Apparently, Haruhi has had the powers to rewrite reality since she was a 12, and she's been protected from her own powers, and people who wanted to use her, by her friends, the SOS brigade, made up of Kyon, his psychic friend Itsuki, a girl with time powers called Mikuru and an alien called Nagato. They've been hiding her powers from her since they met her, although something has concerned them as of late…

"What do you mean, your powers changed?" I asked. "How the hell does that happen?"

"Well, originally, I wasn't actually here," Mikuru explained, drinking some water. "Time travel was the power to project a copy of yourself to the past, while still being in the present, so to speak. When Day Zero happened, I lost my connection to the present, and was stuck in the past, and I gained local time anomalies as a power."

"Time magic?" I asked, as she nodded.

"Normally, I could only use my powers in closed space," Itsuki said, "but I've been able to use some powers outside of it."

"Closed space?" I asked.

"Your friend Cho can make them," Itsuki explained. "I can also invade them, if I choose to."

"My main powers are to serve as a humanoid interface with … but I've since bound my very nature to Haruhi's powers to help her control her own powers." Nagato said.

"Wait, what was that, just there?" I asked. "A… glitch?"

"Certain records were deleted when I broke off from the … but I still have a very good amount of my processing power, so I have been investigating what caused a universal collapse."

"Several dimensions collapsed into each other," Kyon explained. "We don't know why."

"Well, if several universes collapsed, I think I can give you information as to why," I said. "A man named Kessler used time travel to try and stop a large amount of people from dying at the hands of someone called 'The Beast', and help set up to stop him early. There's something known as a six-minute rule…"

"When you can only safely alter time by going back by six minutes," Mikuru said. "Any longer and you could create an alternate universe."

"And here I was thinking that Haruhi had somehow caused this," Kyon said.

"Haruhi had nothing to do with it," I said, to everyone's confusion. "My dad had seer powers. Before he died, he wrote down several cryptic clues. One of them was 'Tell Kyon that it wasn't her fault'. Well, I know everything about you, so I might as well explain something about me…" I then explained a few things about myself, including my past, the Belfast incident, what we've been doing here and what we plan to do.

"So, you're planning on storming a castle held by a dark Wizard to rescue about 1000 students that you suspect that he's planning to sacrifice to a demon, by doing some incredibly daring crap?" Kyon asked, taking a sip of his cup and looking at me with wide eyes.

"Well, I wouldn't say 'Sacrifice to a demon', but…"

"I'm in."

"Me too!" Haruhi shouted.

"I'll go with Suzumiya-San." Nagato said.

"We've got to help them, right, Sempai?" Mikuru said, looking at Kyon.

"Looks like you're getting our help, whether you like it or not." Itsuki said.

"Hold on," I said, calming everyone down. "It isn't my call, and I wouldn't want you guys getting hurt, just from helping us. Voldemort is a highly dangerous individual, and he will kill you when he gets the chance."

"Well, we'd like to help, so let us know how?" Kyon said, with a small smile.

"Hey, Ezio," Liz asked, as she looked around. "Where are you?"

"[Sorry, guys]," I said, as I stood up. "I've got to head back. But when we leave London, perhaps you can help take our place as local defenders." As they waved me off, I headed back to the medical tents, where an annoyed Liz was waiting for me.

"Where were you?" Liz asked.

"Sorry," I said, scratching the back of my head. "I met my pen pal here. It seems that Ginny saved his life yesterday, and his friends asked me to deliver something to her."

"Andromeda's been looking for you for an hour, now," Liz said. "She said it was about your medical appointment."

"Alright, I'll head over now," I said, as I handed over Haruhi's package. "Make sure to give this to Ginny for me, then." I then ran off, straight to Andromeda. "Sorry, Andi, something came up."

"I saw," Apollo said, as he appeared next to her. "Ready for another trip?"

"Go ahead," I said, as he pulled us off from the camp.

* * *

><p><strong>Bill<strong>

"Time to wake up, fellas," I said, as I threw water in Crabbe and Goyle's faces. As they started asking where they were, I just pulled up a chair and sat across from the table. "I don't think we've properly met. I'm Bill Weasley."

"BLOOD TRAITOR!" Crabbe shouted. "Let us go!"

"We'll release you from our custody in a minute," I said, as I poured myself a drink. "I just want to ask, what do the Death Eaters plan to do with the other students?"

"Like we'd tell you!" Crabbe shouted. "We'd never betray the-"

"I don't know," Goyle said. "I couldn't really understand what they were saying."

"Greg, just stay quiet!" Crabbe shouted. "You're not getting anything from us; you're just a filthy Auror!"

"If I was an Auror, you two would be in Azkaban," I said, leaning back. "And if I was a police officer, you would wake up in a cell and not a warehouse." I then lifted up an object that Luna had managed to take from the Hilton's penthouse. "Do you know what this is?"

"Like I care," Crabbe said.

"It's called C4," Goyle said. "We were told we would be putting some of it in the police stations."

"How about a quick lesson," I said, as I lifted it up. "C4 is a plastic explosive, which is highly stable, and commonly mistaken for clay on first sight. You can beat it, pull it, mould it, set it on fire and shoot it, and it won't explode. However…" I then took out a small charge and stuck it in the clay. "Stick a charge in it and press the detonator…" which I then took out and set on the table, "And it explodes with enough force to completely shatter steel bars and enough heat to melt through a car."

"…You're not going to set it off, are you?" Crabbe asked, before I quickly grabbed the detonator and pressed it, causing them to jump. "What, are you going to scare us into talking?" I then stood up, turned on the detonator, and pressed it, causing the car behind my seat to blow up.

"That was only one packet of C4," I said, as they look onto the explosion. "We found around 200 of these around the penthouse where we captured Goyle. And you were planning to put these around the camps. That's genocide."

"Like we'd care-" Crabbe began, before I stopped him.

"I don't think you get how much trouble you're in!" I said, cutting him off. "You could go to jail, for the rest of your life! The Prime Minister is even trying to get the Death Eaters tried in The Hague. Do you know what that means?"

"We get tried as international criminals?" Crabbe asked. "And then we'd be champions for the Pureblood cause."

"Champions?" I asked. "How about 'Martyrs'? Because genocide is a crime punishable by execution."

"…What?"

"You've got two options," Bill said. "Either stay quiet, and say your prayers, or… tell us whatever you know about the Death Eaters and we won't tell the authorities about it."

"…Okay," Crabbe said. "We'll talk."

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"So, that the gist of it?" Apollo asked me, as Andromeda and I sat in his condo in his home galaxy. "You're one of Cerberus' genetic experiments, and you were altered with Lombax DNA?"

"Yep," I replied. "And I've mutated severely."

"How severely?"

"Look at my feet," I said, taking off my shoe. "They've got claws on their sides!"

"Those are nails," Apollo said.

"They're cutting into my shoes!" I then held up my boot. "It's beginning to hang loose. And that only happened yesterday!"

"Yeah, they're sharper than mine," Apollo said, as he touched the tip. "It's probably because they aren't blunted by wear and tear. Try wrapping a bandage around your foot, or even filing them down."

"Now, are there any specific medical needs that we should know about Lombaxes?" Andromeda asked. "Such as diet, medical needs, common illnesses?"

"Lombaxes are extremely similar to humans, with some differences," Apollo said. "We're omnivores, we usually live around to 500 Earth years, and we have to sleep for at least 4 hours to every 24 hours. There is one drastic difference though, our ability to digest two different amino acids."

"Amino acids?" Andromeda asked, confused.

"DNA is made up of amino acids, which can be restructured to repair tissue damage," I explain. "But, there are more than two amino acids, Apollo."

"I mean types of amino acids," Apollo said. "There are Sinistro-Amino and Dextro-Amino acids. Life on Earth is based around Sinistro-Amino, as well as most life in several galaxies. Dextro-Amino acids are less frequent, but still show up. Lombaxes don't need to balance a diet of Sinistro- or Dextro-Amino, we can just eat them."

"Well, I guess that will help me in the long run," I said, sighing. "I was altered with one other type of DNA, and I think it's Dextro-Amino."

"Wait, three species?" Apollo asked. "What's the whole point of this 'CHIMERA' project?"

"Cerberus was trying to create shape shifters," I said. "I should be able to control the shift between human and Lombax, but only after… after… *Cough* *Cough*"

"Are you okay?" Andromeda asked. "The fur is heading upwards."

"Is he transforming now?" Apollo asked, standing up. I was now kneeling on the floor, as a burning sensation covered my body, and my body started glowing. Suddenly, balls of light formed and pulled themselves into by body, as I let out a small scream. "Shit, are you okay?" Apollo said, as he helped me up. "Well, what's it like to be a Lombax?"

"…Painful," I blurted, as Apollo set me down on a chair. "Goddammit, I hope it doesn't hurt so much whenever I do that normally."

"So, how long before you can become human again?" Apollo asked.

"It should take 24 hours," I said, while panting. "But if we use one of the Blast Cores we found, it could knock off 4 to 6 hours."

"Well, I just want to take a quick look, before anything else," Andromeda said, as she took out her wand and cast a spell. "…? Your internal organs have completely changed!"

"How seriously?" I asked.

"Your stomach acids are much stronger than a normal human's, your lungs can store much more oxygen, and your digestive tract has gotten shorter," Andromeda said, putting her hand to her chin. "Your musculature is much more compact, but your body weight hasn't changed."

"So, I'm basically thinner?" I asked. "Bet I could become a size zero model in no time."

"More compact bone matter, but they haven't changed in thickness, so you could withstand a higher fall," Andromeda explained. "And your Adam's apple is smaller, causing your voice to go up a pitch."

"Well, normally I sound like a voice actor called Brad Swaile, so hopefully that isn't a bad thing," I said, as I tried to stand up. "Well, looks like I'm able to walk, so that shouldn't… shouldn't… ACHOO!"

"What the hell?" Apollo asked, as he jumped out of the way of a fireball. "I thought your powers were mentalism!"

"I think I can explain…" I said, looking at the scorch in the ground. "I think my chimera nature involves me radically rewriting my DNA to change species, and since Conduit powers are decided by DNA…"

"Each form gives you different powers," Andromeda said. "Well, I want you to experiment when we get back to headquarters. I don't want you going into the field and suddenly discover something new, especially since it could put your life in danger."

"I'll pull you back towards London," Apollo said. "Do you want to be close, or in, the Order safe house?"

"Can we afford to scare off Snape?" I asked. "Or Draco?"

"Why can't we appear outside of the Order house?" Andromeda asked.

"Grimmauld Place is a busy street, and I don't want to be spotted like this," I said. "Also, Javert could have headed back there, so that could cause problems for the Order now, and for me in the long run."

"Who's Javert?" Apollo asked.

"He's an asshole cop that hates me," I said. "He pulled a gun on me after you left yesterday, so I… trapped him in a gay brothel."

"What?"

"Oh, by the way," Andromeda said. "Someone came in to Saint Mungo's and handed over around £1,000,000 in £100 notes to help us, saying we should use it to help around the camps. A transgender called Ana. Do you know anything about it?"

"You sold the man as a sex slave, didn't you?" Apollo asked.

"Pay evil unto evil," I said, with a small smile. "I should probably warn the others about this." I took out my phone and then sent the text, 'On our way back now. Completely shifted, though.'

"Why don't I take you to Gringotts' roof, then let you Apparate back under Andromeda's own magic?" Apollo said, as we nodded. We put on our winter clothing before Apollo teleported us to the roof, as he promptly vanished.

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"Now Harry, I've come to understand that you're going to set up a few businesses. How do you plan to do that?"

"Well, I'm going to start out simple by helping finance some friends' business in Diagon alley, but we don't expect it to open up until summer of next year," I said, "but we're also trying to set it up as the first magical online store. We're even going to start posting our products online for sale on Amazon by late August, I think."

"And what do you plan to sell?"

"Well, we're planning on selling potions, but my business partners want to sell some original joke items as well. However, we can only sell certain things in store since 'Diagon Alley Exclusive' means 'We're not allowed to sell them on Amazon because it breaches their terms and conditions'."

"And cut!" Draco shouted, as I lifted myself out of the large chair. "Alright, you've improved greatly but there is still one more exercise I want to try. And it's deeply personal questions."

"Can I take a break, first?" I asked. "We've been doing this for over an hour."

"Well, I might as well wait around here if you want me," Liz said, standing up and checking her phone. "Oh, no…"

"What?" I asked, as she started pacing.

"Do you know about how Ezio suddenly grew a tail?" Liz asked, as Ron and I nodded. "Well, he started changing into another species yesterday. And I think he went all way."

"How bad is it?" Hermione asked.

"Remember Apollo?" Liz asked.

"That guy who we met after my trial?" I asked.

"He's turning into the same species," Liz said. "The point is, he's been really worried about this."

"Isn't Apollo the guy that attacked Fudge?" Draco asked.

"You heard of that?" I asked. "Anyway, when will they be back?" As if to answer that question, Andromeda appeared with a humanoid cat, who I assumed was Ezio. "Ezio?" I asked, for clarification.

"Yeah," He replied, as Liz pulled him onto the chair. "It's me."

"Wait, how did you turn into a cat?" Draco asked.

"Don't ask," Ezio replied, while gasping heavily. "Like, ever. Shit, it feels like a piece of me was taken out."

"Oh, god," Andromeda said, as she pulled up his coat. "I accidentally splinched him. Liz, can you heal him?"

"Sure," Liz said, as she began to treat him. "Andi, how the hell could you do that?"

"It was an accident," Andromeda said, "I was trying to keep his tail in one piece."

"You only half-managed," Ezio said, holding tail up to show a nasty wound.

"That's got to sting," I said, as I stepped towards him. "Is it permanent?"

"I should be able to turn back into a human after about a day, although I should be able to speed it up with a Blast Core," Ezio said.

"I'm sorry to sound rude, but will this be long?" Draco asked. "We haven't arranged Harry's interview yet, but we were practicing for it."

"After I heal Ezio, I'll help again," Liz said. "Anything drastically changed?"

"My powers," Ezio said. "I sneezed and burned the ground."

"Well, that's strange," Hermione replied. "Anyway, what do we do, now?"

"We're hitting the last Death Eater base here," Ezio replied. "After that, we're heading north towards Hogwarts, and kicking the Death Eaters out."

"So, where is the last Death Eater base, anyway?" Harry asked.

"It's in a secret basement in the Hilton," Dumbledore said, as he came into the room. "We managed to convince Crabbe and Goyle to explain where it is, but the main entrance is heavily guarded. So, how are you, Ezio?"

"Save it," Ezio said, before wincing in pain. "I arranged for a former Cerberus operative to help us, so don't humour me."

"You really are a 'Fantastic Mr Fox'," Dumbledore joked.

"I'm pyro kinetic," Ezio warned.

"Forget I said anything," Dumbledore said, before heading towards the door. "Oh, and Raphael explained what to do with those 'Blast Cores', and there's one for each of the Conduits. Use it whenever you're ready, probably before tomorrow."

"Well, I'm not going, so I'll use it as soon as possible," Ezio replied.

"We could use your help," Draco said.

"I'm not going out looking like this," Ezio replied. "Anything else, like helping around here, I can do."

"Well, there's one thing I want to ask Ezio, hopefully in private," I said, as Liz stood up.

"Actually, I've just finished healing him," Liz said, as Ezio stood up and stretched. "Do you want us to leave or…"

"We can head upstairs," Ezio replied. "The only person up there is Sirius, and he's busy singing Tina Turner ballads."

"How can you tell?" I asked.

"I have much bigger ears than you," Ezio said, as he headed into the hall. "They're actually useful, in a way." As we headed upstairs, Liz closed the stairs, as I could faintly hear some music coming from Sirius' room. "So, what do you want to talk to me about?"

"You know a few things about Personae," I said, "How do you know so much?"

"I used to have a pen pal called Minato Arisato," Ezio said. "He was a Japanese student who gained his Persona power when he was 16. Is there a problem you want to ask me about?"

"Well," I began, before hesitating. "Last night, I had a really weird dream…"

"Did you speak to an impish man named Igor?" Ezio asked, as I nodded in confirmation. "Your Arcana is the Fool, isn't it? Arcana 0?"

"Actually, it is," I replied. "He said something about the Zero being 'Empty, but with limitless potential', but didn't elaborate. I asked Ron and Draco about it, but they never spoke to him."

"Minato said something about the Fool Arcana being special," Ezio said, obviously trying to remember something. "He was a Wild Card, someone who could change their Arcana, as well as their Persona. Perhaps you spoke to Igor because you have the same ability."

"Well, that's a relief," I said, wiping by brow, as time froze around me. _I am Thou, Thou art I. Thou have made a bond stronger. Thou art blessed when creating Personae of the Strength Arcana_. A card appeared, with an 8 on it, before fading away as time started back up again. "There is one more thing I want to ask. Yesterday, I spoke to Draco, and just there with you, a voice said something about bonds and 'being blessed when making Personae'."

"You already have social links?" Ezio asked. "They're basically your emotional strength to others, as well as their ties to you. When you become closer to others, your Personae become stronger whenever you first summon them, I think. So, what's my Arcana?"

"Your social link is of the Strength Arcana," I said, to Ezio's surprise. "Draco's the Tower."

"I don't know anything about strength," Ezio replied. "But I think it means overcoming hardships to succeed, as well as knowing your limits, I'm not certain. As for the Tower… Are you familiar with the phrase, 'Pride comes before the fall'? The Tower card shows a tower being struck by a lightning bolt, and it's supposed to represent someone who's either a level headed person who's afraid to raise themselves up because they don't think they can perform the given duty, or someone who's raised themselves up and become overwhelmed. It also represents tragedy and disaster."

"Describes Draco as of late quite accurately," I said, as I headed downstairs, as Ezio followed me. "Thanks for that."

We all had dinner after that. It was pretty quiet, except that everyone started teasing Ezio about his new appearance. He got so pissed off that he burned off Raph's eyebrows. And he threatened the author that if he posted any of it here, he'll seriously hurt him. [A/N: He isn't kidding ~_~]

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

"We have one more thing to do before we head towards Hogwarts," Dumbledore said at the meeting around the Black kitchen table. Luna was sitting out to play with Vivi. "Voldemort hid his fifth Horcrux inside a secret lab beneath the Hilton. We're bringing another person in to help, someone who used to work for the group who runs the lab. They'll lead us inside and help us find the Horcrux." Hermione was explaining it all to Draco, who was outright amazed. "Now, we're picking her up tomorrow and bringing her here, and she'll help us get in. We don't know the specifics, so we'll let anyone know their roles tomorrow."

"Might I ask," Draco asked. "What is a Horcrux, specifically?"

"It's a dark object that has a piece of the soul of the creator inside that keeps the creator alive, even after death," I explained. "There are two things needed to create it, the murder of a sacrifice, and * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *." Everyone was slightly sick after hearing that.

"Dear god, who the f*** came up with that?" Mrs Weasley said, as she ran into the kitchen.

"Wait, a Feel Boss?" Raph asked.

"Wait, people pay for that?" Harry asked, as he ran off.

"Hermione," Ron said, walking over to me, obviously angry. "Never say that again."

"Deal," I said, as Fred and George came in, carrying in the Blast Cores.

"Now, some of the Conduits know how to use these, so I'll hand over to you," Dumbledore said, as Ezio stood up, carrying a car battery.

"First off, health and safety," Ezio said, as he put the car battery on the table. "Do not touch these with your bare hand," he said, pointing at two jumper cables, "or intentionally touch someone else with them. Now, the main demonstration." He then caught a Blast Core from Fred as George stood up. "Set a Blast Core on the table, then attach one jumper cable to one end of the Blast Core. Don't worry, it doesn't matter what end. Next, touch the Blast Core with your free hand," Which George then did, "as George is demonstrating right now. Make sure that it's secure, before touching the Blast Core with the other jumper cable." George then grabbed the jumper cable, and touched the Blast Core with it. "The Blast Core will momentarily glow, before being absorbed into your body, at which point," Ezio paused, as George was suddenly held in the air, before dropping to the floor, as Fred caught him and moved him to a free chair, "you'll momentarily levitate then collapse, and will remain unconscious for up to 6 to 8 hours."

"George!" Mrs Weasley said, as she came into the room. "Is he alright?"

"He's just sleeping," Fred replied, as his brother started sleeping. "Yeah, I'll take him back to the Burrow."

"Perhaps we should do this when we're at the Burrow," Ezio said, as he grabbed the battery and carried it away. "We'll do this whenever everyone is ready for bed, then." As Draco opened up the fireplace, Ezio carried the battery through, and the fireplace closed as we all sat down.

"All the Conduits, grab a Blast Core," I said, as she, Ron, Harry, Seamus, Neville, Charlie, Bill, Ginny, Fleur, Luna, Lupin, Mr Weasley, Fred, Liz and Raph each grabbed a Blast Core (Raph grabbed one for Ezio), and all headed through the fireplace, with Bill and Fred carrying George in. "Alright, what now?"

"We get ready for bed," Ginny said, juggling her Blast Core. "Then, we use the Cores and have a good night's sleep."

"Okay, who's first?" Draco said, as he held the two jumper cables, as we all hesitated.

"I'll do it," Liz said, as she stood over her sleeping bag. "It's completely harmless, okay?" As she stuck out her Blast Core, Draco sent a current through the Core, before Liz floated in the air, and then dropped to the ground. Seamus went next, as he held out his Blast Core, before floating in the air as he absorbed it. Everyone went, before only Ezio, Harry and I were left.

"Who's next?"

"Me," Harry said, as he stuck his Blast Core, and Draco sent a current through it. As he floated, he then dropped down, landing face first into Ron's crotch, as we began to snicker.

"Let's leave him," Ezio said, as he suddenly turned around to see Vivi playing with Ezio's tail, occasionally patting it. "He's been doing that for about 15 minutes."

"Well, maybe your tail will move by itself while you're sleeping," Draco said, as Ezio stuck his Core out and Draco charged it. Ezio then floated in the air for a second, before falling to the ground. "Alright, who… Are you still awake?"

"Yeah," Ezio said, while standing up, with arcs of electricity shooting over his body. "Guess it's different for each species." He then walked over to his bag and got in, as Vivi followed, while still watching his tail.

"Anyway, who's next?" Draco asked, as Harry held out his Blast Core, before Draco connected the car battery, and Harry floated in the air then dropping. "You're the last one up here, Hermione. Stick it out." As I stuck out the Blast Core, Draco charged the Blast Core, as I felt it enter my body before losing consciousness.

**23/07/11**

The next thing I knew, I was sleeping on a bed in the main joined bedroom, as everyone else was sleeping. Vivi seemed particularly restless, so I sneaked over and rubbed his head, which seemed to calm him down a bit. Heading towards the door, I slowly opened it, and then headed downstairs, hopefully to get a drink.

"It's 5:30," Ezio said from the table, as I came into the kitchen. "You should be asleep. You're going to be called upon later, so you should rest."

"I can't sleep anymore," I said, as I walked towards the table. Ezio then handed me a cup of coffee, which I then added sugar and milk to, before sitting down. "So, how is the new form?"

"It's ticklish," Ezio said, "although that might be due to my new power." He then held up his hand, as electricity arced over it. "I bet Cole will be impressed."

"You're worried about him?" I asked. "He organised the camp in Belfast, he's going to organise something to take on the Militia."

"The Militia isn't my only concern," Ezio said. "The Beast is. I checked the damage it's caused already, and it completely destroyed Empire City. There are few survivors, and those that did survive are all Conduits."

"Cole will find a way," I said.

"Cole lost most of his powers fighting the Beast on TV," Ezio said, showing me a screen. It was an email from Jimmy, with a transcript of an audio file. "Look, we're going to take on Voldemort," Ezio said. "But we should organise a way to take on the Beast if he comes over here."

"The Beast will die in New Marais," Vivi said, startling us. His eyes were a silvery colour, and he appeared to be in a trance. "Cole will manage to defeat the Beast, but will he have to pay an incredible price?" As Vivi's eyes went back to normal, he started looking around, scared. "Wh-what the… How did I get down here?"

"You were in a trance," I said, as I went over to calm him down. "You gave us some prophesy about some friends we know. But it's okay now. Just, go back to bed."

"Okay," Vivi said, as I helped him climb the stairs, before closing the door and heading back down.

"He was restless when I was coming down," I said, sitting back down. "I think that was when he was having his prophesy."

"That could be it," Ezio said, as he looked at his tail. "He moved over to me, last night. Did you notice? He spent all of last night grabbing my tail and pulling it towards his face. He must find it cosy…"

"He's probably not going to like it when you go back to being human," I said, as Ezio gave a weak smile. "What do you think he does when we're not here?"

"He watches the owls, and likes following Crookshanks," Ezio replied. "In fact, I swear I saw Vivi train to fight with Crookshanks."

"We have to get him a kitten," I said, as I drank some of my tea. "Where is Crookshanks, anyway?"

"He's here some-Ow!" Ezio said, as he grabbed his tail, which Crookshanks was biting. "Mind if I give him a quick shock?" When he heard that, Crookshanks let go, before running towards the stairs and hissing back at Ezio. "Well, that's what happens when you bite someone else's tail," Ezio grinned at Crookshanks. "Well, we used the Blast Cores at around 8, which removes 4 to 6 hours, and I turned at around 5, so I should be able to return to human form at around 11, at the latest, 1 in the afternoon."

"That's good to hear," I said, as I finished my coffee. "Well, I might as well practice my new power."

"What did you get?" Ezio asked. I then focused, before thinking hard.

"You mainly play JRPGs, Action RPGs and action adventure games, and have recently started playing survival horror games and Extreme Action. As for movies, you usually very rarely buy movies, unless you really like the film. You have several pirated DVDs, but they're really bad movies that you would never pay for normally, because you like to mock it or you really hate someone involved, and you smashed the ones by Uwe Boll after you watched them. As for reading, you only read something you're really interested in, such as the Discworld books (I like them too), but you prefer to read manga, such as Negima, One Piece, Devil May Cry, the Bacanno! Light novels and Tenchi Muyo. You mainly read them in the original Japanese if you can, but are happy to read them in English, and you prefer making your own translations and even write Italian versions if you can. And for western animation, you prefer Disney over DreamWorks, absolutely hate the Shrek series, and have all of Pixar's movies, even their Blu-Ray re-releases. You prefer story-based shows, like Avatar, and absolutely hate South Park, but prefer Robot chicken." I just sat there, gobsmacked. "Oh, and you're a-"

"Don't even say it," Ezio threatened, sending an electric current through his hand, as I walked away.

"Brony!" I said, as he sent a bolt at me, breaking a plate that I immediately repaired, before heading straight to the bathroom.

[A/N: If Ezio seems more and more like a Mary Sue, I'm so sorry, but it's unintentional. Wait… Why have these been censored?

'They were too rude, so I removed the worst of it. I wanted the story to stay T rated.]


	25. Operation Hogwarts 15: BOOM

**Bill**

"So, where is this 'Omar's'?" Fleur asked, as we headed to the fourth floor of the apartment building.

"'Fourth floor, look for the door with the sign outside'," I said, reading the paper. "That's what Ezio said, right? But which sign are we looking for… Oh, that one," I said, as I saw a large neon sign outside of one apartment that said 'Speakeasy'. As I looked at Fleur in mutual confusion, I walked into the door to see a large bar area, where people were sitting, discussing over a few maps, and even showing screens to each other, before a black teenager walked over, braided hair and carrying a screen.

"Welcome to Omar's daytime bar and information centre," the kid said, with a smile. "I'm Jake, the frontman. What can I do for you?"

"We're just meeting someone," I said, as I looked around. "Seriously, a bar on the fourth floor?"

"It used to be the ground floor," Jake said, "but someone kept vandalising it, so we put it higher up. That's why this building has three elevators, two for customers and one for residents. As to why we're an information centre, we're helping with co-ordinating the camps, but we also sell information about specific groups. So, who are you meeting?"

"A woman named Miranda Lawson," Fleur said, to Jake's interest.

"Miranda?" Jake asked. "So, you're the Order of the Phoenix's agents? Don't worry; she's in a meeting with the Boss. She went in about 30 minutes ago, but I expect her to be out in a second. Would you like a drink? Non-alcoholic, unless you can prove your age, of course."

"Just a diet cola," Fleur said, as she sat down.

"Red bull for me," I said, as Jake whistled for someone behind the bar, who then got our drinks.

"Is Pepsi okay?" Jake asked, as Fleur gave a quick nod. As Jake passed us our drinks, his phone rang, as he answered it. "Broker Daniels. Okay, I'll pass it on." Jake then walked over to Fleur, and whispered something in her ear.

"Sorry, I've got to hide," Fleur said, as she walked over to the bathroom. As she did, the door opened, and a man in his fifties stormed in and over to a door, kicking it open.

"That man was asking about your friend, Ezio," Jake said. "We were told by the Boss not to give anymore Intel."

"Oh," I said, catching on. "Javert, I presume."

"He was really furious on the phone earlier, saying that he wanted back at a criminal he's been after," Jake said. "He said something about being set up for a rape or something."

"I don't know anything about that," I said, as Javert stormed out and Fleur walked back over and sat back down, before sipping her drink. "[Why did you walk off]?" I asked Fleur, in French.

"[When he harassed Ezio the other day, I was helping him on a job]," Fleur said. "[He knows my face, so he would start harassing us]."

"[Why do you think I got him sent on a wild goose chase]?" a woman asked, as she came over to us. "Are you the Order agents?"

"Miranda Lawson, I presume?" I asked, shaking her hand. "I'm Bill Weasley; this is my partner, Fleur Delacour. Nice suit, by the way."

"Pleasure to meet you," Miranda said, as she shook Fleur's hand. "And thanks for the compliment. I'd like to talk casually, but I'd expect you're in a hurry, right?" Fleur and I finished our drinks, as we got ready to take her back to HQ.

"Have you Apparated before?" Fleur asked, grabbing her hand.

"No," Miranda said. "Is it a concern?"

"You're going to need a bag," I said, handing her a plastic bag.

"I won't need that," Miranda said, trying to return it. "I've went through extensive physical training which involves G-Forces, so I'm pretty good at refraining from gagging."

"Trust me," I said, insisting that she take it, "You ARE going to need it." As we Apparated away, Fleur let go of her, and Miranda then began to stumble before opening up the bag and emptying her stomach contents. "I told you."

"I assume that you're Miranda Lawson?" Dumbledore said, as he helped her sit down. "Professor Albus Dumbledore, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"I've heard good things about you," Miranda said, as she orientated herself. "Obviously not from the Ministry, I might add."

"Yes, I think we figured that out," Ezio said, walking into the room. "Nice to meet you again, Miranda."

"You completely mutated…" Miranda said, obviously shocked. "When did that happen?"

"Yesterday, at around 4," Ezio explained. "I did use a Blast Core though, to cut down the time before I could regain my human form again."

"Really?" Miranda asked me. "What power did you get?"

"Well, my standard power is pyrokinesis, but I can also control electricity," Ezio explained, as he suddenly flashed, to everyone's surprise, including Ezio's. "Is that normal?"

"I don't know," Miranda said, leaning against the chair. "Can you at least try and turn back into a human?" As Ezio focused, some lights formed around him before entering his body, as he suddenly turned back into his normal self, as he stumbled a bit. "See? You should be able to control it after a while."

"Thanks for the advice," Raphael said, walking into the room and reading our father's file. "So you're Miranda Lawson, huh? The crazy stalker lady whose been watching my brother?"

"If it helps, I've made certain arrangements to help your family," Miranda explained. "When your parents moved back to Ireland, I helped arrange it. And I've helped keep Javert off your backs."

"Like?"

"I'm sending him back to the brothel," She replied with a grin, as Ezio gave a wicked smile. "Anyway, I'm going to help you get into the Cerberus base, so I have to explain how and help arrange the main assault."

"We'll do it in the kitchen," Dumbledore said, pointing her into the hall. "You can wait around until we formulate a plan, until then, wait around." As they walked into the hall, I walked over to Ezio.

"Omar has a bar on the fourth floor?" I asked.

"I know," Ezio said, "I still can't believe it was a good idea to put the gas canisters next to the servers."

After about an hour…

"Okay, we're fighting the Barbarian Boss," I said, holding up the PS3 controller, as Vivi, Luna, Fleur and I played Castle Crashers. "It's really simple, if he puts his shield in front, raise your shields. Vivi, Luna, use jump attacks, while Fleur and I focus on ground attacks and killing enemies."

"You know you can use lightning magic to take off chunks of his bar at a time, right?" Ezio said, as Dumbledore came into the room.

"We're ready for the meeting," He said, before I paused the game, and we headed into the kitchen, where all of us were gathered. "Okay, we've realised that the situation is a bit worse than we thought."

"How bad is it?" Ezio asked, as Miranda pressed a button on a small metallic pad as a large floor plan appeared on the table. "A holographic display?"

"It's haptic technology," Miranda said as she put on a pair of gloves. "The main Cerberus lab involves a three-floor layout, with several rooms filled with different Cerberus experiments into emergency medical technology and a gaseous form of red sand, known as Mitagen X-3. From what I can tell, it's been moved around the facility." Pressing a key on the map, a group of blue tubes appeared, with red warning triangles. "If a Biotic, like me, breathes it in, it makes our attacks stronger, but also makes you sick. For Wizards and Conduits however, it causes you to lose your powers, and is exceptionally lethal to Conduits."

"Long story short, don't shoot them?" Harry asked.

"Actually, it's more like, 'Shoot them when the Death Eaters are nearby, but stay away from the dust cloud until it gets absorbed by the central air conditioning'," Miranda replied, before she pressed another notice. "The red dots," She said, as a large number of them appeared, "are Death Eaters or Shadows. The place is crawling with them, making a sneaking mission impossible. However, there is a possible solution…"

"We could cut the lights," Harry said. "I can see in the dark, so I could knock them out in the confusion."

"Did you say that Mitagen X-3 was gaseous?" Hermione asked.

"It's actually a gaseous powder," Miranda clarified.

"We could use it to make dust explosions," Hermione explained. "We let Mitagen fill the air, let a small static spark fly nearby…"

"Vivi, do you know any spells for electricity?" Luna asked the small Black Mage, who eagerly nodded. "Want to make bad guys go boom?"

"BAD GUYS GO BOOM!" Vivi shouted.

"Well, we have the main assault of the distraction team ready, as well as the escape," Miranda explained. "There are two entrances, the main entrance, which is being guarded, and a secret back entrance, which is intended to be a one way path. That's why there are two teams."

"Who's leading the distraction team?" Ezio asked.

"You are," Miranda said, looking at him. "You'll lead a team of 5 to attack the main entrance, while I lead the espionage team of three. Your job is to secure the first basement floor, while we sneak into the main entrance lab and look for the Horcrux on the third floor."

"It's in the centre of the room," Hermione explained. "There are five human guards waiting outside, so we can distract them with flash bangs. Harry, you've got to go with the espionage team, since you can create flash bangs out of thin air."

"Scrying?" Miranda asked, as she showed a screen on the table. "This is a security feed of the main lab, showing a single clear table with a locket on it, decorated with a snake in the shape of an S."

"That's Salazar Slytherin's locket," Dumbledore said. "The fifth Horcrux."

"…What?" Draco asked.

"Voldemort put pieces of his soul inside several artefacts, including three of Hogwarts' treasures," Harry said. "We don't know where Ravenclaw's Diadem is, though."

"Oh, and before you ask, we can't send Cho in as part of the espionage or distraction teams," Miranda said. "The Death Eaters know her, somehow, and will focus on attacking her."

"So, what happens after we clear the first and third floors?" Raph asked.

"We focus on clearing a path through the Death Eaters," Miranda replied. "So, let's decide on teams?"

"Raph and Charlie are the main tanks, so which of you wants to head in?" I asked.

"Sorry, Bill," Charlie said, apologetic. "I don't think I'll be an asset, it would be better that I stay out of this."

"Raph it is then," Ezio replied. "Bill, you're up as well. You said your new power involved walls?"

"I can create walls out of any substance I'm touching," I explained. "I could work on defence."

"You and me then," Ginny replied. "I can make armour for us, but it's a temporary power, I should point out."

"I'd rather you go with Miranda," Ezio said. "You can keep her and Harry safe."

"Just Harry, actually," Miranda said. "I'll be using Biotics, which will short out your shields."

"I still want you going with them," Ezio explained. "Vivi's a definite, but that means I need one more person… … …Draco."

"Right on- wait, what?"

"You need field experience," I explained. "You'll be coming with my group, and we're all skilled fighters so you don't have to worry. Now come on, we need to give you a quick exercise in firearms safety." Ezio then grabbed Draco and dragged him out of the room, probably to the Burrow.

"By the way, where did those rifles come from?" Ezio asked, as he came in through the door.

"I bought them," Miranda said. "They use heat sinks to fire, so they'll have unlimited ammunition, as long as they're properly charged."

"I'm going to take some," Ezio said, as he grabbed a few rifles and carried them away.

"…He's not going to take them into the living room and fire them off, is he?" Miranda asked, wide eyed.

"There's a magic passageway to my house," Mrs Weasley explained. "There's a field nearby, so they could be firing off there." *BANG!* As several of us ran into the living room, we could see Ezio beating Draco over the head with a book.

"THAT'S *WHACK* WHY *WHACK* YOU *WHACK* NEVER *WHACK* THROW *WHACK* A *WHACK* **GUN!**" Ezio shouted, as he let Draco wince in pain as he picked up a rifle. "Do that again, and I'll make you perform 200 push ups!"

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"Okay, we're here," Miranda said, as we walked into a rundown store. "There's a secret passageway here, I'll open it up before we head in. You should get ready." As Ginny and I took out our weapons, Ginny also took something else out. "So, you actually took a shotgun?"

"I thought it might be useful," Ginny said, as I took out a pair of submachine guns. "If we stay on the defensive and let them get close enough, I could take them out with a single shot."

"I grabbed these to let us push forward if we need to," I said, showing off the SMGs. "Or keep them behind cover if we need to plan something."

"Well, that was pretty smart," Miranda said, as she pushed in a tile in the wall, as a holographic keyboard appeared. "Okay, we're heading down by about 5 stories, so we have to wait until the others cause enough of a distraction to buy us enough time to find the Horcrux." As she finished typing the keyboard disappeared and a wall folded away to show an elevator. "OK, let's head in. We'll head down and wait, make sure you're ready." As the elevator descended, we all took off our thick coats, as we turned on the electronic armour that Miranda gave us and readied our guns.

"Okay, we'll just wait until the Death Eaters are drawn away, before… before…" I couldn't finish the sentence, as Miranda took off her coat to reveal a very fitting one-piece suit, as she drew a handgun and readied it. "Damn."

"What do I have to do to grab your attention," Ginny suddenly said, "Strip naked in front of the whole school in the Great Hall?" That suddenly brought me back, as I gripped my guns and leaned against the wall next to the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"Okay, we clear on what we're going to do?" I asked, as everyone nodded. "Okay, everyone grab a suit."

"Why did you grab Mickey Mouse gear?" Raph asked, as I held up the collars. "Sorry, Mickey Mouse gear and voice changers?"

"There's a chance that Draco could be recognised by the Death Eaters," I explained. "And since it would be weird if only he was dressed like that…"

"Yeah," Raph said, picking up the head, "but Mickey Mouse!"

"We're going to perform acts of homicide against the Death Eaters, while dressed as the most popular cartoon character in the world," Bill said, as he pulled his suit up to his neck. "It's the perfect way of messing with the Death Eaters, since we're saying, 'We're so much better than you that we're going to humiliate you while dressed as cartoon characters."

"I can't see," Vivi said, as he wobbled around, trying to feel around. Raphael responded by lifting up his mask and moving it around before setting it back down. "Thank you."

"Alright, I get the masks and the suits, but what do the collars do?" Draco asked, as Ezio put his on.

"It alters your voice," Ezio said, with a higher pitched voice. "Come on, we're heading down into the base, so the doors will open in a minute."

"Neo post-modernism," Bill said, as he put on his mask. "I love it." As I moved Vivi over to the side, Draco got into position with an assault rifle, as Raph readied the heavy guns and Bill readied the grenade launcher. As the door opened up, I rushed out and shot the Death Eaters and Shadows up close with two SMGs as Bill fired off his heavy weapon, taking out a large number of Death Eaters. However, the Death Eaters started casting curses at us, which I caught before sending back, causing a distraction. Draco then fired off a few shots at some canisters as a brownish-red dust sprayed out, as a few Death Eaters started coughing.

"Vivi," I said, as the young Black Mage caused some static to form before causing a massive explosion. "We're all clear!" I shouted, as everyone headed out from the elevator, as we looked around. "That's weird. The bodies are gone."

"Perhaps they burned away?" Draco said, as he aimed his rifle around, making sure that there was no one left.

"Do you know what temperature would be needed before that would be possible?" Raph asked, as he carried the rocket launchers out. "Here's a clue. The metal around here would have warped out of shape before that was possible."

"Perhaps they're not dead," Draco said, looking around a corner.

"Calm down, Draco," I said, pushing his gun down. "They're not going to open a door and ambush us…" And I tempted fate. And what's worse, the Death Eaters are using Biotics. The next thing I knew, Raphael had lifted me over to another room and was watching over me. "What happened?"

"You were slammed against the wall by some sort of gravity spell," Raph said, as he helped me up.

"No, I was hit by a Biotic attack," I said, stumbling. "My head's spinning."

"That's not the only thing that's spinning," Raph said, as he pointed towards my butt. And my tail, which Vivi was playing with. "You shape shift in your sleep."

"Thanks for the warning," I said, as I turned back into a human, to Vivi's sadness. "I'll turn back when we're finished." I said, as I headed out to the hall, where Bill was standing, mouth agape. "Why are we out of the suits," I asked, "And what are you gaping at?" Turning around, I saw Draco shooting at a large block of ice, trying to clear the hall. "AND WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!"

"Draco used an ice spell to distract the Death Eaters," Bill said, still amazed. "It hit this ball of light that was left here when the Death Eaters and suddenly…"

"There's another hall, you know?" Vivi said, as he pointed around the room that Raph put me in.

As we headed around, our radio blared. "What's keeping you?" Miranda asked, as we headed towards the staircase.

"They're using Biotics," I said, as I opened the door. "How the hell are they using Biotics?"

"What? Oh shit…" Miranda, said, obviously in distress. "They've been taking Red Sand. Be careful, since you're a Conduit, you're very susceptible to their attacks."

"NO SHIT!" I shouted over the radio.

"If they're using Biotics, focus on using magic," Draco said, grabbing the radio. "The Biotic moves will power up your spells. There's about three corridors closed off due to ice here."

"By the way," I said, taking the radio back, "the elevator is out of commission between B1 and B2, we're using the stairs."

"The Death Eaters are pulling away," Miranda said, as we headed down. "We're going to grab the Horcrux then cut the power. It will only be out for a few seconds, but it should confuse the Death Eaters. We're heading out now."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"Good luck," Ezio said, as the elevator door opened, as I sprayed bullets at two guards, as Ginny attacked another with her shotgun and Miranda shot another through the head.

"Okay, where's the locket?" Ginny asked, as I spotted it and grabbed it.

"Right here," I said, as I pocketed the Horcrux before heading over to the door. "They're heading upstairs, cut the power."

"On it," Miranda said, as she opened up a box next to the door. As she flicked a few switches before pressing a button, I readied myself next to the door, as it opened a little and the lights went out, before I headed out and spread a few bullets around to take down a few Death Eaters. When the lights came back on, the door opened, as Ginny and Miranda came out. "Good job Harry," Miranda complimented me. "Have you ever thought about becoming a… what the…?" As I looked down, I saw that the dead Death Eaters were dissolving beneath me. I jumped when I saw that, as Ginny gasped. "They've been taking Red Sand. I'm actually quite amazed that they're still alive, if it's breaking down their bodies."

"Can we just head back up?" I asked, as the door to the elevator opened up and we entered. "I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"Christ," I said, as I dodged a Biotic move aimed at me. _What do we do now?_

"I have an idea," Vivi said, as he got out of cover, as the Death Eaters sent out a few Biotic attacks to attack him. Dodging out of the way, Vivi sent a fireball at them, hitting a Biotic ball before growing, and absorbing more attacks before striking. Bill, touching the floor, raised his hand to create a wall that we all ran behind, as the fire consumed the wall, before the wall collapsed and melted. "Was that too big?"

"…I think it was," Draco said, as he moved around the molten steel. "I hope Cerberus can recuperate the costs."

"They'd better," I said, as I jumped over it. "I'm not paying for it."

"Alright, there's one more room before we can get Miranda's team out," Raph said, as I headed over to the door, opened it, looked through, and closed the door again. "We just need to clear it out, so… Ezio… What are you doing?"

"There's a big-ass motherf***er in there," I said, as the door was suddenly dented, scaring the crap out of us. "Get into pos-" I tried to say, before the door was ripped from the hinges by a huge ass guy, who Raph began wrestling before he was thrown into a wall. I began shooting at him with SMGs, but he seemed to be shrugging them off. It then slammed me into the wall, cracking my ribs, as I saw Vivi freeze his feet into place, before Draco shot it in the head with a sniper rifle.

"Are you okay?" Harry said, as he ran over to help me.

"I'm fine," I said. "Take him down!" Ginny then created a barrier, and jumped off of it as she kicked the giant man in the face, then shot him with a shotgun. When he was in a blind daze, it began striking around the room, before Harry fired into his face, as Miranda hit his left arm with a Biotic attack, which caused it to go limp. Aiming her gun at his head, she began to fire, as it then fell down to the ground and went limp. Bill then touched the wall that it was closest to, before he sent a spike out to impale the other arm, holding the big guy in place.

"Excuse me," Draco said, as he grabbed a grenade that was lying around, removed the pin and then slammed it into the big guy's mouth, before he began choking as Draco kicked him off, at which point the grenade exploded, blowing off his head, and causing him to fall limp, before sliding off the spike. "Ha… Ha ha…" Draco gasped, before… "WHOOOO! THAT'S RIGHT, YOU F***ER! Who's next!"

"Calm down, Draco," Bill said, grabbing him and holding him still. "Just take a deep, slow breath, and let it clear you."

"What the hell is with this guy?" Raph said, picking up the dead man and holding him up. "A Conduit?"

"No," I said, trying to stand up. "He was a normal human."

"That isn't normal," Ginny said, looking at him. "How could he be that big?"

"Is he on steroids or something?" Harry said, looking at him.

"I think he's on 'Something'," I said, as Raph came over and hoisted me up. "…Shit… What the hell were they researching here, Miranda?"

"Biotics," She said, as she came over and looked at me. "Specifically, trying to identify Biotics, and helping them use learn how to use their powers… Why is there a lump of molten metal there?"

"Sorry?" Vivi said, with a look in his eyes that looked like he was trying to smile. "I accidentally combined a fire spell with one of their attacks."

"One of them?" Bill asked, surprised. "ONE OF THEM! You hit about four of them."

"Why not force magic," Miranda asked, "or even ice magic?"

"Because then, the hallway would be blocked," Draco said. "Believe me."

"Guys," I said, panting, "I can't breathe."

"He's suffering from a collapsed lung," Miranda said, walking over. "We have to inflate them before he dies."

"How do we do that?" Harry asked, confused. "Blow into his mouth and hope he becomes inflated?"

"We have to make a hole," Miranda said, as I began to panic. "Raph, carry him into that room there, Harry, find me a scalpel, it's a small, thin blade, Draco, there are a few small, glass pipes in that other lab, grab one for me." As everyone moved around, I saw Miranda grab a gasmask that was connected to a canister.

"What is that?" Raph said.

"Sleeping gas," Miranda replied. "He's panicking, so he could move when I make the incision. When he's under the effects, he'll be calmer."

"When will he come to?"

"Since Cho's waiting outside, he'll wake up in the Order HQ," Miranda replied, as she put the mask on me. "Liz should have him healed by then." As I heard the gas being turned on, I could tell that Harry and Draco had come back and handed Miranda what she asked them for… before I fell asleep… zzz…

* * *

><p><strong>Liz<strong>

"So, when the others come back, what do we do?" I asked, sitting across from Hermione, Ron, Luna, Neville and Seamus. "Just head north?"

"I've already made arrangements to take the Hogwarts Express," Hermione said. "It's simple, all we have to do is drive the train. It should take the better part of a day, so we're leaving at around 3 o'clock, so that we'll arrive at the dead of night."

"Okay," Neville said, taking out a map of King's Cross station. "We're heading into Platform 9¾ by the main entrance, which involves running headfirst into a specific pillar to board the platform."

"Is this normal to hide stuff in plain sight?" I asked. "I mean, wouldn't you look mad if you do that in front of a Muggle?"

"Actually, Harry mentioned the first time he was trying to board the train," Ron said, reminiscing. "It was when we met on the train, for the first time, actually. He was actually confused as to how to get on, so he asked the local station attendant, who thought he was mad. Luckily, he ran into Fred and George, and my mum."

"What about the next year?" Hermione asked, trying to remind Ron.

"You mean when someone closed the portal?" Ron asked, remembering. "Some House-Elf, like Kreacher, thought that Harry was in danger, so tried to stop him from going to Hogwarts."

"Is that why you missed the train?" Seamus asked, suddenly realising what they were talking about. "I don't know the specifics, but apparently, Harry and Ron stole a flying car and were seen by 17 Muggles, who had their memories modified to prevent them from blabbing about it, and flew it from London to Scotland, trying to catch the train which was making an express trip."

"Oh my god," I suddenly shouted. "I totally remember that!"

"You saw that?" Ron asked. "And you weren't Obliviated?"

"Would you knowingly say that you saw a flying car?" I retorted.

"…You live in Belfast," Neville replied.

"I was heading home from a holiday," I said, with a thin smile. "I was staying in London for the day after I came back from Disneyworld in Orlando, after Belfast International was closed down due to an emergency." As my phone beeped, I answered it and read a text. 'Ezio has a collapsed lung, get ready.' "It was one of the best holidays I've ever been on, but I'm not allowed to go back to one particular boutique after an incident with a sewage truck."

"Kasumi mentioned something like that," Hermione replied. "But wasn't that in a videogame?"

"The Saint's Row games are based off of a few autobiographies by a former gang member," I explained, as I pulled out a foldable bed out and stretched it. "When the book was released, I sent the author a photo of the incident, explaining how I got banned because of them. They sent me a copy of the first game and copies of the two books, and I even got my name used for an unlockable Homie and a voiced apology in the second game's credits. I'm actually impressed that they got all six of the voice actors to say it, and even have unique lines for each one. 'On behalf of the author, the inspiration of Shaundi, to apologize to Elizabeth Richards, who was banned from a boutique store in Miami due to our antics, which also caused personal and emotional stress to her, as well as the other customers who were affected. We do want to say, however, that we were doing you all a favour because the clothes were ugly as f***'."

As I said that, Cho appeared with the group, as she dropped the Horcrux onto the piano and Miranda and Raph moved Ezio onto the table. "Why does Ezio have a glass tube sticking out of his chest?" Ron asked, as Miranda carefully removed it. "Did it shoot into him? Did he fall onto it?"

"His lungs collapsed," Ginny said, as she sat down. "There was this really big guy there, bigger than Raph, who whacked Ezio into a wall. And he wasn't a Conduit."

"I'm not surprised that he could throw me around," Raph said, as he leaned against the wall. "I've got more of a bodybuilder's physique, and he looked like a weight lifter."

"Why did you put a tube into his chest though?" Ron asked.

"Because he was suffocating, and he had to inflate his lungs again," Bill said, as Draco stretched. "Seriously, you're still excited?"

"It was awesome!" Draco said, as he pressed a button on his gun and turned it off. "Can we do that again?"

"We're heading to Hogwarts tomorrow," Hermione said, standing up. "We have some final arrangements to make though, such as getting the train ready, and making sure that we aren't colossally screwed by any politicians."

"Okay," I said, standing up. "I'm done healing Ezio. He should be conscious in about a few minutes."

"Alright, I should be going," Miranda said, as she put on her coat. "I didn't actually expect you to treat him so quickly. Your power is amazing."

"I'm only helping people," I said, as I headed over towards the window. "If I can, I'll keep doing it. I just hope Biotics don't interfere with my powers."

"Biotic amps can be turned off," Miranda said, as she put her hand to the back of her head and clicked off something, before pulling it forward. "Just as long as they're not using Red Sand, there should be no problem. However, your power would probably get you a lot of attention from hospitals in the US. Perhaps I could arrange for you to get a job in a hospital ER?"

"I want to go to medical school first," I said with a smile. "And I thought that you weren't with Cerberus anymore?"

"I still have connections," Miranda said, with a smile. "Hell, I could get Ezio a good place in any military he wants; all I have to do is make a call. Besides, he's got field experience and weapons training."

"Sorry," Raph said, smiling. "Ezio wants to go into game design, not the Military."

"…You haven't seen the news today, did you?" Miranda said, before taking out an iPhone and showing it to Raph. "Several East Coast universities have announced they won't allow Conduits to join this year in case they aren't fully controllable." _What._ We all looked down to see Ezio, as he had regained consciousness. He then grabbed the phone, and started reading them. "Unfortunately, that includes-"

"-FFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-"

* * *

><p><strong>*One hour later*<strong>

-As Charlie and Raph tried to restrain Ezio and Miranda put the oxygen mask on Ezio, and Liz pulled her intestines back in as she healed herself.

"That's Yamagi syndrome!" Ginny asked, as she watched in horror. "How the hell is he allowed to run around?"

"This is his third freak-out," Raph said, as Ezio went limp and Raph put him back onto the bed. "Now, imagine how badly he was treated by Javert in order to freak out?"

"Speaking of which," I said, as I looked out of the window, "he's outside now. And I swear he's looking in this direction."

"He knows our house number," Remus said, as he came in, hanging up his phone. "Somehow, there's another group of information brokers in town. One of Omar's guys was killed by them, and he's getting the police involved."

"I could kill one of them, if you're interested," Miranda responded.

"It's fine," Remus said, as he picked up his phone again. "He's already found the guy responsible and he's been taken in to custody. Now, how do we get rid of him?"

"I've got an idea," Draco said, as he whispered something to Lupin, who then Apparated away. As I continued to look outside, I saw Draco sneak up to Javert, before saying something to him. As Javert grabbed him, Draco started screaming something, before a large group came over and started beating him up, as Draco ran off and then appeared again, as Lupin Apparated the two back in.

"What did you say?" Sirius asked, as Javert began to run off.

"'Help, help, I'm being attacked by a paedophile,'" Draco said, grinning as he grabbed a jug of water and poured himself a drink.

"…That isn't funny," Raph said, obviously angry.

"Neither is accusing a twelve year old of 60 murders," Draco retorted.

"Couldn't you just say he aimed his gun at you?" Raph asked.

"He doesn't have a gun," Draco remarked, as a gunshot was fired. "I guess I was wrong." As we watched, the crowd backed away as Javert held a gun towards them, before he was tackled by a police officer who immediately cuffed him. "Okay, that went a bit far."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"Why are we at the Ministry?" I asked, as Ron, Hermione and Lupin headed down the elevator.

"Madame Bones asked us to meet her," Lupin replied.

"But why is Sirius here under the Invisibility Cloak?" Ron asked. "And why is he naked?"

"I'm going to try and get as awkwardly close as possible to Dolores Umbridge," Sirius explained.

"You're so sick," Hermione said, as we headed out of the elevator. "Let's just be quick, okay?" As we headed towards the fountain, I saw Sirius walk off (I can see under it, unfortunately) as Kingsley walked up to us.

"Mr Potter," he said, shaking my hand, before shaking all of our hands. "Mrs Bones asked me to escort you to her office. She's busy at the moment, so you'll have to wait." As he said that, we immediately passed her, as she was screaming something at a few Aurors as they exercised.

"GET A MOVE ON, LADIES!" She shouted, as it became obvious that the Aurors were being punished, as Rita Skeeter was taking pictures. "YOU HAVE 20 MORE SIT-UPS TO DO BEFORE YOU MOVE ON TO PRESS-UPS! Tolbert, how tall are you?"

"5 Foot 9, Sir!" He responded, without stopping.

"Really?" She asked, sarcastically. "I didn't know they stacked shit so high before."

"We've been trying to steal her copy of Full Metal Jacket since she started quoting it," Kingsley said, as I watched on. "She humiliates anyone who embarrasses the Aurors, meaning about 80% of the organisation has done this."

"Excuse me," I said, breaking off from the group. "Miss Skeeter, can I have a word?"

"Ah, yes, the secretary at the Daily Prophet informed me about your acceptance of my invitation," Rita said, smiling. "You scheduled it for next week, is there a problem?"

"We're just busy at the minute," I said, as I noted that Hermione was beckoning me order. "I have a meeting to get to, talk to you later." As I calmly walked off…

"SERIOUSLY, THERE'S NO GRACE! NO DIGNITY!" Madame Bones shouted. "I BET YOU'RE THE KIND OF INSENSITIVE BASTARDS WHO WOULD F*** SOMEONE IN THE ASS AND THEN NOT HAVE THE COMMON COURTESY TO GIVE THEM A REACH-AROUND!" The entire plaza fell silent as everyone stared at her, in both shock and disgust. "What?"

As the entire plaza started buzzing again, we headed into the elevator, as it headed downward. "Well, that was the single most disturbing thing I've ever heard."

"Feel Boss," Ron said.

"Alright, that is the second most disturbing thing I've ever heard," Lupin said, before the elevator opened up. "We've got to steal that DVD."

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"What the hell?" Liz asked as we got to the camp, while we saw a few trucks moving about. "Is everyone moving?"

"Actually, they are," Apollo said, sitting in a nearby tree. "The Death Eaters aren't attacking, and since the Drophyds aren't attacking…"

"They haven't attacked for a month," I said, before realising something. "They're planning another attack, aren't they?"

"They've worked around the hack you installed," Apollo said, before jumping down. "They're planning the second wave, and they're aiming at Belfast. Luckily, they're getting the last survivors out now, taking them here."

"That's a relief," Liz said, obviously satisfied. "But, won't they attack London?"

"Luckily, I'm warning the military," Apollo said, as I could tell, beneath the mask, he was grinning. "I'm also trying to steal a few secrets and pass them on to the Citadel. So, how'd you turn back to normal?"

"I can change at will now," I replied, as I noticed just how many trucks were moving. "My other form has different powers. So, where are they moving?"

"Into town," Apollo answered. "The camps are moving into the centre, with the medical camps moving around the hospitals. The housing camps are moving into the parking lots and abandoned office buildings and the sides of the roads. In case you're wondering, Liz, your brother is still at the old camp, he's helping the military move individuals. He's having a lot of trouble with a few particular people, a stubborn family and some US diplomat."

"Can you get us there?" Liz asked. "I really need to speak to him." Apollo replied by grabbing us and teleported, at which point we found ourselves at Trafalger Square, as Apollo teleported away as we weren't looking. "If he does that when we're asking a question, I'm going to knock his ass."

"I can get him to do it," I said, as we headed over towards Jon, who was arguing, alongside an old man, with a fat man. "Oh great… This will take a while."

"Why do we have to move again?" the fat man asked, visibly angry.

"Because we're trying to keep these people alive!" Raph shouted, as he was obviously red.

"Now don't you…" The fat man began, before the old man stopped him, as I cracked my knuckles.

"Listen," The older man said, as he stood up from the chair he was sitting in. "You're a stubborn young man who's trying to save everyone, and you're a stubborn old man whose arrogance is costing us time and potentially lives. Personally, I would have left you here, but it isn't my call." _Ezio, Apollo put something into my pocket. He signed it, 'A final gift from Kasumi and Keiji, and yes, there is a copy'._ She then showed it to me, as I began to grin. "You're holding back an entire tent because of a sprained ankle. Well, let me tell you something, Mr Dursley…" My grin reached Cheshire Level.

"Excuse me," I said, as we walked over. "Can I help?" _When I snap my fingers, you take that piece of paper out, okay?_

"Who are you?" the older man asked.

"I'm someone who solves problems," I introduced myself. "You're causing a problem, I'm solving it."

"Who do you think you are!" The fat-ass shouted in my face, before I put a finger to his mouth and shut him out.

"Mr Vernon Dursley, I presume?" I asked, as he pushed my hand away.

"How do you know me!" He shouted. "What gives you the right to address me as that!"

"I'm an information broker," I said, with a sly grin. "And from the information I've gathered, you've been a very naughty boy, haven't you?"

"WHAT-" He tried to say, before he was pushed into the spare chair by Jon. I then snapped my fingers.

"Mr Vernon Dursley, you have 3 accounts in the Cayman Islands that you used to audit funds from an account with funds intended for your nephew that you then spent on your own son," Liz said, as she read from the paper. "You also claimed funding from the state in child support for your nephew, but you never used it on him. You've also embezzled your employers by around £20,000, which you've moved into your accounts. Child neglect, emotional abuse, financial abuse, physical abuse and stealing are the crimes we can prove you committed."

"Like I said," I butted in, "I'm an information broker. I can find out anything I need to before I destroy your life. Now, I'm going to give you some information for free. Harry Potter is a local hero here, as he's been involved with saving the local people from Death Eaters, and he's leading a team of individuals who are also helping. He's so revered around the camps that if he dies, they'll make him their Patron Saint. So, I'll give you your three and only three options. One, you do everything you're told, you pay back the money, and I don't involve the authorities. Two, you do as you're told, don't pay back the money and I give this to the Metropolitan. Three, you don't do as you're told and you don't pay back the money, and then I hand these out as flyers, telling everyone here what you did to their hero. So… which one do you want?"

"…Now listen, you little scoundrel…" He said, visibly panicking. "…I have business partners in America…"

"I know," I said, as my grin grew larger. "Your business partner in the US is a Mr Luck Gandor, correct?" He just nodded, obviously scared. "You're his business partner. My name is Michelangelo Delatorre. I'm his nephew." He just fainted when I said that, but that managed to solve the problem. "Hello, Jon. How are you?"

"Ezio, that was pretty ballsy." Jon replied, probably impressed. "You're blackmailing someone for such a petty reason. That could get you into serious trouble."

"You know, if you threaten a business partner of the Gandors, you're begging for trouble, especially if you're lying about being a blood relative," The old man said, as I grinned at him. "…You're actually related, aren't you?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out," I replied, "Anyway, can we talk in private, Jon? Before you get too busy?"

"So, this is the infamous O'Malley?" the old man asked. "The kid who was involved with the fight against the Drophyds and Militia in Belfast, and is involved with the Order of the Phoenix?" _Yeah, and?_ "You're a Conduit as well?"

"Does a normal human have Heterochromia and a purple left cat's eye?" I asked, sarcastically. "Ezio O'Malley, at your service. Might I ask who you are?"

"Roy Campbell," he said, sticking his hand out, "Former colonel for the US Military."

"Wait, the same Roy Campbell from 'In the Darkness of Shadow Moses'?" I asked. "You're the Commander of FOXHOUND? The guy who led the Shadow Moses invasion? The guy whose personal friends with Solid Snake! How badly did I f*** up to get your attention?"

"You read the book?" Campbell asked. "Well, I'm also the Supreme Commander of NEXUS."

"That explains a lot," Liz said, as she stepped over. "So, why are you after Ezio?"

"I'm after you as well, Miss Richards," Campbell said. "I want to recruit you, as well as your brothers, into NEXUS."

"Well, since my scholarship plan went down the toilet," I said, sighing. "I need the money, and after we're done up north, I'll take on your offer."

"What?" Jon asked, surprised. "Why are you heading north?"

"That's where Hogwarts is located," Liz said, as they listened. "We're heading there to both save a large number of magic teenagers and kick the Death Eaters straight into the ground."

"We've already made the arrangements," I said, as they listened. "We leave tomorrow, and our squad is pulling a big operation, it could take several days."

"You're saying goodbye, then?" Jon asked. "Is there anything else you need to do?" Suddenly Liz's phone buzzed, as she whipped it out and read it. "Is there a problem?"

"There are a large number of patients, they've called St Mungo's for help but they have patients as well, so they need my help," Liz said, before sighing. "I've got to go, bye." She then ran off and caught a passing truck as it drove off.

"So, is there anything else you need to do?" Jon asked, as he began to walk away with Campbell.

"Jon, there's one thing…" I said, before he stopped. I then reached out into my back pocket and took out the ring I got her, back in Belfast. "Normally, I'd ask the father, but seeing as there's the slight issue of him being in jail after he tried to kill me…"

"You haven't already?" Jon asked, chuckling. "Jesus, you already act like an old married couple. You have my blessing, but don't ask her before you've finished fighting. Remember Harper's Island?"

"Yeah, I was rooting for them to survive, too," I said, as I put the ring away. "Thanks, Jon. This means a lot to me, really." As Jon gave me a small nod, I waved them goodbye before walking off, heading down the street as trucks passed me by.

"So, what's the small box for?" Apollo asked, as he teleported next to me, "Something special?"

"We're heading towards Hogwarts tomorrow," I said, as I turned to face him. "We're going to take out the Death Eaters, and kill Voldemort. We'll then save the school and the staff and students. Then I'm going to ask Elizabeth to marry me."

"So, what's in the box, an engagement ring?" Apollo asked, as I nodded. "Hope she accepts, then. Anyway, since I don't know where Hogwarts is, don't expect me to help."

"F***er," I said, as he ruffled my hair. "I've got to go, can you watch over London until I get back?"

"That's what I do," he said, as I could tell he was smiling. "I'm a guardian angel. So, do you really expect him to repay the cash?"

"Knowing Kasumi and Keiji, they've already gotten the money." As he teleported away with a smile, I headed back to headquarters. I had to make sure that we were ready for tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"So sorry to keep you late, Harry," Madame Bones said, walking in with a quick pace and a smile on her face. "I was quite busy with a few Aurors I was disciplining."

"I noticed," I said, as I looked at her. "How often have you done that to the Aurors?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, confused.

"'I bet you're the kind of insensitive bastards who would f*** someone in the ass and then not have the common courtesy to give them a reach around'," Lupin said, giving her a knowing look. "Stop quoting that movie. It is wrong. And even then, you're going to run out eventually."

"The drill sergeant adlibbed all of his lines," Hermione pointed out. "He never had a script. In fact, when he actually used that line, Stanley Kubrick, the director, stopped the filming to ask what he meant. When he had it explained, they filmed the scene again."

"Shut it," Ron whispered to her, as I smelled something rotten coming from Kingsley.

"You know, I should do that too," Madame Bones responded, as Ron punched Hermione. "Anyway, I heard you were planning to attack Hogwarts. Officially, I've been given the order to take you in to protective custody."

"WHAT!" My group shouted, obviously angry.

"Let me finished," Madame Bones shushed us. "Officially, I've been given the order to take you in to protective custody. However, I know that you'll be fine due to your skill. Hell, you're even better than any of my Aurors. So, I've come up with a plan, one that will benefit you."

"If you knock us out, I swear that-"

"I'm sending some Aurors with you," Madame Bones responded. "Alastor Moody, Nymphadora Tonks and Kinsley Shacklebolt will accompany you. You'll be in their protective custody, so they'll make sure you're safe."

"That's quite an unusual selection of Aurors," Ron said, giving her strange looks. "Aren't they some of your best Aurors?"

"Alastor is close to retirement, but he is quite sturdy," Madame Bones said. "He's training Tonks, so she has to go along. And Kingsley is one of the best trained bodyguards we have."

"So, do we leave with them?" I asked.

"Tonks and Moody are waiting outside," Madame Bones responded. "You can leave whenever you want, but you should probably wait until Shacklebolt changes his underpants." Kingsley went red faced, before walking out of the office and Apparating when he closed the door. "Oh, and Remus," Bones said, as we were about to leave. "First thing, we've checked you out and, due to your Conduit nature, you're cleared, so let Dumbledore know that. Second thing, can you give back my DVD?" Remus, looking guilty, took out the Full Metal Jacket DVD and handed it back. "Well, I'll have the last laugh, right? Because I have the Blu-Ray as well."

"…F*** me…" Kingsley said, obviously scared.

Suddenly, a phone on the table rang, as Madame Bones picked it up. "Excuse me, hello? … Are you certain? I'll be right over. Yes, I just spoke to him, although he's refused to be taken into protective custody. It's because he has the legal right to, and his guardian agreed. I've assigned some bodyguards to follow him. I'll be there soon, goodbye." As she hung up, she put her hand to her head, obviously tired. "I have to go; Miss Umbridge thinks that there's a streaker running around with an invisibility cloak." As she grabbed a few things, she began to leave, before stopping in front of me. "My niece, Susan, she's trapped at Hogwarts. Please, if you can, save her."

"I'll do better than that," I said, giving her a comforting smile. "I'll save all of them."

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"Okay, have we got everything ready?" I said, as we packed potions, ingredients and weapons away. "Because I'm not hearing any bitching about leaving everything behind."

"We've got the food," Mrs Weasley said, as she levitated a few crates around. "We'll use this to feed anyone we save."

"Well, all of the healing potions are here," Liz said, as she ticked a few sheets. "Wound closers, blood clotters, blood replenishers, heat potions, fireworks…"

"Wait, what?" Raph asked, as he looked into the box. "Why are we taking these?"

"They're magic fireworks that will home in on targets," Charlie responded, as he lifted a box, shrunk it down and put it in a chest. "I have no idea where they got the idea, but hope to whatever god you believe in that they don't take the really big ones."

"We've got the big ones," Fred said, as he and George carried a few rockets that were as big as they were tall, before dropping them into a box. "We got the idea for these from watching anime."

"We're in trouble," Bill replied, as he and Fleur moved a few chests. "We're leaving at four, right?"

"Now Vivi," Luna said, as she looked at the young Black Mage, who was crying. "We'll be back soon, so stop crying."

"B-Bu~ut…" Vivi tried to say, obviously trying to talk. "DON'T GO!" He then leaped at Luna, and started crying into her shoulder. She then comforted him, as we continued to move boxes.

"Don't worry," She said, as she cradled him. "It's going to be all right…"

"Okay, is there anything we're missing?" Victor asked, as Draco levitated boxes out of the way. "I've got some clothes, just in case, as well as hats, scarves and a few magic-based electric heaters."

"I've got some new shoes when we were out as well," Fleur said, as she opened a box that was resting on a table. "They're Jimmy Choo, and are this year's spring season."

"Bullshit, those are _last_ year's _fall_ season," I blurted out, before covering his mouth, completely red-faced.

"Oh, really?" Andromeda asked, as she looked at the shoes. "Who's the designer?"

"Dolce and Gabanna," I said, weakly. As everyone looked straight at me, silently, I was taken aback by my outburst, as Fleur began grinning.

"Who was the best at show at the last Paris Fashion Week?"

"…Marianne D'Marche," I responded, as everyone gave me dirty looks. "OKAY! I know fashion! I'm interested in the latest high class fashion trends. Stop giving me those thoughts, Victor, I'm not gay!"

"I am." We all turned around, as I held my mouth agape as we looked straight at Raphael. "Well, actually, I'm bisexual, but you get the idea."

"You're bi?" I blurted out, confused. "You're captain of the Gaelic football team!"

"I'm not an insane pervert," Raph responded, grinning. "Besides, I find most of the guys on the team repulsive."

"I thought you went Protestant," Liz said, intrigued.

"That doesn't stop me from playing the sport I love," Raph responded as he lifted more boxes over. "Anyway, we should rest early, before we move all of these on the train tomorrow."

That night, we just had dinner, and headed to bed around 9. I stopped by Grummel 2, who gave me my armour back, which I kept ready until we were on the train, which I was going to head onto now.

"So, how do we get to Platform 9¾?" I asked, as I looked around, sitting on a few boxes. "Is it on Platform 9 or 10?"

"Actually, yes," Harry said, as he pushed his cart forward. "In fact, you're in front of it." As I looked around confused, I scanned a wall and discovered a trace of magic in it. "Can you move your cart?" As I jumped off, and pulled the cart out of the way, Harry pushed his cart forward, before disappearing into the wall, as Seamus came over to me.

"Amazing, huh?" He asked me. "I was shocked the first time Mam took me here. Since I was raised in a Muggle community, I found out I was a wizard when I was invited to attend Hogwarts."

"So, I have to run head first into a wall in order to go to Hogwarts?" I asked, as I moved my cart back. "Can't you just have an invisible door?"

"It is an invisible door," Seamus said, as Hermione pushed her cart through, as Liz followed behind her, riding on her cart as she went through. "So, you ready to give it a try?"

"Are you chickening out?" Raph grinned, as he ran through the passageway, followed by Charlie and Bill, followed by Fleur.

"Okay," I said, as I braced myself. I then began to push my cart, before reaching top speed, as I hit the wall. I then slid through the wall, before I found myself on a secret platform, looking on at an old, red train, that said, 'Hogwarts Express', that had some logo that I think was the Hogwarts school logo. "Wow-" *CRASH* "Ow…"

"Well, that's what you get for waiting around the only entrance!" Ron shouted at me.


	26. Operation Hogwarts 16: Arrival

**24/07/11**

As we were speeding down the track, we had mainly converged onto the dining cart, we had discussed the plans for attacking Hogwarts and had split into a number of groups. I was part of an infiltration team. Yay.

"So, are we clear as to what to do?" Dumbledore asked us.

"As Alpha takes over Hogsmeade, Bravo acts as a distraction around this 'Forbidden Forest' and Charlie and Delta break into the school," Draco explained. "No biggie, then."

"You have your team designations," Dumbledore said, as he sat down. "Is there any problems?"

"There is one problem," Mad Eye said, as he looked around. "There's someone else on the train." As we looked scared, I equipped my armour and drew my gun. "I'll check it out."

"I'll come as well," I said, as I headed towards the door and slid it open, aiming my gun into the next cart, before Moody opened the door for me. I then ran straight towards the wall, throwing my back to it, before aiming down the cart, as I spotted the different compartments.

"There's someone in the first compartment," Moody said, as he aimed his wand down the hall, before aiming it at the door. "They're Japanese, teenagers, three girls and two boys, all have guns… What are you doing?" he asked me, as I got out of cover and threw the door open, as Kyon, Haruhi, Itsuki and Mikuru jumped in surprise, but Nagato just looked up from the book she was reading from, then going back to reading her book.

"Oh, God, [what the hell are you doing]?" I shouted at them, as they all stood up.

"We said that we wanted to help," Haruhi complained, trying to guilt trip me. "[You described your situation to us and you didn't think we would want to save some students?]"

"[I didn't want you to come because the aliens that attacked Earth are planning another strike!]" I shouted at them. "[I wanted you all to stay in London to protect the civilians down there!]"

"[Oops,]" Haruhi responded, obviously panicking.

"Goddammit, get in there!" I shouted, as I pointed towards the food cart. "And don't you dare think about volunteering, you're heading back to London on the first opportunity!" As they marched out, I ran my hand over my temple, trying not to explode. "I know them from London and one of them is my pen-pal."

"There's more here," Moody responded, as I headed over and opened the other door, to show Miranda, Kasumi and Keiji having a small argument.

"Tickets, please," I asked as they all began to panic. "So, why did you bother to come after us?"

"You're going after the most dangerous Dark Wizard since World War II," Keiji said, as he cocked his rifle. "F*** yeah, we want to take him down."

"And I'm trying to find out whether this specific legend is true," Kasumi responded. "Don't worry, I'm not planning on stealing anything, I want to know if this specific room really exists."

"The Death Eaters stole some Element Zero," Miranda said, trying to remain calm, but obviously panicking. "They also have a large amount of Red Sand there, so they could easily overpower your crew with Biotics."

"Get to the food compartment, now," I said, before they walked off, with Miranda and Kasumi arguing. Ginny and Luna then came towards me, with Ginny actually happy.

"What's Itsuki doing here?" Ginny asked, obviously surprised, "And Kyon, and Haruhi?"

"I met them the other day and made the mistake of explaining why we were in London," I said. "I know Kyon; he's a pen-pal of mine from Japan. He and the rest of the SOS-Brigade decided that they'd rather save Hogwarts than protect the camps."

"Is there anyone else in here?" Luna asked, as I headed to the third compartment and opened it, to reveal Mr Lovegood and Vivi, who began to panic. "Vivi, how could you?"

"I wanted to help," Vivi said, as he began to cry. "I didn't want you to get into trouble."

"Well, Vivi does have a lot of powerful magic behind him," Mad Eye responded. "Xeno, what the hell are you thinking taking a child into a battlefield?"

"I'm following him," Xenophilius responded, pointing at Vivi, who was grinning… I think.

"You're letting a five-year old child go onto a battlefield, and then blaming him?" Luna asked her father, obviously angry. When he nodded, ashamed, she let off the greatest lines of swearing to ever be heard in existence (I don't think she was speaking English for most of them, what the hell does 'Flurgen' mean?) and began beating him with a flag, as Vivi began to sneak away. "And where do you think you're going?" Vivi froze, as Luna gazed at him. She's been learning from Mrs Weasley, I think. With a single point of her finger, she got both Vivi and Xeno to go to the dining car, as Vivi tried to fight back tears.

"Three more to go," Moody said, as he headed over to the fourth compartment, and flicked it open with his wand, as I looked inside. "Nobody's there."

"Yeah, sort of weird," I responded, before I spotted a beetle. _There's an Animagus, on the chair._ With a single flick of his wrist, Mad Eye made Rita Skeeter appear, who was slightly dazed from being forcibly turned back. "Miss Skeeter, I guess you're really interested in finding your story?"

"Of course I am," she responded, as Mad Eye held his wand at her. "You're going after the most dangerous Dark Wizard in the world, and you need someone to announce it to the world."

"We already have a reporter for the Quibbler," I responded, about to close the door.

"Wait," she responded as she began to panic. "You're going to need an Animagus. You could have native wildlife, but if they become too close, they'll become obvious. Now, if a bug got near…"

"I'll think about it," I responded, as I slammed the door shut and locked it, while Mad Eye charmed the door to keep her from escaping. "And I thought I asked you to stay in London, Apollo!" In response, the Lombax opened the last door and stepped out.

"…I'm going to get yelled at, aren't-" Apollo tried to ask, as I punched him square in the face and broke his mask. While he was dazed, I grabbed him by the hood and pulled him into the food compartment.

"There are about two more people hiding in the next cart." As we entered the next compartment…

"I'm happy to accept your help, Miss Suzumiya," Dumbledore said, with a smile, as I released Apollo and almost dropped my jaw to the ground.

"Oh, for f***'s sake," I responded, visibly angry. "I just told them that they couldn't!"

"[OH MY GOD, AN ALIEN!]" Haruhi shouted, before lunging at Apollo, and going into insane gibberish between English and Japanese. It was confusing, but not unsatisfying.

"Suzumiya, heel!" Kyon shouted, as he and Itsuki tried to pull her off, as Apollo gasped for air. "[He can't breathe, let him go!]"

"I can help you from the train," Nagato said, as she closed her book, before causing several haptic displays to appear out of nowhere, as they all appeared around her. "I can monitor all of you, as well as monitor any locations that you have been to."

"Like an RTS?" I asked, as she nodded. With a sigh, I sat down and just rubbed my head. "Is there any more problems?" I asked, as Mad Eye walked in with Akihiko and Naoto.

"We were following Apollo," Naoto replied.

"Alright, go over the plan again." I said, as I looked for something to drink… Hopefully, there's some rum on the train.

* * *

><p><strong>The Plan<strong>

**Objective:** Capture the town of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

**Teams:** There will be four assault teams, all with different objectives but the same goal

** Alpha (Secure team)**: Bill (Leader), Fleur, Charlie, Vivi, Fred, George, Miranda, Lupin

The main strike team whose main objective is to capture Hogsmeade and to secure it, making sure that anyone still in the town is safe and recruiting them to defend the town. Bill will use a Portkey to take Charlie and Fleur into the town and cause a large enough distraction to draw away attention from the train platform. When the train stops, the last four team members will get off and fight any Death Eaters in an ambush assault. When the town is secure, **Bravo**, **Charlie** and **Delta** will be able to perform their roles. If survivors are found, they are to be freed and recruited in defending the town. When **Bravo** secures the school, **Alpha** will migrate the Hogsmeade survivors to the school and officially join with **Bravo** to become **Epsilon** team.

**Bravo (Attention Team)**: Raphael (Leader), Elizabeth, Victor, Apollo, Itsuki, Kingsley, Akihiko, Hagrid

When **Alpha** secures Hogsmeade, Bravo will make their way towards the main the school and act as a distraction for the two infiltration teams head inside the school. They'll mainly defend themselves, with no main attempts to breach the school authorized until after at least one Infiltration team lets them in. By then, their objective changes to securing the school. They also have flares that will emit red smoke. When this is done, they will help with the rescuing of students as well as the migration of Hogsmeade residents towards the school for their personal safety, and become **Epsilon** team. In the event that they are overwhelmed, they are to retreat towards Hogsmeade and regroup.

**Charlie**: Ezio (Leader), Seamus, Neville, Kasumi, Kyon, Mad Eye, Ginny, Luna, Draco

There are a series of secret tunnels beginning from a cave in the Forbidden Forest that lead into Hogwarts. However, there are several powerful curses that prevent invaders from attacking the castle. Using the cursed lantern to find a path through the tunnels and head into the school's dungeons (It's an old castle, Ezio, what did you expect?) and take out as many Death Eaters as possible before meeting up with **Delta** and securing the inside of the castle, then letting **Bravo** into the castle. After, you are to save as many students as possible, and keep the younger ones inside the dungeons before getting the Sixth Years and whatever graduates that did come back to defend the school.

**Delta**: Harry (Leader), Ron, Hermione, Keiji, Haruhi, Mikuru, Naoto, Cho, Sirius

While **Charlie** sneaks in through the catacombs, **Delta** are to sneak in through a secret passageway through Honeydukes and sneak into the castle, before trying to make your way to find the last Horcrux and Neutralise it. When that task us completed, they are to meet up with **Charlie**, followed by **Bravo**, then lead the younger students into the dungeons and get as many of them to fight with you.

* * *

><p>As we sped down the tracks, we all headed into our teams, except for me. I headed towards the combustion engine as Raphael and Apollo worked on the engine, as Apollo looked over the engine, fascinated. "I've never seen a steam-based machine before. Compared to most of the other technology from the Andromeda galaxy, this is an antique over thousands of years old, and in working condition-" before he was cut off by a sudden bump and a rock of the train. "What the hell was that?"<p>

"I'll take a look," I said, as I stuck my head out of the window. "Hey, there should be snow here, right?" As Apollo looked out on the other end, his tail dropped in shock. "Most of England, and probably Europe, are suffering from a severe snow storm because of what the Death Eaters are doing here. So why is there no snow here, and why is it summer heat around here?"

"You saw 'The Day After Tomorrow', right?" Raphael asked. "Perhaps Voldemort did, too?"

"Oh, son of a bitch," I responded, "He's really f***ing insane."

"What are you talking about?" Apollo asked, confused, as I headed out towards the dining cart, as Apollo followed me. "I haven't seen that film, what the hell are you talking about?" As we got inside, I saw everyone looking outside, obviously confused, with Liz talking to Dumbledore.

"How much magic would be needed to create a storm of such calibre?" Liz asked Dumbledore, as he sat down, thinking.

"Well, Voldemort wouldn't be able to do it by himself," Dumbledore said, confused. "It would take about 50 people to summon rain in a desert…"

"But it would take a thousand magical children to create a blizzard that covers the entire Northern Hemisphere," I responded, as I butted in. "Whoever this Voldemort guy is, he watched 'The Day After Tomorrow', and is trying to kill everyone by both freezing them to death and cutting off their food supply. Professor Dumbledore, where does Hogwarts get their food from?"

"The vegetables are grown on grounds," he responded, "and there's a nearby farm where we get our poultry and meat."

"Wait, you said that he's drawing magic from the students?" Cho asked me, suddenly realising something. "All the students were petrified when the Death Eaters attacked, but I managed to escape."

"Draco," I said, walking over to the blonde haired teenager.

"I wasn't turned into a statue," Draco responded. "Neither was Crabbe or Goyle, but there were a few other students in Slytherin who weren't affected as well."

"A perfect, pure-blood paradise," Hermione responded, realising what we were thinking. "But Voldemort is a sociopath; he only cares for is himself."

"Voldemort's main goal is immortality," Dumbledore responded. "Not the preservation of 'Blood Purity'. But, all this trouble to obtain immortality?"

"Has he tried to obtain a Philosopher's stone?" I asked. "Because I watched Fullmetal Alchemist…"

"So did I," Dumbledore responded, "and let me tell you, the creation of a Philosopher's stone does not involve mass murder."

"How else do you obtain immortality?" Ron asked. "And why would he need every one of those students?"

"Grand Panacea," I responded. "I've seen rumours on the net, and there are two ways to obtain the recipe. Either have someone who knows the recipe teach you, or summon a demon… Oh, shit."

"What?" Seamus asked, as he stood up, while I looked up an image online.

"Is this Agnus?" I asked, showing him my BlackBerry, as he took a good look at it.

"Yeah," Seamus replied, obviously confused. "How do you have his picture?"

"He's on the FBI's most wanted," I responded, putting my phone away. "Not much is known about him, other than his alias, 'Agnus'. He's known to be from a city called Fortuna, somewhere in Italy. It's the location of some strange religion. However, they're a separate state from the Italian government. Apparently, Agnus was part of the main church there, but was excommunicated for committing some sort of crime. No one knows what he did, except for those in the city, and he's completely Persona non Grata, so no one speaks of him. However, when he showed up in the US, he went on a murder spree all over the country, killing 5 people in every state, on average. When the FBI caught up with him, he slaughtered all of their agents, and a few cops as well. There were a ton of rumours about the guy, but the most popular one was posted by someone who said they used to live in Fortuna. He committed the church's capital sin and was going to be executed for it. He intentionally freed demons into the city and his murder spree was an attempt to obtain demonic power."

"So, he's an urban legend?" Miranda asked. "I've heard of a few serial killings, but 250?"

"Agnus constantly moved around the country, so it was hard to pinpoint his killings," Naoto said, coming forward, before Apollo tried to get away. "His MO always changed, and the FBI were only able to pin a few murders on him because he always drained the victim's blood." Just as Apollo had gotten to the door, "And Apollo, can I speak with you, for a minute?"

"I'm just heading to the bathroom," he said, innocently. "I'll only be back in a minute." As he closed the door behind him, Naoto just looked at me, realising I knew something.

"…That door leads to the main engine," I said, cracking. As I said that, Naoto started running to the door, and began looking around, before the door closed. "Anyway, if they're planning to summon a demon to obtain immortality."

"Wait, Voldemort, when I was at the mansion, mentioned something called the Ritual of Emigré," Liz revealed. "Is that involved?"

"Wait, the ritual of Emigré," Dumbledore said, remembering something. "Bones of the father, blood of the enemy, flesh of the servant…"

"What?" Harry asked, stopping Dumbledore. "Why would he perform the ritual twice? He already performed the ritual a few weeks ago?"

"…Harry, what did he put into the potion, specifically?" Dumbledore asked.

"His father's bones, my blood and Wormtail's hand," I responded.

"…He botched the ritual," Dumbledore said as he stood up. "His body is deteriorating at an advanced rate, since he used the wrong ingredients. It's bones of the Father, as in Priest, blood of a Roman, because it's a druidic ritual, and the flesh of a slave, like a House-Elf."

"So, he's dying?" Akihiko asked, confused. "So, why don't we just wait until after he kicks the bucket?"

"Because he's immortal until after we destroy something that has his soul sealed inside," I responded, as we all looked up, to hear some movement on the roof. With confusion, we just continued on with the discussion. "But, why would Voldemort want a demon?"

"Perhaps he wants the power," Luna responded. "Now, there's one thing I want to know." Suddenly, Apollo ran into the room from the opposite door. Pressing a button on his belt, he jumped behind the bar of the train, visibly (to Harry and me) shaking, before Naoto came in, and looked under the tables and then behind the bar, before running back into the other carts.

"I'm not here," Apollo responded, as he stayed under the bar.

"Anyway," Luna asked, as she drew attention to herself. "What's with that spiral of light?" As we looked out the side of the train, we all looked out of the side of the train to see a large spiral coming out of the ground, as we saw the point of origin, a castle.

"I think," I said, looking onward, "that there… is pure magic. And it seems to be fuelling the spell for the snow storm."

"Okay, we're almost at Hogwarts," Bill said, as Fleur and Charlie walked over towards him. "We'll take out as many Death Eaters as possible," he said, as they put a chain around themselves. "The rest of Alpha, get on the roofs, take your weapons. Bravo, get ready to head up to Hogwarts. Charlie and Delta, get ready for infiltration!" They then disappeared before we all got ready.

* * *

><p><strong>Bill<strong>

As we appeared in the town, I removed the chain as we took out our wands, as Fleur moved through a building and sent a Death Eater through the window. Charlie used a body-bind charm on some Death Eaters who came around the corner as I set up the fireworks. "I'm ready; you can light them, Charlie." As I stood up, a few Death Eaters appeared through Apparation, so I raised a wall from the ground, before sending spikes out from the wall and striking them, knocking them out. Fleur then went through a Death Eater, before putting her leg up, closing it around his neck and throwing him over her with a handstand.

Charlie transformed, before sending flames from his mouth to light the fireworks, causing them to fire off and draw the Death Eaters to the down square, leaving very little to defend the train, just as it pulled in. as I created a shelter in the town square by raising a few walls, we heard some gunshots ring out, as we readied our guns. As Fleur readied her shotgun, she phased it through the wall, and fired at a few Death Eaters, killing them, before everyone else came over and started attacking. Miranda created a Biotic light, which Vivi then cast a spell through, which caused a series of fireballs to shoot out of the sky, most of the Death Eaters. As reinforcements appeared, Fred and George grabbed each other's hands, and closed their eyes, before sending a series of curses and jinxes around to disarm as many Death Eaters as possible, before sending Body-Bind curses to trap as many of the Death Eaters as possible. While we were being attacked from the roof, Remus attacked them in his wolf form, knocking one off and biting the other in the leg, before throwing him off.

As we ran around, we made sure to check for Death Eaters, as we began searching the houses, to make sure there were people inside. "It's clear," Miranda said, looking around, before holstering her gun. "It's clear… there's no one here."

"They must be at Hogwarts," Lupin responded, before becoming a human again. "Fred, George-"

"We're on it," they said in unison, before their eyes went completely white.

"They could be in Hogwarts," Fred said, as he let go of George. "But we can only see the courtyard for some reason."

"Charlie, help me get onto the tallest roof," Miranda said, as Charlie lifted her up. Miranda then took out a pair of binoculars and aimed them at the castle. "I spotted the problem, there's a large kinetic barrier surrounding the school. We can't see anything unless we take them out."

"How are they getting that barrier up?" I asked.

"They're sending an electrical charge through wires of element zero, possibly as a chainlink fence," Miranda replied.

"I figured that out," I said. "What I want to know is, how are they running an electrical current through it without a generator?"

"Voldemort's a hypocrite," Miranda responded. "He's probably charmed an electric dynamo to spin and create an electrical current. Alpha team is clear, ready for orders." A haptic display then appeared in front of us, showing Nagato and Dumbledore. "Area is clear. Death Eaters are neutralised but there are no civilians in the town."

"Try looking in the Hog's Head," Dumbledore responded, as Fleur and Vivi ran towards the bar. "There's a secret compartment somewhere in the bar." When he said that, we saw the three other teams getting out of the train, before splitting up and heading their separate ways. "Everyone on Alpha team, make sure that the town is secure."

"I've located the compartment," Nagato replied, speaking in a dull tone. "Behind the bar, there's a secret trapdoor. It's charmed, so it will appear invisible."

"We found it," Fleur said, as she came out of the pub with Vivi, followed by about 15 people. "They're all adults, no children."

"The town is secure," I responded, as I finished searching the town. "Alright, moves all of those weapons out, make sure they're ready to move."

* * *

><p><strong>Raphael<strong>

"Well, this is bad," I said, as we moved into position. "Bravo to base, there is a very serious problem."

"Base hears you," Nagato responded. "What seems to be the problem?"

"The Death Eaters have weapons," I responded, "LOTS of weapons. Grenade launcher, RPGs, sniper rifles, assault rifles- is that…" I began, taking a good look. "Is that a f***ing tank?"

"There's no way we'll be able to just distract them without getting killed," Itsuki said, taking a look, before looking behind him. "Hold on, I need to get up into that tree."

"And that's where I come in," Apollo said, grabbing Itsuki and teleporting into the tree. Itsuki then took out a pair of binoculars and looked into the castle courtyard.

"Okay, there's a few dozen trucks in the main courtyard, as well as about three tanks," Itsuki said, as he assessed the damage. "Large cache of weapons, including side-arms, SMGs, sniper rifles, assault rifles, shotguns, about several miniguns and at least one gun I don't recognise."

"It's a military-grade railgun," Apollo said, as he took the binoculars from Itsuki. "Good news, it uses around a large amount of power to fire, bad news, there's several dozen dynamo generators running off magic powering the railgun alone. There's a chain-link fence travelling around the entire grounds that's emitting biotic energy. First guess, it's coated in element zero, but there's a chance that it's made from element zero, then how did the Death Eaters get a bulk of eezo worth around… 50,000,000 credits? There's no way we're going to get near that thing until we kill the power, and that would require someone to head in. The biotic field being projected appears to be a kinetic barrier, as it stops things from getting near the fence. Tell Charlie and Delta team to cut the power for us."

"Wait, what's that, hanging from the tower?" Hagrid asked, as I looked up.

"It's a hanging corpse," Victor said, putting a hand to his mouth. "I don't know who it is, but it appears to be an adult."

"Then take a look," Itsuki said, as he and Apollo came back down. "I can't see anything up there in the trees, and you're more likely to know who it is."

"Let me take a look," Hagrid said, taking the binoculars and looking through them. "It's Filch," Hagrid said, gravely, as he gave back the binoculars.

"Why would they kill this 'Filch' guy?" Akihiko asked, confused. "If he has magic, they need him alive to use it, right?"

"That's exactly why he's dead," Kingsley said, looking upward. "He's a Squib."

"Squib?" I asked, confused. "As in, 'Blank'?"

"That's exactly right," Victor said, as he sat next to a tree. "There are times when someone with magic is born to Muggle parents, right? Well, a similar phenomenon occurs when someone is born to magical parents but doesn't have any magic themselves. That person is a squib."

"What happens to Squibs, then?" Akihiko asked. "Are they allowed into magic society?"

"Well, in Scandinavia, at least, they're encouraged to try and integrate with Muggles, but they know about magic and some schools even allow Squibs to take magical courses that don't require magic, such as Potions or Care for Magical Creatures."

"It's slightly different here in Britain," Kingsley said, butting in. "When a Squib is born, they're not given a birth certificate or have their births recorded in any way. Also, Squibs are treated the same way as Werewolves or beings by the Wizangamot, that is, as second class citizens given remedial jobs such as street cleaners, if they're given a job at all. It's a common practice for Pure-bloods to either abandon their children who are Squibs or, in extreme circumstances, raise them as servants or murder them."

"Okay," Itsuki said, before muttering something in Japanese, which Akihiko then responded to.

"Bravo to base," Liz said into the radio, "We're at the rendezvous but there's a huge problem." As Liz described the situation, I got to thinking. "Is there any new objectives?"

"Wait until Charlie and Delta teams turn off the generators," Nagato said. "Your instructions have not changed."

"But if we draw their attention, we're dead in an instant," Liz responded.

"…Do not draw attention to yourselves, then," Nagato responded, before I raised my hand.

"Kingsley, Ginny, Liz, can you send a spell to hit the fence?" I asked, pointing forward.

"What kind of spell?" Ginny asked, taking a look.

"Any spell," I responded, before taking a step back. "When magic collides with biotic energy, it reacts to greatly strengthen the spell."

"Hold on," Kingsley said, thinking it through. "You want us to send a magic spell to destroy the weapons?"

"How about electricity?" Akihiko responded, drawing his gun. "We could burn out their generators, melt the wires and stun as many of the Death Eaters as possible."

"…Do it," I said, as he stepped forward. As he aimed the gun at his head, he took a deep breath, before putting his finger on the trigger.

"Let's do this, Caesar," He said, before pulling the trigger to make a spirit appear and send out a lightning spark to the fence, causing a pulse from the fence's radiation to appear. "I don't think that worked." Suddenly, more pulses appeared as electricity travelled over the fence, causing the guns to fire, the Death Eaters to be electrocuted, the generators to explode, the tanks to fire off and send them into a wall, and the railgun to fire something into the atmosphere. "Wait, the fence is melting… Oh, god." The radiation from the fence became so bright that it was surrounding the immediate area.

"Get back to Hogsmeade," I ordered, before I began to feel faint, as I saw Apollo start rapidly teleporting everyone away, before I lost consciousness.

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"What the hell is that?" I asked, looking out towards the school.

"I have no idea, but it looks pretty," Seamus said, with a smile.

"Oh, no," Kasumi said, obviously worried. "That's a large amount of biotic radiation."

"Is that bad?" Draco asked, as I called in mission control.

"Charlie to base," I said, into the phone as a haptic display of Nagato appeared. "Nagato, what the hell was that light?"

"Large scale dark energy concentrated to the main courtyard of Hogwarts which was suddenly made stronger by electricity-based dark matter distortion of exponentially large potential," Nagato responded. "Basic answer, Akihiko sent a Ziodyne spell to try and blow some generators powering a biotic field and it severely backfired."

"Did it breach their defences?" Mad Eye asked, as his eye whizzed around.

"It destroyed a large cache of weapons, and fired off one railgun," Nagato replied. "Most of Bravo managed to evacuate to Hogsmeade. However…"

"Wait, what do you mean 'Most of Bravo'?" Luna asked. "Was anyone injured?"

"Raphael has been captured," Nagato responded. "He was captured, alive, by a black haired woman."

"Show me," Neville said, as an image appeared in front of us, which caused him to tense up. "Bellatrix Lestrange."

"How do you know her?" Kyon asked, as he put a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm Neville down, while setting down his katana.

"…She's responsible for my parent's condition," Neville said, sitting down on a stump. "When I was about one year old, she and another Death Eater, Barty Crouch, Jr. used a spell called the Cruciartus curse on both of my parents. The result is that… They're permanent patients at Saint Mungo's permanent spell damage ward."

"The Cruciartus curse, when used on someone for extended periods of time, around 10 minutes, it drives them permanently insane," Mad Eye said, as he continued looking around. "Neville's parents lasted around 15 minutes, before they were so damaged that they had to be committed."

"Why would someone do that?" Kyon asked, horrified. "Why should a spell like that exist?"

"The root of the spell involves something around payback," I said, as I looked around the rock where Voldemort told us the tunnels began. "I think that… It was supposed to make someone who's trying to avenge someone… It's about emotional pain. Say someone was murdered. The family would cast the spell to make the murderer know what pain he put the family through."

"That's an accurate description on the origins of the curse," Mad Eye responded.

"So, let me get this straight," Seamus asked, speaking up. "Dark Wizards twisted the spell from something used for righteous punishment into a form of pure torture?"

"Well, Bellatrix, when I was eavesdropping, mentioned something about how the Cruciartus curse inflicted the pain you want to inflict," Draco said. "Emotional, physical, righteous… Sexual…"

"How many S&M clubs are there in Wizarding Britain?" Kyon asked.

"…Bellatrix did something to my dad," I said, as I think I found the secret entrance. "Back in Ireland, she tortured him to the point of insanity, driving him violently insane. He killed my mother and, in a lapse of sanity, killed himself. I discovered the bodies."

"So, your parents are dead?" Draco asked me, as I gave a quick nod. "I guess you must have moved on quickly… or are you just good at hiding it?"

"…I'm more concerned with keeping the people I care about alive," I said, somberly. "I've moved on, not completely, but I don't want to see anyone else I care about die, so can we hurry up and save those students, and my brother," As I said that, Nagato's screen appeared before me.

"He's being held in a chair, she's sending a broadcast out via a large screen by the bell-tower." She told me, before putting a screen up, showing Raphael in a chair, severely weakened. "The biotic energy seems to have done some permanent damage, or he's taking a while to let it wear off. Either way…" She was cut off when Raph started to scream as he had an electric current sent through his body. "She's saying that he'll die if anyone is found in Hogwarts."

"Well, let's just be careful not to get caught," I said, pressing a switch to open the secret passageway. "Okay, I've got the cursed lantern which should show us how to get through this tunnel system. Why is it a 'cursed' Lantern, anyway?"

"If you use it in the wrong place, it will kill you," Kasumi shouted, stopping the match I was about to use.

"Keep your voice down, Goto," Mad Eye said, taking out his wand. "There are centaurs coming, and they seem angry." Suddenly, several centaurs rushed towards us, as we drew our weapons, guns and wands, as they aimed bows at us.

"You have a lot of nerve coming into the Forbidden Forest," one of them said, as he aimed a bow up-close to my face.

"Wait, they're not Death Eaters," another centaur said, while lowering his weapon.

"That doesn't mean that they can come here," the first centaur replied. "Give us one reason we shouldn't kill you."

"We're students," Draco said, trying to negotiate with the centaurs. "We're trying to get into Hogwarts and force the Death Eaters out."

"One of you is an Auror, and the rest aren't students here," the first centaur replied.

"I'm an Auror, IWC," Kasumi said, drawing her badge. "Kasumi Goto, I'm an infiltration specialist, as well as reconnaissance."

"And the olive one, and the one with the purple eye?" The centaur asked. "You're no wizards."

"We're mercenaries," I said. "Kyon there and I were hired by Dumbledore to help with the eviction."

"He would trust a pair of Muggles?"

"No," Kyon replied. "He trusts a group of individuals who are skilled enough to survive two separate surprise invasions, and are also responsible for capturing several Death Eater outposts. We're badass enough to have the experience with the supernatural to deal with it and take out our targets. So, would you kindly leave us alone and let us save the 1,000 students that are in there? Or would you like us to individually hurt every single one of you before you let us do the job that we were hired to?"

"If you don't back off, we will seriously hurt you," I warned. "We've already captured Hogsmeade. If you want to help kick those Pure-blood assholes in the daddy-bags, head there and receive the orders from Dumbledore."

"…It's really secure?"

"Dumbledore has several skilled combatants there," I said. "He also has several weapons and weaponised magical items."

"It's better than getting caught by the Death Eaters," The leader said, before they all headed off.

"Bane's usually very temperamental, especially around humans," Luna responded, when they were out of earshot.

"Well, that's the benefits of persuasion," I said, as I headed into the tunnel. "Just very carefully alter someone's manner of thinking enough without them realising it, and they'll go along with it."

"You can do that?" Draco asked, obviously shocked, as everyone entered the tunnel. "So, how do we go through the tunnels?"

"There's a seal down here," Kasumi said. "The common Muggle problem is that they think that magic involves seals and rituals, but actually, that's involved in the creation and formation of spells, to allow them to be used with a wand. There's usually some sort of 'Master Copy' of a spell that's used to allow everyone who knows how to cast a spell."

"So, this is an original spell?" I asked. "So, what's the spell?"

"I… Don't know," Kasumi said, looking at it. "It's an old spell, one that's main base is a quote from the Old Testament. This is powerful magic, and the spell creator is… that's impossible."

"What is it, Goto?" Mad Eye asked, getting annoyed.

"…I think it's a mistake on my part, but…" Kasumi said, before shaking her head. "Never mind, just… stand on the seal and let the lantern glow." Moving into place, the lantern then lit, before floating in the air. The red flame then turned into a dark purple, before two green paths appeared, both into separate routes. "Okay, I don't think I took this into account."

"This problem appears all the time in JRPGs," I said, standing out of the seal. "It's called a party split. Basically, we have to split up, sending our main group down two separate paths for the purpose of completing some sort of puzzle."

"…A puzzle?" Draco asked. "How the hell does splitting the group solve a puzzle?"

"Have you ever played a Final Fantasy game?" I asked, as Draco, Neville, Seamus, Mad Eye and Ginny shook their head to show a 'no'. "Well, in Final Fantasy 6, you have to send your playable characters down several different paths at the same time. You have four parties, each made up of 4 people. It's kind of similar to our roles right now. I just hope that it's not like Shadow Hearts, that one was a complete bitch to complete since the monsters that spawned are based around your character's weaknesses."

"So, you're team leader," Ginny said, looking around. "Which teams should we go into?"

"Draco goes with me and Mad Eye, along with Neville," I said. "Everyone else, you have numbers on your side, so use that to your advantage."

"Luna, Ginny, Seamus, Kasumi and I?" Kyon asked. "Who's the leader?"

"… … … Kyon," I replied. "You're the de facto leader of the SOS-brigade, so I know he has experience."

"All right," Ginny said, as she joined her leader, as everyone split into teams. "We'll go left."

"Okay," I said, as we all split up.

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"We're almost out of the tunnels," I said, as I had everyone carefully move the statue to not make any noise. "Stay here while I go assess the situation."

"Be careful," Cho said, as we moved the statue back, before I turned invisible. As I moved through the hall, I saw petrified students everywhere; trapped in the same position they were in when the Death Eaters were attacking. They all had appearances of terror on their faces, scared for their lives. However, I almost puked with what I saw. It was Mrs Norris, dead, hanging from a hook. While I was able to hold it in, I moved over towards the door, before it swung open, to show a dirty-blonde haired woman who had her hair in a bun and Goyle Sr.

"So, we've got Vincent and Gregory back?" Goyle Sr. asked. "You have them back from the police?"

"We killed every single Muggle," the blonde haired woman said. "We asked Vincent and Gregory what happened to them. Vincent was abducted by a blood traitor and a Mudblood, some students at the school. They're friends of Potter. One of them beat him up. Gregory, however, was messed with by about four students, before being knocked out. They then woke up in a warehouse, and were then handed over to the police."

"Thank you," Goyle Sr. said, as they walked off. "So, what's with those bizarre wheels that Agnus set up?"

"Apparently, they keep the students in place," the woman replied. "They're also fragile, and can easily break."

"So, we have to be careful around them?" Goyle asked, as they exited the room. Heading to a different door, I snuck around until I found what I was looking for, the bathroom, and then, after carefully making sure all of the stalls were cleared… was promptly sick into the toilet.

"…Harry?" Someone said to me, causing me to jump, only to see Moaning Myrtle.

"Myrtle," I said, before I looked around. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay," she said, as she looked around. "It was pretty horrifying what the Death Eaters have done. Riddle has killed a teacher and the caretaker, and threatened to kill the rest if the students that weren't affected by his curse behaved."

"He has hostages?" I asked. "Where are they? Has he hurt any of them? Which teacher is dead? What happened to Filch?"

"It was the Muggle Studies professor," Myrtle said. "The other students are being held in the dungeons, as well as a prisoner that this weird fellow called Agnus brought in, who's been impaled on a sword for two weeks now. None of the students are hurt. As for Filch…" She hesitated, before looking square in the face. "He's been hanging from the bell tower since the Death Eaters attacked."

"Can you tell me anything about the man named Agnus?" I asked.

"He's obsessed with the man he brought in," Myrtle replied. "He said something about his blood, I couldn't tell what… But he seems to be searching for the Chamber of Secrets, as well as the Room of Requirement."

"What's the room of requirement?" I asked.

"I know you have a lot of questions, Harry, but the Death Eaters are doing their rounds soon," Myrtle said, before I could hear some footsteps enter the room. Myrtle descended into the floor as I turned invisible, before a Death Eater came in and started kicking the bathroom stalls open. As he came to the last stall, he kicked it open, not bothering to check the contents. As he left, Myrtle came back and I regained visibility. "What an interesting new spell, Harry."

"Let me ask again," I said, drawing my wand, just to be safe. "What is-"

"It's a secret room that only initially appears to someone on the seventh floor," Myrtle explained. "You have to go back and forth three times. It's across from the portrait of the ballet dancing trolls."

"Thanks," I said, trying to walk away, before Myrtle appeared before me.

"Harry, wait-" She tried to say, before I bumped into her… I bumped into her. "What the…"

"That's new," I said, as Myrtle stuck her hand out.

"I can… I can touch you…" She said, smiling. "You have no idea how glad I am about finally being able to touch someone since I died."

"It must be due to the excessive field magic," I said, trying to leave. "Can you help me? See what you can find out around here."

"There's these wheels," Myrtle said. "There's one in the hallway nearby, as well as in the Great Hall."

"Find all of them," I said, as I turned invisible. "We need to destroy all of them." Heading back to the main hallway, I headed back to the humped back witch's statue and pushed it back. "I'm about to free these students, get ready to guide them back to Honeydukes." Haruhi and Mikuru got out in order to get everyone away, Keiji stood watch as Sirius and Naoto joined me.

"So, what is this?" Sirius asked me.

"It's a Mudo spell," Naoto said. "It's a dark magical seal of demonic origin. I can cast it."

"How?"

"It's my Persona's magic," Naoto said. "It can kill most demons in an instant hit."

"So, what do we do with it?" Sirius asked.

"This," I said, drawing my knives and started slashing at the seal, causing blue flames to appear out of it. When I had completely slashed it, it broke, causing a blue light to appear over the floor, drawing the petrified students into it, clearing the room, while red mirages covered the doors. "Well, that isn't good."

"Neither is that monster coming out of the floor," Haruhi shouted, as monsters suddenly appeared. "Okay, let's fight!" A haptic display then appeared showing the monster, and some sort of information.

"This monster is weak against holy magic," Nagato said, as a monster lunged at me and I barely dodged it. "Don't use dark magic. Use a Patronus to kill it."

"Expecto Patronum," I said with Sirius, causing our Patroni to appear and collide with at least 5 demons, killing them easily, before I was knocked into the wall. "Shit…"

"Persona," Nagato said, as her Persona appeared and sent out a few Japanese Symbols to appear, surrounded by bright lights on the floor, which destroyed every last monster. However, more monsters appeared as more displays from Nagato told us more about the monsters.

"These monsters are physically weak, use any weapons," Nagato said. "Don't use magic, though, it heals the monster."

"I don't have a weapon," Sirius said, as I took a halberd from a suit of armour. "Thank you." As I ran through the crowd of monsters, making sure to dodge their strikes, I made some cuts into them to stun them, before Haruhi started throwing cards about, as two cards appeared above every demon she hit. While certain cards just disappeared, others shattered and cut into the monsters. However, one in particular was strange. They began to glow, before the monster was cut into several pieces.

"Blackjack," Haruhi said, as she drew some more cards. "Who wants to play Go Fish? You could have more luck with that."

"Well, that was awesome," I said, as Haruhi shuffled her deck.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Haruhi said, as she drew 5 cards. "I fight with cards. I have telekinesis, which I use for my fighting, but my real power is 'Deck of Fates', which allows me to fight enemies based on card games. That was my 21 attack. If the cards I draw add up to 21, it's an instant kill. But, for every number I get, my attack repeats that number of times." As she finished, the red mirages on the doors shattered, as the statues appeared again, before turning back into the Hogwarts students, who looked around in confusion. "Are you the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?" Haruhi asked the students, who all nodded. "Hi' I'm Haruhi Suzumiya, of the SOS-brigade and we're here to rescue you. Please, enter the tunnel and head down towards Hogsmeade."

"Harry?" I heard Padma Patil ask me, before I turned around. "You saved us."

"Not yet, there's still more to do," I said, as Haruhi and Mikuru lead everyone in the room towards the tunnels.

"There are students being held within the houses," Padma said. "The passwords never changed since last year, and there are students being held in the Muggle Studies class."

"Just… Head into the tunnel," I said, as Keiji looked around. "It leads straight back to Hogsmeade, to Honeydukes."

"Please, save my sister," Padma said, before running into the tunnel, as we all followed when Keiji raised the alarm. Moving the statue back into place, we heard someone come into the room, as we carefully listened from beneath it.

"What? They- They're gone! I have to sound the alarm!" As they ran out of the room, we guided everyone down towards the town.

"Harry…" Padma said, coming back to me. "What are you doing here, with a convicted murderer?"

"I was acquitted," Sirius blurted out. "I was formally acquitted by the head of the magical law enforcement office."

"Bring it up again and he'll whip out a bottle of Champagne out of nowhere," Ron said, as Padma joined the others. "Okay, now what?"

"We find the Horcrux then meet up with the others," I said, looking around.

"Okay, where would Voldemort, an insane, violent, sociopathic wizard who is full of himself keep a magic item that's keeping him alive in a large, magical, medieval castle?" Mikuru asked. "Well, it's probably not where anyone could find it, probably a secret room that only he knows how to open."

"Probably where you can discreetly hide objects," Keiji said. "Does Hogwarts have a fault? Or a hidden cabinet?"

"The Chamber of Secrets," Ron said, as he looked around for signs of more guards. "You can only enter it if you speak Parseltongue."

"Perseltongue is a rare magical power," Keiji said, looking at us. "How do we open the door?"

"I speak Parseltongue," I said, as I was about to leave. "I'll head towards the entrance and search the chamber."

"No, it's too obvious," Cho said, thinking. "Harry knows about the chamber, and Voldemort sees him as his worst enemy, so it would be suicide to keep it down there. Of course, there is the chance…"

"The room of requirement?" I asked. "Seventh floor, across from the picture of the ballet dancing trolls."

"Thanks," Cho said, as she looked at the team. "We have to split up."

"Mikuru come with Hermione, Ron and me," I said, as we opened the tunnel. "Good luck."

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"You know, there are usually some monsters that appear in an RPG," Kyon said, as the main party met up again. "So, how did you find the walk?"

"F*** you," I said, as I used a potion to heal my wounds. "We ran into 136 monsters, and they were random encounters. Hell, it turned into a tactical RPG down there!"

"Well, perhaps you had to know which path to go down," Kasumi said, as we entered a large room. "I'm sorry. I should have studied it a bit more. It's just that… the creator's signature was unbelievable."

"Is it that bad?" I said, before some blue haze covered the door. "Well, probably not as bad as that."

"I've never seen that kind of magic before," Mad Eye said, as he went to look at it.

"Wait… How many of you are good at puzzles?" I asked, as Luna and Kasumi raised their hand. "I think I've seen this before… but in a horror game I have."

"So, someone in the magic world is using the basis for magic to make video games?" Draco asked, confused. "So, what kind of puzzle is this?"

"…I don't know," I said, as I looked around. "But if we don't solve it, we're not getting out."

"I think I found the puzzle," Luna said, as she found a large 5x5 grid. "There are a series of images on the grid, and a machine to move these squares."

"Wait, there are some squares over here, one stone and blank, but the rest are onyx," Seamus said, as he used a light spell and walked over towards the squares, looking at them before standing up and standing on the stone circle. "Hey, when I stand in the centre, an image appears on each of the black squares." Upon hearing that, Ginny, Draco and Mad Eye moved over towards the three other squares, and took a look.

"He's right," Draco said, looking down on the ground. "I don't get how this solves the puzzle."

"I think I know," Luna said, looking at the grid. "The moveable squares have animals on them, but the squares on the grid have runes on them."

"I swear I saw this puzzle in a game, or maybe in a movie," I said, looking around. "Either way, it was like an Indiana Jones movie."

"Is it a popular movie?" Draco asked.

"Of course it's popular," Seamus said. "It's an incredible icon in Muggle pop culture. It's not as popular as the James Bond films, but is well known."

"Yeah, I've heard a lot about that series," Draco said. "Perhaps I should watch a film when I get the chance."

"Wait, you've never seen a 007 movie in your whole life?" I asked, as Draco nodded. "Dr No, Diamonds are Forever, A View to a Kill?" Draco just illustrated a no. "The Living Daylights, Licence to Kill, Goldeneye?" Again, Draco gave a no. "Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is not Enough, Die Another Day!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Draco said, confused.

"You liked the Timothy Dalton films?" Seamus asked me.

"Yeah," I said, looking at Seamus. "What? License to Kill was a good movie, and The Living Daylights had one of my favourite Bond Girls, along with Goldeneye."

"You like the Russian ones?" Kyon asked me, looking at the tile. "I liked the Cellist as well, but I was also kind of sad about her, since her boyfriend set her up to die just for his own selfish motives and, when she survived, was being followed by the KGB. As for Natalya in Goldeneye, she was simply doing her job when a madwoman slaughtered her co-workers and left her for dead. Set up and with no-one to trust, no-one to turn to, she was forced into espionage and deception. I really like how she got one over on the villains."

"What did you do, Natalya," I said, in a horrendous Russian accent. [A/N: I actually look a bit like Boris]

"Can we hurry up?" Draco asked, as he looked around. "We have to get out of here."

"Sorry," I said, as I looked at the walls behind each person. "Do you see those pictures behind you? Each one is a tile that Luna has to move. The images on the ground next to you should show the tiles around where your image should be placed*." [A/N: This is how to solve a puzzle in Uncharted 3. This, however, is not the solution. I'm actually glad that, if you're stuck, then one of your AI partners will point you in the right directions.]

"One of these is blank," Mad Eye said.

"Then that means that it goes around the edge," I said, looking at the images. "Everyone, find your image's location then tell Luna where it goes."

"Mine's just one above the centre," Ginny said. "The Lion goes on that symbol that looks like a four." Luna then moved the tiles and set it down.

"Far right, four down," Mad Eye said, pointing at the square in question. "It's the goat."

"Move the fish to A3," Draco said, as he came off of his tile.

"The last one goes on the very bottom, B5," Seamus said. "I have no idea what it is, the image is faded."

"…There's two more animals," Luna responded. "I don't know what to do."

"Well, look for another image," I said, looking around. "It's up there. Do you see that balcony?"

"Hold on," Kyon said as he started climbing the walls around the room, looking around. "There's another set of black tiles here. Does anyone have a light?"

"Here," I said, throwing him a torch. As he barely caught it without falling over, he shone it towards another wall.

"The image here is a bull," Kyon said, as he made his way back, before the beam he was walking on broke. As he fell, I caught him before he hit the floor, then gently let him down. "Thanks."

"I've moved the other image, a wolf, into place," Luna said, as she moved some wheels. "But where does the bull go?"

"Wing it," Mad Eye said, before Luna started moving the bull around. "In fact, try the fourth column."

"We got it," Luna said, as the tiles all suddenly moved to the centre. Suddenly, two doors opened up, one showing a way out, sealed by that blue haze, and one showing some strange ritual object. "What's that?"

"Okay, this is way too much like that video game," I said, looking at the object.

"What the hell is this 'Game'?" Mad Eye asked me, confused.

"Devil May Cry," I said, as I felt the object.

"Based off of a series of Japanese comic books, it follows a demon hunter who investigates activity of the forces of hell and kills any demons he finds to prevent them from conquering Earth," Kyon said.

"I haven't got volume 4 yet, but when the corresponding game was announced, a lot of people were pissed off when they switched to a new character," I said.

"I have volume 4," Kasumi said, showing me it. "Apparently, he's Dante's nephew."

"Wait… Dante?" Draco asked. "That's what Agnus called that Tony guy."

"Wait, is his name Tony Redgrave?" I blurted out.

"Yes," Draco said, as I took out one of my manga, flicking to a specific page.

"Is this him?" I asked, showing it to Draco. "Is this the guy you saw?"

"He's older than that image," Draco responded. "But… Yeah, that's him. That's Tony Redgrave. He's got the same jewel, though. Two, in fact."

"Okay, I can get someone making a series based around a magic school, a secret war with aliens, but Devil May Cry?" I asked. "For f***'s sake, how the hell do you hide a 250 floor tower that appears out of nowhere… Wait, don't answer that."

"So I was right?" Kasumi asked. "It wasn't a mistranslation on my part?"

"Hogwarts is around 1,000 years old now, right?" Kyon asked. "So, the designer of the original wards was…"

"None other than the demon Sparda," Kasumi said, massaging her head. "This can't be real, this really can't be real."

"Well, at least I know what kind of situation is going on," I said, as I drew my beam Katana. "And I know how to get out of here." I started striking the cursed object, causing runes to appear around it. As I finished, the blue haze turned into a hand, before shattering, as the exit, and the path to Hogwarts appeared. "Okay, what do we do if there's someone in the Dungeons?"

"I'll lead them out and back towards Hogwarts," Mad Eye said, as we headed towards the exit.

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"So, how do we open up the Chamber of Secrets?" Mikuru asked, as we looked around the room for Death Eaters.

"The Chamber of Secrets can only be opened by using Parseltongue, a very rare magical ability to speak to snakes," I said, as I sat next to the sinks. "Only the descendants of Salazar Slytherin can speak it. I can too, but that's because I absorbed the ability to from Voldemort-" I tried to say, before the sinks began to move, as the main entrance opened up. As I looked around, I saw Ron, grinning, as he came over to me. "…Ron, how did you do that?"

"I just told it to open," Ron said, as we all looked at him in confusion. "You talk in your sleep, Harry."

"…Thanks, Ron," I said, looking at him, before heading towards the entrance. "I really needed to know that at this time." I then jumped down into the hole, followed by Mikuru, then Hermione, followed by Ron. "Would you like to open this one?" I asked Ron, before the door was opened by Hermione. "Oh, come on!"

"I can speak any language, remember?" Hermione asked me.

"Can you speak Japanese?" Mikuru asked, before Hermione and Mikuru started speaking to each other in Japanese.

"Harry?" Ron asked me. "There's nothing here." We then headed towards the large bust of Salazar Slytherin. "There's nothing here!"

"You said that," Mikuru responded, looking around.

"That's the reason I'm scared," Ron said. "Where's the dead Basilisk?"

"I have no idea," Hermione said, looking at the bust. "Perhaps the Death Eaters took it out? Since Basilisk venom is used to kill Horcruxes…"

"Delta Squad," Nagato said, as a hologram appeared in front of us. "Where's the rest of your team?"

"We split up to search for the Horcrux," I said. "Did everyone get back safely?"

"They're at Hogsmeade, being cared for," Nagato said. "Charlie Squad are almost inside the castle, and Bravo team have retreated to Hogsmeade. However, we have more information on the monsters that you killed. Charlie Team thinks they're demons."

"That's a load of nonsense!" Hermione said to me. "Demons don't-"

"Hermione, don't push your luck," Ron said. "If you say it, there's a very good chance that one could attack us right now." As we thought it through, we all looked at our guns. "I've got an assault rifle and a shotgun. What about you lot?"

"Assault rifle and Handgun," Hermione said.

"Sniper rifle and SMG," I said.

"SMG and handgun," Mikuru said. "Roll on three?"

"Three," I said, before we jumped out of the way of the Undead Basilisk's bite and started firing. "Oh great, not only is it alive, but it's a goddamn zombie!"

"So, you're the one that Voldemort has me waiting for," the Basilisk said, in English.

"The first time I killed this thing, it couldn't speak anything but Parseltongue," I said, cocking the sniper rifle. "So, what the hell are you?"

"Oh, don't try to make me toy with you," the Basilisk said, as if flirting. "I'm so desperate for a MEAL RIGHT NOW!"

"Stop!" Mikuru shouted, before the Basilisk froze in the middle of the air. "Come on, we should get out of here."

"Okay," Hermione said, as we headed straight for the exit. As we got out of the door, I told it to close, as we stopped in the middle of the chute. "I'll get us out of here. Accio rope!" Suddenly, some ropes came down, as Hermione grabbed onto one. "Tie it around your waist, wait until you see what I'm about to do." As we made loops in the rope and tied it around our bodies, Hermione braced herself. "…Accio Anvil!"

"What," I asked, as our ropes were suddenly pulled by a large weight, which then fell into the hole. We were thrown up into the air by the momentum, and Hermione softened our fall. As I stood up, I closed the main entrance, causing the sinks to move back into place. "Let's get out of here," I said, before we heard a large boom from below us.

"…What was that?" Ron asked.

"It's opened the door," I said, as we ran out of the room.

* * *

><p><strong>Cho<strong>

"Back and forth, three times," I muttered to myself, trying to open the Room of Requirement. "It's not opening."

"That's because it's the Room of _Requirement_," Sirius said to me. "You have to _need_ something."

"So, if you need somewhere to hide, or a gun?" Haruhi asked me.

"Kasumi has been searching for records of this room since she heard of it," Keiji said. "She's going to be upset that I got to see it first."

"…Really?" Naoto asked. "Don't be so childish. Anyway, why isn't it opening?"

"If someone's in there, it won't open," Sirius said, looking at the wall. "It could be used as a hiding place."

"If someone's in there, we need to get them out," Haruhi said. "And if it's a student, we need to protect them." Suddenly, a doorway started appearing, growing out of the wall. Stepping forward, I gripped the loop on the door, before I pushed the door open, and looked inside.

"Who's there," I saw a younger student say, aiming a wand at me. "You're… You're a student…" He then lowered his wand, before setting it down. "Oh, thank god…"

"Colin Creevey?" I asked. "Are you okay?"

"I've been safe in here since the Death Eaters attacked," Colin said. "When the Death Eaters attacked, I just ran in here, panicking."

"Colin, I need you to come out," I said, as I pointed towards the door.

"NO!" Colin shouted at me, aiming his wand at me again. "My safehouse, not yours!"

"Colin, we need to find something hidden in here," I said. "We can't do that until you-" I tried to talk to him, but he knocked my wand out of my hand.

"You think you can try to persuade me?" Colin asked me. "Put myself in danger for your own selfish reasons? YOUR WORDS MEAN SHIT TO ME!"

"Colin, just calm down," I said, raising my hand. "I can protect you. I can get you out of Hogwarts." Colin then faltered, so I realised that I was on to something. "I can get you to London, if you want. But Dumbledore already has Hogsmeade captured, and there are other students down there already."

"…really?" Colin asked me, lowering his wand. "I don't feel so good," He said, as he began to faint, before hitting the floor with a thud. I then went back and opened the door, and let everyone else in.

"Is he alright?" Naoto asked, as I helped lift Colin up.

"He's in shock," I said, as we headed outside. "He's slightly insane, but he should be fine. Alright, we need to head out, and try again." When we got out, Sirius walked back and forth outside the wall, as the door appeared again, which we all then entered, to find a large amount of items, broken furniture and a few dead animals inside. "Alright, we're looking for a diadem."

"What's a diadem?" Haruhi asked.

"It's a tiara," Keiji replied, as he took out a wand. "Accio diadem," Keiji said, before several dozen diadems flew towards him and knocked him over. "Seriously, why are there 70 tiaras in here!"

"It's a security measure," I said, looking inside several boxes. "Leave several around, anyone looking for the Horcrux would have to check all of them." I then opened a box, showing a diadem. Taking a look at it, I then started smiling. "I found it!"

"Are you sure?" Naoto asked me.

"Look at this central gem," I said, pointing at it. "Do you notice the distinct imperfection?"

"There's a shape in the crystal," Naoto said, looking at it. "It looks like a raven's claw…"

"Because the founder was called Rowena Ravenclaw," I said, smiling. "I'm going to take this, along with Colin, to the Hog's Head," I said, while we were leaving. "Try and meet up with Harry, his team shouldn't be far."

"GET IN!" Harry shouted, as his squad came running towards us.

"Harry?" I asked, before a giant snake crashed into a wall. Screaming, we ran back into the room, closing it before the monster tried to ram into the wall, but the door was already gone by then. "Okay, I'm taking the Horcrux out from in here."

"Good idea," Ron said. "Oh my god, why the hell are there demons in here?"

"…Demons?" Keiji asked.

"JESUS CHRIST, DIDN'T YOU SEE THE UNDEAD BASALISK!" Hermione shouted.

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"Alright," I said, coming out of the passage. "Where do we go now?"

"The students are being held near here," Draco said to me. "The cells are only in the next room."

"How many guards are there?" Ginny asked.

"5," Draco said, as we headed to the door. "They're the incompetent ones, the ones that Voldemort would normally kill by now."

"Alright, shoot to kill or maim?" Kasumi asked me.

"They could still raise the alarm if they're left alive," Mad Eye said. "I say to kill."

"Kasumi, Mad Eye, take them out with magic," I said, as I grabbed the door's handle. "It shouldn't leave blood, right?"

"No," Mad Eye said, gripping his wand. "Okay, kill all the guards, and dispose of the bodies."

"No, knock them out," I said, as they got into position. "Use a body-bind. That should keep them quiet." With a nod, I kicked the door open and shot a single bullet into a Death Eater's leg, before Kasumi and Mad Eye sent curses to stun a few Death Eaters. As more ran around the corner and used a Killing Curse, before I got into the way of the curse, as Kasumi stunned him. As the last one came in…

"Expelliarmus!" Draco said, sending a spell forward as Ginny came in.

"Stupefy!" She cast, knocking the Death Eater into the wall. However, a Death Eater walked around the corner, holding a hostage.

"Put your wands down!" He shouted, as we carefully moved around. However, Neville sent out a light from his hand, causing the Death Eater to freeze, before falling to the floor.

"Okay, I think I may have really hurt him," Neville said, looking at the knocked out Death Eater.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Mad Eye asked.

"I think it was a 'Neural Shock'," Neville said.

"You overwhelmed his nervous system," I said. "He's still alive, use the body-bind curse on them, and then open the cells." As everyone used the body-bind, Kyon found a series of keys and ran towards the doors to the cells and woke the kids up.

"We've taken out the Death Eaters," he said, getting everyone up. "Mad Eye, who should go with you?" He then ran over and started opening more cells.

"Can I take Malfoy and Kyon?" Mad Eye asked me.

"Go ahead," I said, as Kyon opened the last cage. "Why take them?"

"Kyon's a leader, he'll help co-ordinate the group," Mad Eye explained. "Malfoy, however, is the one in the most danger because he could be seen ny a Death Eater."

"Good point," I said, as they lead the students away.

"Ezio," Malfoy said, heading towards me. "That Tony guy, Dante… Whatever his name is, he's 2 rooms away."

"Thanks," I said, as he ran off, helping an injured student out. "Okay, let's head out." As we got over towards another door, we found a large room on the other side, which initially seemed completely barren. However, a red haze covered the doors after we had all gotten inside, and 9 demons showed up. "Hell Wraths?" I asked, as I shot them with my combustors, stunning them. "Seriously, when do the guys with the-"

"Don't push it!" Seamus warned me, before charming our guns and giving us infinite ammo. "Just kill the creatures before more show up."

"Alright, I got a SS score in DMC3," I said, drawing my katana. "Let me see if it gives some combat experience." As two Hell Wraths attacked me with scythes, I dodged the first one and slid under the second strike, before rolling and donkey kicking a demon into the air. I began shooting the demon, juggling it in the air, as Luna gave us strength, defence and magic buffs and smacked a demon into an execution device, with her flag, which the Death Eaters brought in, then Seamus and Neville closed it, killing the demon. When demons came over to them, Seamus unloaded on them with a pair of revolvers and Neville slashed at them with a sword, and also stunning them and throwing debuffs around.

Ginny then caused several shields to surround us as armour, before grabbing a demon and swinging it around, as Kasumi jumped up and started shooting at the swinging demon, before jumping off as Ginny slammed the demon into the ground, killing it. Kasumi, however, started kicking the demon I was holding in the air a few times, jumping off of it, and spinning around in the air, spraying the area with shots that bounced off our armour. As the demon came down to me, I grabbed my katana and made a single slash and killed the demon. As Seamus took out a shotgun, he started shooting the stunned demons and killed them, while one jumped behind him and tried to ambush him, while Luna blocked the attack, threw it to Neville and he impaled the demon by holding his sword forward.

"Well, that was fun," Neville said, pushing the demon away as it dissolved. "So, is Devil May Cry always this fun?"

"Normally, you get a score and a timer that you have to get the lowest time possible," I said. "The demons are stronger too. Thank god it seems the difficulty setting isn't DMD."

"Is that bad?" Seamus asked me.

"Dante Must Die, the hardest setting," Kasumi said. "And Devil May Cry is a difficult game."

"Come on," Luna said, as the red haze shattered. "We have to get through here to get out, and whoever this 'Redgrave' is, he could be a useful asset."


	27. Operation Hogwarts 17: Devil

**Harry**

"So, there's an undead giant snake running around?" Haruhi asked, looking at the wall. "How do we get past that?"

"The room can move," Sirius said. "All we have to do is think of a location."

"Where should we go?" Ron asked. "Do we outright go to a floor? Or do we go somewhere without any Death Eaters and wing it?"

"We should only send around one person out," I said, drawing my knives. "I'll go as a scout."

"Be careful," Hermione said, before the door appeared in front of me. "Don't do anything too daring."

"I'll leave that for Ezio," I said, before opening the door and looking around for where I was. I found myself in the Gryffindor common room, as I went around, looking for a way to get out without going into the Grand Staircase. Thinking carefully, I went over towards the staircase and ran into my room, seeing frozen people inside. Heading towards the window, I opened it, climbed out and closed the window, as I looked around the castle. "Accio flag," I said, drawing a flag over towards myself and tying around myself. Taking a deep breath, I thought 'What the hell am I thinking? I'm only a kid'. I then, poising my makeshift parachute, jumped off the tower, flying around the castle, looking for somewhere to land. Seeing the hanging corpse, however, startled me. I decided that, since I was flying around Hogwarts with a rag, I might as well crash into a window. That and the flag was tearing.

Crashing through a window, I felt something soft under me as I stood up, looking around the room, making sure that there were no Death Eaters around here. As I moved away, I realised that I had landed on…Gregory Goyle? I then heard a door open, so I panicked, before grabbing Goyle and moving over towards a chair, putting him into it and resting a book on his head, making it look like he was asleep. Turning invisible, I started sneaking away, while Crabbe entered the room.

"Goyle, where are you?" Crabbe asked, looking around. "What's with the broken window…? Are you sleeping!"

"No," I said, grabbing him from behind, and kicking him in the back of the knee. "How the hell did you get out of jail?"

"They put us in a jail cell, and I was able to get Goyle to touch my Dark Mark."

"Can you say it without sounding gay?" I asked, as I tightened my grip. "What happened?"

"A Death Eater by the name of Alecto Carrow came and bust us out, sending Shadows out to kill most of the guards and the Muggle prisoners," Crabbe said. "She broke us out, and took us to the Dark Lord." He then tried to reach his dark mark, before I kicked him in the groin and threw him to a table, holding his tattooed arm behind him. "Get off!"

"I'm not that stupid," I said, taking my wand out and holding it to the back of his head. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't just lock you inside a chest and send you to the bottom of the lake."

"You're after all those seals, right?" Crabbe asked me. "If you have the balls to try and get it, it's with the prisoner being tortured in the Muggle Studies classroom."

"Why are you helping me?" I asked.

"I just want to know one thing," Crabbe asked me. "Where's Draco? Are you torturing him?"

"Did we torture you?" I asked, rhetorically. "We used Veritaserum to get some information out of Malfoy. He's a prisoner at our London base."

"Like that traitor, Snape?" Crabbe asked me. "We've got him back as well. The next time you Order assholes try and protect someone, try not to use the Fidelius charm, since we can just get the information out of them. Hell, it's just like your treacherous father and your whore of- Aagh!" I kicked him in the nuts, took out my SMG and aimed it at the back of his head.

"The next time you insult my parents, I'll shoot your ass full of lead," I warned, before smacking him against the head with my SMG. As he was knocked out, I moved him over to another seat, and used the body-bind curse on him and Goyle. Looking around, I used the repairing charm on the window, covering my tracks. Heading into the next room, I headed towards the Muggle Studies classroom.

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"Okay, as soon as I open the door, we look out for demons," I ordered. "If there's 5 or less, we take one at a time, and if there are 10 or more, we switch around as much as possible to disorientate it. Our last fight was around an A in grade, I want to see us pull off an S if possible, C or below is not acceptable. Got it?"

"What if there's a boss fight through this door?" Kasumi asked. "Do we just try to find the attack pattern and exploit it? Or dodge and use chip damage with our firearms?"

"…we close the door and run," I said, before I looked through it. "Uh oh."

"What?" Seamus asked me.

"Luna, use buffs on us," I ordered. "Seamus, can you charge our weapons again?"

"Sure," he said, causing our guns to have infinite ammo.

"Ginny, we're going to need armour," I said to her. "There's a big asshole in here, and he collapsed my lung last time."

"…Are you sure it's the same guy?" Neville asked me.

"I'd say he's a clone, but I'm scared that I might have to fight two of these guys," I said, before a large brute of a man, like the asshole from the Cerberus lab, ripped the door down, as we started firing at him and dodging out of the way. As Neville started debuffing him, I held him in the air with telekinesis and let everyone unload on him, before I threw him into the ceiling and then slamming him, headfirst, into the ground. While he was dazed, I let Ginny take my handgun which she then used to fire several times into the brute's face, causing it to violently explode.

"Please tell me he's dead," Seamus said, looking at him.

"He hasn't got a brain, thanks to Ginny," I said.

"There's no way you fought this guy before," Ginny said, looking at him.

"I never fought him," I said, kicking the dead guy in the nuts, wincing in pain. "He kicked my ass. Didn't I mention my collapsed lung? Anyway, let's get in." As we headed inside, we aimed our gun around before holstering them. "Clear."

"Hey, there's some dead guy here," Ginny said, as she looked at a guy on the wall. "He's got a sword shoved straight through his torso." It was then that I heard someone snoring. "What the hell? He's… asleep…"

"I'll handle it," I said, as I walked forward, and punched him straight to the face, waking him up. "Rise and shine, princess."

"Oh, god," he said, wincing in pain. "Who are you? You're obviously not Death Eaters."

"We're the court appointed bailiffs, and we're here to evict a couple of squatters," Kasumi said, stepping forward. "And you are?"

"Someone who was just punched in the face by an asshole with a purple eye," the guy on the wall said. "Can I at least ask for names?"

"Ezio," I said, looking at him. "And you're Tony Redgrave, right?"

"How'd you hear that?" Tony asked me.

"I'm friends with someone called Draco Malfoy," I said.

"Draco, good kid, wrong crowd," Tony replied. "If he grew up with different parents, he could have become a priest."

"You've got a whole load of f***ing balls, Tony," I said, looking at the sword. It's the actual Rebellion. Cool. "Or, rather, Dante?"

"So, another fan of mine?" Dante asked me, looking around. "Please tell me you're not part of Agnus' fan club?"

"What's your beef with him?" I asked.

"You haven't read volume 4 yet," Kasumi said, handing me a manga. "It's a blast."

"Can I get the rest of your names?" Dante asked. "Maybe help me down?"

"Shoot the chains," I said, as everyone aimed at the chains and shot them down. "Just between you and me, there's a rumour going around on the web forums…"

"I never slept with Trish," Dante said.

"Lucia?"

"Married her."

"Lady?"

"First time using leather."

"Nevan?"

"Quite good with her tongue."

"Vergil?"

"NO!"

"Cereza?"

"You guessed that?"

"She's real?"

"Brains and Bondage."

"Agnus?"

"F***er raped me," Dante responded, before covering his mouth with his free hands.

"Wow, you must really hate him," I said, as I started reading the Manga.

"So, let me get this straight, just from Volume 4," Kasumi said, as she tried to pull the sword out. "Agnus, part of this Order from Italy, is an extremist who worships Sparda, your father, and raped you in some sort of twisted hopes of 'being closer to God'. I bet $5 that he also molested your brother's corpse."

"I owe you 5," Dante said, before giving a look to Kasumi. "How many times has this happened to me?" He asked, rhetorically.

"Oh, right," Kasumi said, before letting go of the sword, as Dante started pushing himself off the blade. Ginny screamed when his ribcage cracked, but Dante was soon off the sword and was pulling it from the wall. "Want anything? Food, water, pants?"

"Pizza sounds nice. Where's the water? And Agnus has my pants in his lab."

"Probably the potions classrooms," Ginny said, as a haptic display appeared.

"We have a few problems, and good news," Nagato said. "Basically, there are demons all over the castle, no Shadows, so these things can think. Specifically, there's an undead basilisk running around the upper floors. Two teenagers, Crabbe and Goyle, were freed from jail by a Death Eater called Alecto Carrow. She led a group of Shadows in attacking the police station. There were no survivors. Also, the Death Eaters attacked the Order safe-house. Severus Snape was captured. He's being held in the potions lab."

"Shit," I said, resting my head on a wall. "Please tell me the good news."

"All of the students were safely delivered to Hogsmeade, and the centaurs are co-operating," Nagato explained. "The military are also here, and they're willing to aid us based on our instructions."

"Don't try and send a team in," I said. "They're too high profile. Lay a siege outside, act as a distraction. Don't try anything, at all. There are at least 3 highly dangerous individuals in here, the leader, Tom Riddle Jr., aka Lord Voldemort, Bellatrix Lestrange, and… What's Agnus' real name?"

"Agnus," Dante responded.

"Agnus, he's on the FBI's most wanted," I said. "Also, be on the lookout for an Alecto Carrow. Contact Delta, let them know that, as soon as they get the Diadem Horcrux, get them out of here."

"Cho has already neutralised the Horcrux," Nagato replied. "They're held up in the Room of Requirement. Harry is heading towards the Muggle Studies classroom."

"What?" I asked, as a map appeared showing where Harry was. "Tell him to retreat, right. Now."

"That order was given approximately 3 minutes ago," Nagato explained. "He disobeyed."

"How do we get to the Muggle Studies classroom?"

"The grand staircase," Nagato said to me. "Fourth floor."

"Thanks," I said, heading towards another door, drawing guns then kicking it open. I then found myself in a large hallway that ended with a staircase. "Where does the staircase lead?"

"It leads to the main entrance hall," Neville said. "What do we do?"

"Kasumi, go take Seamus and find Harry," I ordered. "Ginny, go with Luna and help Dante take out Agnus, and for the love of god, if you don't find him any pants, some underwear at least, lock him in a closet and unlock it when you find some pants or he comes out by himself. That went somewhere horrible, didn't it?"

"Hey, I'm 40 and still hot," Dante said, taking it as a compliment.

"Neville, come with me," I said, as we headed towards the stairs. "We're going to hurt Bellatrix and save my brother."

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

"What do you mean, 'withdraw'?" Sirius asked, questioning Nagato's orders. "Harry's still around the castle."

"He's being extracted," Nagato said. "Find an exit and get out. Voldemort will have to know we've neutralised the Horcrux, and it isn't safe."

"Okay," Naoto said, as Nagato hung up. "Can we make the room appear next to the statue we used to come in with?"

"Yes," Sirius said, mildly annoyed. "But I'm not letting Harry die here, officer. We have to save him."

"…I'll go with Haruhi," Ron said. "I can cause her to instant kill most of these monsters."

"Either we all go, or none of us," I said, stopping Ron from leaving the room. "We'll split up. Ron and Haruhi, Keiji and Sirius, Naoto, Mikuru and me are the teams."

"Alright, let's go," Ron said, leaving through the door and closing it behind him. As it faded and appeared again, I left with my team, finding myself in the Muggle Studies hallway.

"Okay, where do we go?" Mikuru asked me.

"Probably away from the undead snake," Naoto said, as we headed towards the Muggle Studies classroom, as we saw Harry waiting outside, leaned against the door and holding a large parchment. "So, what's with the paper?"

"…It's a map with every single seal marked on it," Harry said. "I thought there was a hostage in there."

"Was there?" I asked him.

"…No."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

After I found Crabbe and Goyle and learned that there was a possible hostage in the Muggle Studies classroom, I headed there quickly, avoiding as many of the guards as possible (There's only a few Death Eaters left, the rest of the guards are demons) before entering the classroom, where I found it in a complete state with smashed tables, chairs and a few damaged walls.

Seeing the map hanging on the wall, I walked over, before pulling out a few pins and looking at the map. "So, there's a master seal and some barriers protecting it?" I said, looking at the map. "Okay, two main seals, one over by the Quidditch pitch and one somewhere… Somewhere in one of the dorms." Folding it away, I put it in my pocket, before turning around.

There was a loud thud from upstairs, the floor above, as it became louder. Suddenly, the roof gave in, as a large spider, which appeared to be made out of lava, crashed down in front of me. "Only a child?" the large monster asked. "I was expecting someone a bit bigger."

"Hey, if you prefer rotten meat, there's an undead giant snake on the upper floors," I said, trying to deter the massive creature.

"What's she doing…?" It said, before beginning to chuckle. "So, you're the kid that eluded Echidna. Too bad for her, I'm starving."

"Oh, come on, aren't you a little too big to be going after the smaller ones?" I asked, as I reached for my sniper rifle.

"…No," It said, before lunging at me. I barely managed to roll out of the way as it crashed into the wall, before getting into position and firing a shot into its face. As it was distracted, I tried to run to the door, before it jumped straight into it. "You're not leaving that easily, dinner!" It then sent a stinger at me, which missed me when I jumped on top of it. When the demon pulled the tail back, I used the momentum to send my self onto its face and unloaded with my SMG, using a dagger to hold myself in place. When I lost my grip, I flew across the room before regaining my pose and aiming my rifle at the creature, firing the gun. I barely hit the creature, since the shot ricochet off of the knife, sending it into the air.

"Seriously, go on a diet, fatass," I said, grabbing my other knife.

"Fatass?" He asked me, horrified. "I'm small compared to most other Phantoms!"

"…Shit," I said, before the knife came back down and hit a rope, causing a chandelier to fall onto the Phantom, knocking it out, as the knife hit a table. Moving carefully towards the spider, I pulled my knife out of the table, before carefully moving around the creature and walking out of the door, closing it carefully behind me. As I rested against the door, I slid down before taking my breath, as Hermione, Naoto and Mikuru came over to me.

"So, what's with the paper?" Naoto asked me.

"…It's a map with every single seal marked on it," I said. "I thought there was a hostage in there."

"Was there?" Hermione asked me.

"…No," I said, before Hermione pulled me up from the floor. "It was a trap, there's a demon in there."

"Should we kill it?" Mikuru asked, obviously scared.

"It would be better if we headed away from here before it wakes up," I said, as I showed everyone the map. "There's a master seal, and around 4 larger demons in the school, plus the Quidditch pitch. We've got to go to the pitch."

"Harry, can we play 'Quidditch' after we deal with the demons?" Naoto asked me. "I know you're trying to help, but we were told to get out of here and regroup."

"If we destroy the seal at the Quidditch pitch, and search the dorms for the other one, we can open up the Headmaster's office," I said. "There's a 'Master Copy' of the seals that are around the school up there. If we destroy that, the others will all fail."

"…Harry," Naoto said, obviously annoyed. "I know that you're obviously thinking about every single student here, but did you not realise that by destroying that seal, you're putting them in danger from demons?"

"I did not think about that," I said. "So, what do we do?"

"We leave," Mikuru said, as we headed towards another hallway, only for Seamus and Kasumi to come through the door.

"Why is there an undead basilisk on the grand staircase!" Seamus shouted at us. "What did you do!"

"It wasn't us!" I shouted, only for Naoto to give me an angry look. "We looked in the Chamber of Secrets for the Horcrux, but that thing was lying in wait. We trapped it inside, but it ripped the hinges off and chased us into the Room of Requirement."

"You found the Room of Requirement?" Kasumi asked, grabbing my collar. "Where is it? Is it nearby? Does it really create anything? Does it make technology? Can it create eezo? TELL ME!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" I shouted, as I shook her off. "Seriously, can we go, before the GIANT LAVA SPIDER wakes up?"

"…There's a Phantom in there?" Kasumi asked.

"Nani?" Mikuru asked, confused.

"Devil May Cry," Kasumi said, before Mikuru suddenly reached for her guns and got them ready. "Well, we've got good news and bad news, so I'll start with the bad. It seems that this action game series called 'Devil May Cry' is a biography, and this Agnus guy is an insane worshipper of a demon called Sparda, and had his half-demon son trapped in the basement. Also, Raphael was captured and is being tortured. We're getting out before we're caught and he's killed. Now, the good. We've gotten prisoners out of the dungeons and to Hogsmeade, and the army has shown up."

"Who called the army?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Kasumi said. "Let's just get out of here, as soon as possible."

"Wait, why would the Death Eaters bring a demon worshipper here?" Mikuru asked. "Are they planning to summon Sparda?"

"If they are, they could try and control him," Kasumi said, with a smile. "Let's botch their ritual, let him go wild on him."

"Are you crazy!" I asked Kasumi, thinking this through. "Come to think about it, it sounds like a good idea, and a good way of delivering karmic justice, especially if he does what they want on them."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Hermione said, as she went over to the door. "Harry, does the phrase 'shit-storm' mean anything to you?"

"Does the phrase 'Benevolent Demon' mean anything to you?" Kasumi asked, taking out a picture. "He created the school's wards, didn't he?"

"What," Hermione asked, confused.

* * *

><p><strong>Elizabeth<strong>

"WHAT!" I asked, to Dumbledore's shock. "Let me get this straight. Not only is the Devil May Cry series real, but the main character is trapped in the dungeons, being held by an insane man who worships Sparda. Sparda also helped create the school's magical wards and is the only one who can change the rules. There are demons in there, and at least a few trolls, let alone Death Eaters. Also, you KNEW that the military would attack anyway, yet you STILL led us up here!"

"…Yes," Dumbledore said, before I grabbed him and threw him into a wall.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING!" I shouted, as Fleur and Bill tried to pull me off.

"That's Albus for you," Aberforth, Dumbledore's brother, said before drinking more Firewhiskey. "He'll only let people know enough to trust and manipulate him."

"What aren't you telling us?" I asked, kicking Bill away. "What does Voldemort plan on doing!"

"…He's trying to turn himself into a demon," Dumbledore responded. "He met someone called Agnus over a year ago, while Agnus was targeting specific individuals in America. Agnus told him about a ceremony called Ascension, something about absorbing a demon's power into a human body. When Voldemort realised that a powerful demon helped set up the wards, the one Agnus was obsessed with, they decided to try and perform the ceremony at Hogwarts."

"And those seals around London?" I asked. "Were they prototypes for the ceremony?"

"No, they're prototypes for summoning demons around the school," Dumbledore said. "That's why he was murdering people; he didn't have the resources that he had as a member of the Order of the Sword." When I heard that, I punched Dumbledore in the face as Fred, George and Charlie all came over and helped Fleur and Bill in restraining me.

"You ********************************************** BASTARD!" I shouted, while George got everyone to move me over to a chair.

"You go girl!" Lupin and Tonks said, in unison, raising their glasses.

"IF ANYONE GETS KILLED DUE TO YOUR INCOMPETENCE, I'M GOING TO CUP OFF YOUR CAJONES AND SHOVE THEM DOWN YOUR THROAT!" I shouted as they tied me to a chair.

"He hasn't got any," Aberforth said, before pouring another glass of whiskey and laughing.

"LISTEN, YOU MOTHERF***ING j**! YOU ONLY GOT OUT HERE BECAUSE OF US! DON'T YOU EVER TRY AND GO OVER OUR F***ING HEADS, don't you ever try and f*** us. Ya jerk!"

"I didn't know you were a Pesci fan," Tonks said to me.

"Is anyone going to help me?" I asked, trying to move, before falling over.

"Koizumi?" Kyon asked, as Itsuki looked at me.

"Kyon?" Itsuki asked, before the two started walking towards me and lifting me up, and walking towards the castle, in a routine worthy of Fred and George. "We're borrowing your psychotic, violent healer while she's still ready to blow."

"You can't just leave," Kingsley Shacklebolt said, as the two kept carrying me.

"Watch us," Itsuki said, as they headed towards a store and headed towards the Shrieking Shack, which had a way into the castle.

"Thanks for helping me," I said, as the two set me down. "But, when I asked for help, it was to kick the shit out of Dumbledore. And either way, did you have to carry me all the way here?"

"We thought it was funny," Kyon said, as he took out a katana. "Now, hold still while I cut the rope." Kyon then cut me free, as Itsuki went over and looked inside the shack. "Okay, so, just us three?"

"Nope," Apollo said, as he appeared, holding a glass of wine. "So, how do we get in?"

"There's a tunnel that leads under a tree called the Whomping Willow," Itsuki said, as he looked for an entrance. "Be careful, it actually moves, from what I've heard. There's a reason it's called the Whomping Willow- WHAT THE HELL!" As Itsuki was stumbling, we saw Apollo put his foot down after kicking a wall in. "There was a door!"

"Really?" Apollo asked, as he stepped back, with a grin on his face. "Where?" When Itsuki pointed to a wall, Apollo's grin faded, followed by his ears flopping downward and his tail hitting the ground. "Oh," Apollo said, weakly, before the house collapsed in front of us with an audible crash.

"Oh," Itsuki said, sarcastically. "And guess what? You kicked out the support beam. Can you dig into the tunnel?" Apollo then stepped forward and caused the pieces of wood to disappear. "Oh."

"Oh," Apollo said, having his grin return and heading towards the hole.

* * *

><p><strong>Ginny<strong>

"Hallelujah," Dante said, running into the room and grabbing a pair of jeans and putting them on in an instant. "Oh, you have no idea how good these feel."

"Really?" I asked, looking around. "I've been looking for a reason to strip off for a while." When I said that, Dante looked disturbed, but Luna was actually thinking it through. "Anyway, what the hell is this?" I then pointed at a series of insane images on the blackboard, showing some sort of runes.

"Ah, crap," Dante said, as he buckled his belt. "He's trying the Ascension ceremony again?"

"Ascension?" Luna asked. "He's trying to become an angel?"

"He's already done it to himself," Dante explained. "He's no longer human; he turned himself into a demon 3 years ago. It doesn't actually turn you into an angel; it absorbs a demon's power into a human."

"They're trying to do this to Voldemort," I said, looking around. "That's why they need all the students, they're sacrifices."

"I don't think so," Luna said, as she looked at the board. "This says something about the similarities between a demon sealing some of their powers in specific places and a Horcrux. When a demon seals a large amount of their powers and 'die' in a sense of the word, their consciousness travels to where the most power is sealed. And Agnus has broken all but one of them."

"Where's the last seal?" I asked.

"You're smarter than that, Ginny," Luna said. "He's looking for a secret room here, somewhere in the castle. He thinks that it's somewhere in the Great Hall."

"…They're trying to free Sparda?" Dante asked.

"I think they want to use him as a power source," Luna said, as she took out a phone and took pictures of the board. "They're waiting for Brutus Crabbe to find the room, but he's stumped."

"Not very surprising," I said, as I looked at the board. "What would happen if we switched a few symbols around?"

"My father's alive?" Dante asked, shocked. "…I can't believe it."

"Well, wait until after we find that room," Luna said, as she went towards the door, before stopping. "There's someone out there."

"Well, I found one of my guns," Dante said, twirling it in his hands. "Can any of you find the other? It's black."

"Is this it?" I asked, holding the gun up, before sliding it across a table. As he gripped it and cocked the gun, he then holstered it before heading over towards the door. "So, what do you plan to do?"

"Kick ass," Dante said, gripping his sword.

"Demons?" Luna asked.

"Hopefully," Dante replied, with a grin.

"What if they're humans?" I asked.

"Well," Dante said, pondering. "They shouldn't get in my way!" He then kicked the door in, striking three demons at a time and drawing his sword. "Hope I'm not late to the party. Is there any booze left? Has the women left yet?"

"Aren't you married?" I asked Dante, as a demon came into the room, which Luna then smacked into a board.

"Don't mess with my groove," Dante chastised us, while he came into the room and pulled the demon out.

"So…" Luna said, picking up a piece of chalk and walking to the board. "Do you want this Agnus guy to explode, melt or shrivel?"

"Can we do all three?" I asked.

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

As Neville and I ran towards the clock tower, we stopped just before we ran into a Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange, walking around with demons, obviously on patrol. When they got around the corner, we ran across the hall, entering a staircase that had arcs of electricity travelling around, as I heard Raphael screaming in pain. Running forward, I saw Raphael, restrained to a chair, returned to his original height from before he got his powers and suffering from severe burns.

"Raph!" I called out, as I tried to run down, only for Neville to stop me.

"…ugh, Ezio?" Raphael asked, before he winced in pain as more power travelled through him.

"Jesus, are you okay?" I asked, looking at Neville, who pointed at the stairs, to show several lasers around the stairs. "What the hell did that bitch do to you?"

"She read a book about different forms of torture," Neville said, picking up a book. "This is about using electricity to torture someone, showing how to do it without leaving lasting damage. It mentions soaking sponges in brine."

"She doesn't use sponges," Raph said, before more electricity travelled through his body. "She put a lump of element zero under my chair, saying it boosts magic when it's being held by a wizard. She's figured out that it hurts Conduits however."

"Is there any other problems?" I asked.

"Yeah," Raph said, looking around. "There's a bomb under this chair. Lestrange mentioned that it's a green gas. If you try to go down the stairs, the chair will explode, along with the bomb holding the bell up." Looking up, I saw a metallic bell with a few bombs around the ropes. "She didn't tell me what the gas is."

"I think that's a napalm bomb," I said, looking at it. "That, or chlorine gas." Looking around, I stepped over a beam and jumped down to Raph, being careful as to not stand on the cables. Looking round, I saw a generator feeding the electrical circuitry. "Okay, how do I shut this off?"

"…Lestrange has a key," Raphael said. "That's how she put me in here, she constantly wears it."

"There's no way we can get the key," Neville said, looking down at me. "How do we get him out?"

"There's a dead man's switch here," I said, looking around. "If we undo the locks, even with the key, the bomb on the bell will go off, causing it to come down on us. Take out the bell's bomb, however, and the chair will explode. If we manage to take out both bombs, the ones on the platform that you're standing on will explode. Neville, if there's any small black boxes near the way we came in, we armed the bombs when we came in."

"Uh, oh," Neville said, coming over to the ledge, looking down at me. "How do we get out of here?"

"I'll handle that," I said, as I looked at the bomb. "There's an ammeter here, if we cut the power, we're dead. We have to find a power source to fool it." Looking around, I found a couple of batteries lying around. "Okay, just give me a minute and… there aren't enough batteries."

"Is there a problem?" Neville asked me, as Raph was electrocuted again.

"I'm not a bomb disposal expert," I said, looking around. "We need to get one in here. How the hell did Lestrange get this all set up without help, or killing herself?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out," I heard Lestrange said.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," Neville said, coldly, while I found a medical machine around the ground, showing a heartbeat. Since it wasn't linked to Raphael, I realised Bellatrix's trick.

"Neville Longbottom, is it?" Lestrange asked, mockingly. "How's mum and dad, then?" _Neville, don't kill her, she's wearing a heart monitor, and if she dies, so do we!_

"Better," Neville said, calmly. "Considering you'll be dead by sunrise, which should make them happy." Bellatrix just laughed at this, obviously not threatened. "How'd you set all of these bombs up, anyway? I mean, you have to be really good to set up all of these bombs without killing yourself. So, was it the Imperius curse?"

"You're clever," Lestrange said, mockingly. "I hear you're not very good with actually using magic, though, but-"

"Oh, come off it," Neville said, disgusted. "You're just a madwoman who deserves Azkaban. You're not very intelligent, so you just use other people. Hell, I know more about this bomb than you. You put infra-red lasers and detectors into the doorways and onto the staircase." _There are no detectors here, they're just a distraction._ "Or just the doorways, considering that there are no detectors or links to the circuit like the lasers here. You put bombs under the floor here to kill anyone who tampers with the electrics below or try to enter or leave, put a bomb under the guy in the chair if we try to disarm the bell's bomb, which will in turn detonate if we cut the power to the chair. They're linked through the Ammeters, which have a base setting that will detonate when we cut the other power currents. The nail bombs on the roof outside were a nice touch, by the way, intended to kill us on the outside was a particularly sadistic touch."

"You and that Muggle _are_ quite smart," Bellatrix said, as I heard her turning around. "Better hope that none of your friends run into me. Oh, and if you do manage to disarm the bombs and free Agnus's experiment, try and get out early. It's your only warning."

"Wait, what 'experiment'?" I asked as I walked over to Raphael. "Raph, what did he do to you?"

"He injected me with this bizarre glowing liquid," Raphael said, before being electrocuted again. "I have no idea what it is."

"Okay, I think I can get Raph out…" I said, running up to Neville. "Neville, I need you to disable the bomb on the bell."

"…What?" Neville asked, obviously scared.

"I'll walk you through it, but if I try this by myself, we all die," I said, handing him a wire clipping. "Now climb up there and find the ammeter, please."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"And we've successfully evaded the giant snake," I said, as we got to the outside of the Great Hall. "So, which dorm should we try first? Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin?"

"We're leaving, Harry," Hermione said, putting her foot down. "And besides, wouldn't there be a large number of demons in there, let alone Death Eaters?"

"Well, we'd better get in before the undead basilisk spots us," Kasumi said, pointing at the staircase, as the basilisk was slithering down the staircase. As I opened the door and all of us walked inside, we all shuddered when the door closed, as we looked around and saw that the Great hall was covered in ice, and there was an enormous demonic frog, covered in ice, sleeping at the end. "Okay, listen carefully, I'll only say this once," Kasumi whispered to us as we moved around carefully. "We do not provoke any demons at all. If any of you provoke that thing, I'll kill you myself."

"What was that?" Mikuru asked, as we heard a series of crashes outside. Grabbing everyone there, I grabbed everyone and got them to come towards me before turning invisible as the demon woke up, looking around and yawning.

"What in the hells was that?" the demon said, looking at the door, as the basilisk and phantom burst in, trying to get inside the room.

"Get out of my way, bitch!" Phantom shouted, as the basilisk pulled it back. "Those humans are mine!"

"I saw them first!" the basilisk shouted as Phantom stung it with its tail. "I need them to get my body back!"

"What the hells are you doing!" the giant frog said, as the two stopped fighting. "I'm trying to sleep here!"

"You didn't sense those humans coming in here?" The snake asked, pushing the spider down. "Around 6 or 7 just came in here. AND I WANT THEM!"

"Screw you, whore!" Phantom shouted, striking the basilisk with its claw.

"So, let me get this straight," the frog said, glaring at the others. "Even though the Son of Sparda is trapped in the basement- No, let me rephrase that. Even though I can sense that the Son of Sparda is FREE, and is running around killing demons, there are several demon hunters in the castle and the summoner went CATATONIC an hour ago, and you're fighting over a SMALL MEAL!"

"…He's free?" The Basilisk asked, shocked.

"GET BACK INTO THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, ECHIDNA!" The frog shouted, as the basilisk slithered away at alarming speeds. Phantom then decided to look around, before trying to walk out of the room, before the frog jumped over to it. "Hold it, Phantom."

"What is it, Bael?" The spider said, turning back around.

"Let's get the hells out of here," Bael said, obviously scared. "We both know what Dante is capable of, and he already killed our parents! There's no way I'm staying here, especially since Agnus is dead, and especially since he was a madman!"

"How bad is it?" Phantom said, obviously not that worried. "We just avoid Dante, right?"

"Oh, no," Bael said, as if ready to crap himself. "We can avoid Dante, that's what we can do. But if we don't get back to hell, we can't avoid SPARDA, now, can we?" Phantom then started looking worried, as it took a step back. "That's why that freak was obsessed with this place! Sparda sealed most of his power in this school, and he suffered a psychic shock when he tried to free him! I don't know about you, Phantom, but I'm not stupid enough to face his wrath."

"Where do we hide!" Phantom said, running towards the exit. "What about Echidna and Griffon!"

"F*** them!" Bael said, running towards door. "I hate Echidna too, remember? Before she became a ghost, she ate my brother. And by the way, didn't you know that Griffon helped kill Sparda's wife! He's our distraction!" As the two ran off, we turned back to basic visibility and looked around.

"Well, at least we have some idea of what they're doing," Naoto said, looking around. "Resurrecting a demon? Well, hopefully holy magic should deal with it."

"Don't you play the Devil May Cry games, or read the manga?" Kasumi asked Naoto, as she looked around.

"I barely have the time," Naoto said, looking around. "Hey, is this staircase normally here?"

"No," Hermione said looking at the ground. "There's a large amount of ice down here. I could move it if you want, but I highly say we leave."

"We'll only be a minute, right?" Mikuru asked, as she grabbed onto my arm, scared. "Bu...ut, we hate to take a look, find a way of stopping the Death Eaters…" Suddenly, the ice started shifting wildly, creating an arch above the staircase. "How did you do that?"

"I'm a sorceress," Hermione said, as she started moving more ice. "I have complete control over ice, I can create ice golems and I can summon an eidolon. Would you like some to protect you?" As Mikuru nodded, some ice creatures, reptilian and with large claws and spiked tails, and they stood around Mikuru. "Wait, there's someone coming up!" Hermione said, before sending the golems away and I turned the five of us invisible.

"Where's the marshmallows?" A scarab-like demon asked, as it walked up the staircase. "Perhaps there's some in th-th-the lab. I hope so, I'm starving."

"What the hell?" Seamus whispered, before Kasumi covered his mouth with her hand, as the scarab demon jumped, screaming.

"Who's that?" It began to cry. Kasumi whispered something into Seamus' ear, as he started grinning.

"I am the ghost of Christmas past," I said in an eerie voice, as Hermione just rested her head in her hand.

"AAAGH!" The beetle screamed, trying to run away, before slipping on some ice and hitting his head on the wall, before falling on the ground, unconscious. As we regained visibility, Hermione summoned her golems again and then started staring at the demon.

"Seriously, one demon's a sex-pest, two of them just ran off and this guy, who is high as a kite," Seamus said, as she looked at the demon. "Is **THIS** what we're fighting? Some asshole who thought I was the ghost of Christmas past? It's not even December!"

"It's probably the psychic shock that Bael mentioned," I said, heading down the stairs. "Besides, who would you say, mother***ing Merlin? It must have something to do with Sparda. We take a quick look, then we get back to Hogsmeade, okay?"

"If we die, you're getting your ass kicked," Naoto said, cocking her gun.

* * *

><p><strong>Liz<strong>

"So, this is Hogwarts on the outside?" Kyon asked, looking around from under the tree, as we saw two large creatures. "Great, how do we get around the trolls?"

"Leave that to me," Apollo whispered, as he teleported away. "Hello, gentlemen, my name is Dr Apollo Grey, I'll be your plastic surgeon today," Apollo said, cockily. "I'm going to kick your face in, breaking your facial bones, before beating them into a new position." The trolls then began walking over to him, dragging their clubs behind them. "Now, I don't want to worry you, but we don't have any anaesthesia, so you'll be in a lot of pain. However, this will be over in an instant." A troll swung its club at him before Apollo teleported away and then troll fell to its knees. Behind him, Apollo was standing under him, cracking his knuckles. "Let's begin the operation." The other troll tried to grab him before Apollo teleported away, and then someone whistled from on the tree. "I've never used this piece of equipment before, but if you just come over here…" The second troll charged over as Apollo teleported away and the troll paused in confusion, before the tree started attacking him.

"Is he always like this?" Kyon asked.

"Not always, no," Apollo said, behind us, as we jumped in surprise. "Normally, I'm like a ninja. Whenever I have to take someone out, I snap their neck. When I get surrounded by guards I teleport away. But when I have to kill a group of guards, it's quick, powerful, and devastating. But if you hurt someone I care about, I'll destroy the lot of you, in a slow, painful, long matter." We were all silent when he said that, seeing the stoic seriousness in his face, before the troll next to the tree fell over, dead. "And that's just a general idea of what happened when my uncle died. Sorry, got to go." As he teleported away again, the troll that was still conscious managed to stand up, only for Apollo to appear on his left shoulder, with a large grin on his face and cracking his knuckles. "Hi."

"We are to never piss him off, intentionally or otherwise to the best of our abilities," Itsuki said, as we all watched in horror as Apollo got busy on the troll. "Please tell me he has super strength."

"Why are you glad to hear that!" I shouted, looking at him with complete shock.

"Because, if he didn't have super strength," Itsuki said, watching on. "I'd hate to see him have some after this."

"He does have super strength," I said, as Apollo finished on the troll. "Although, that is a genuine fear when you think about it. Hey, Kitty-cat!" I shouted at Apollo, as he stood up, as his tail dropped to the ground. "When you're done having fun, we've got a job…to…do." Apollo turned around to me, completely furious, with flames in his eyes. It didn't help that he was covered in blood.

"Do not, under any circumstances, call me 'Kitty-cat'," Apollo said, in a cold and angry voice. "That is your one and only warning." Apollo then walked away, as we tried not to freak out.

"How do we get out of here?" Kyon asked as we looked up at the tree. "I don't know about you, but I don't want to be crushed by a F***ING TREE!" As Kyon said that, we heard a rapid running coming towards us. "What's that?" Suddenly, the tree was smashed by a large creature as it ran away from the school, screaming in terror. "Was that a giant spider?"

"Was it running away?" Itsuki asked.

"Is that a giant frog?" I asked, as a large frog landed on the tree as we crouched down, destroying the ground around us, trapping us in the dirt.

"Phantom!" the giant frog said, before jumping away. "W-wait for me!" As we tried to get out of the ground, we struggled, as Kyon tried to dig himself out because he had the luxury of using his hands. Apollo then walked back over, chuckling to himself as he sat down next to us.

"So, need any help?" Apollo asked as he watched up.

"You're enjoying this," Itsuki said as he started moving the ground around him. "I'm fine."

"I could use some help," Kyon said, as the ground around him disappeared before the ground appeared around me, before Kyon stood up.

"Were you that upset about what I said?" I asked, as I tried to move. "Dear god, how bullied were you in school?"

"Quite a bit," Apollo said, as he leaned down towards me. "Lombax puberty hit much later than most of the people on my home world so it was hell until I grew a few feet. So, start bargaining."

"I'm not having sex with you," I said, coldly.

"Oh, please, don't think I'd abuse my position like that," Apollo said, as he took out a marker. "So, which would you like? Scars or a patch?"

"I hate you," I said, as Ron walked over to us.

"What's going on?" Ron asked, as he looked around. "What's with the dead trolls? Why is the Whomping Willow destroyed? Why is Liz up to her head in dirt?" Ron then paused as he looked at Apollo. "Why are you covered in blood?"

"Details, details," Apollo said, as he brought the marker closer to my face. "Now, hold still, Eliza- Hey, what the hell?" Apollo was grabbed by Haruhi, as Kyon and Itsuki came over and joined Haruhi and ran towards the lake. "Let go!"

"Can you help me?" I asked Ron, as he started digging into the mound of dirt, while I struggled to shake the dirt off. Soon, my arms were free and I started digging as well. "Apollo beat up the trolls because we couldn't get past otherwise. Two large monsters, a flaming spider and a frozen frog, destroyed the tree when they ran past." Ron was pretty scared when he heard the spider line. "And for why I'm buried in dirt… I insulted Apollo." As Ron pulled me out of the ground, we walked over towards the lake, as Haruhi pulled Apollo towards the lake and threw him in. That was pretty funny, and Ron and I ran towards the lake as Apollo stormed out.

"Why the f*** did you do that?" Apollo asked as he walked towards the castle.

"You were dirty," Haruhi said, with a smile. "Come on, we have to get back inside. Everyone split up, and from what I've heard from Nagato, Neville and Ezio armed a bomb when they tried to rescue Raphael and are trying to disarm it."

"What!" I asked, before bolting towards the castle, as demons surrounded me and I took out my spear, as Ron and Haruhi rushed over, Ron taking out his axe and Haruhi taking out a deck of cards. As a demon lunged at me, Haruhi threw a few cards at demon and causing fire to surround it, knocking it back. "Okay, they're weak against fire magic."

"That's my cue," Ron said, smiling before causing a card to appear and holding his axe ready. "Persona!" As Ron struck the card, a large and imposing figure appeared and started throwing fireballs around. "Good job, Arthur… Oh, God." Ron then fainted, falling to the ground as his spirit disappeared and Apollo teleported next to him. "I'm good, I can still fight."

"You fainted mid-battle," Apollo said, before Ron was warped a few feet away and Apollo stood up before stretching. "You killed most of them by yourself. That was still impressive." As a demon lunged at Apollo, he simply dodged it and grabbed the demon's face, crushing it in his hand. As more demons showed up, Itsuki joined into the action by throwing some chakras around, and pulling them back towards himself, while Kyon used his katana to cut into the demons. I then started thrusting my spear into the demons, causing it to get stuck inside one demon. Not hesitating, I lifted the demon up above me and started shaking the demon, then slamming it against the ground as it died.

"Hey, mind if I play pickup 52?" Haruhi asked, as she readied her deck. As I pointed my spear away from myself, Haruhi threw her cards up as I started spinning my spear around my head as the cards were caught in a tornado of my creation. As the cards struck the demons, different cards struck the demons and our squad, causing different effects. Most of the demons were hit with different magical effects, such as magical attacks and debuffs, while Apollo, Itsuki, Kyon and Ron were hit with healing magic and character buffs. "What, did you think that I'd allow friendly fire?"

"Hey, one of these guys is completely dazed," Apollo said, as he crouched down. "Mind if I…"

"Go ahead," I said, as Apollo started grinning, before he started stretching.

"I'm gonna kick you all the way to Virmire," Apollo said, as he finished stretching before kicking the stunned demon straight towards the sky, sending the demon far away as it became a twinkle in the sky. "Uh oh, I think I may have accidentally kicked him towards the Citadel."

"Is that bad?" Haruhi asked, looking confused.

"If they link that to this world, it could cause some political consequences later," Apollo said, as the last surviving demon watched on, confused and horrified. "Boo," Apollo said to it, as it began to try and run away, only for Ron to strike it with his axe, sending into the air as Itsuki opened fire with his rifle before throwing his chakras at the demon, just as Ron helped Kyon up into the air and made 2 horizontal slashes at the demon before making a vertical slash as he came down to the ground, before flicking his katana clean and then holstering it, as the demon was separated into pieces in the air and then landed on the ground. Kyon then walked over towards the entrance and looked onto the ground.

"Hey guys, who's bleeding?" Kyon asked, as we all walked over.

"I got a paper cut from a card but it's nothing," Haruhi said as she stood in a large puddle of blood. "Agh! What the- What the hell is this!" Haruhi then jumped back, falling back onto Kyon and knocking him over. As Ron helped Haruhi up, Itsuki helped Kyon up while Apollo came over and looked at the puddle. Taking a look, he was equally confused as I was when I stared at the puddle.

"There's roughly 4-5 litres of blood within the human body," I said, looking at the puddle. "There's 4 litres here. If this came from only one person, they died and bled out here. There's no body, so it was taken from here at an indefinite time. I can't tell when the person died, but it was recent because the red blood cells are only now separating from the plasma."

"There's blood splatter on the wall here," Apollo said. "If someone was killed here, it was probably with a gun. Or a blunt object, I can't tell." However, what caught our interest was a sudden drop of blood from the ceiling. As we looked at each other, I could see an uncertainty in Apollo's face before we looked upward. "Well, I think we found our corpse." The male victim was hanging from a hook embedded into his foot. Most of his body was flayed, except for his face which was frozen in agony. "So, do you think the demons killed him?"

"I think so," Ron said, gagging at the site of the dead body. "But… He's a Death Eater. See his arm?" Ron was right. The arm of the Death Eater was left untouched, showing a Dark Mark. "Perhaps the Death Eaters can't actually control them?"

"We're way in over our heads," Itsuki said, as he looked at the Death Eater. "Let's find everyone and get out then come up with a better plan."

"Good idea," I said, heading towards the door. "If we get separated, meet up here, okay? Apollo, when you find someone, teleport them back to Hogsmeade."

"Okay," Apollo said as he helped open the heavy door. "Oh crap," He said, before pulling the door closed. "There's a giant zombie snake in there."

"Yes, I should have warned you about that," Ron said, as we heard a large crash into the door. "We should just sneak away, there's an entrance into the school by the greenhouses." Apollo then ran over towards Kyon, Haruhi and Itsuki and lifted them up from the ground, ran towards Ron, grabbed him then ran over towards me. "Hey, what the hell?"

"Grab my tail," Apollo said, as I immediately complied. We were immediately warped away into a completely different location, where we all saw the lighthouses. "Okay, Ron, how do we get in to the greenhouse?"

"Well, there's mainly an entryway from the ground floor, only a short distance away from a courtyard," Ron said, as Haruhi, Kyon and Itsuki looked around. "Most students use it to enter the smallest greenhouse where Professor Sprout teaches the Herbology classes. The larger greenhouses are used for growing potion ingredients for Professor Snape as well as certain herbs and spices that are used in the kitchen."

"Ron, how do get inside the greenhouses from out here?" Itsuki asked before pushing a window open and falling into the greenhouse.

"Does that answer your question?" Ron replied as we all climbed in. "Oh, and don't knock those plants over. Those are Mandrake plants and their cries can kill you."

"That's a really funny joke," Apollo said as he began juggling some pots. "You're actually serious, aren't you? Can I have one? I have a friend who would be fascinated by these."

"Ask Professor Sprout when you can," Ron said as we got out of the greenhouse.

* * *

><p><strong>Neville<strong>

"Alright, I'm in position," I said, as I hung from the bell. Being careful not to touch anything, I carefully lowered myself to read the ammeter that was on the bell. "It's an alarm, if it goes over 5 amps or below 1 amp, it will detonate. The reading says… 3 amps."

"Is it directly connected to the bomb?" Ezio asked, as I looked around. "With how the bomb works, that might be my ammeter up there, not yours."

"No, it's not directly connected," I said. "What do I do first?"

"Look for a green cylinder," Ezio said, as I saw it where the bell was hanging from a rope. "That's the main explosive device. Don't touch at all because it will detonate."

"I found it," I said, looking at it. "There are a few plastic bits at the end here. What do I do with those?"

"Hold on, I'll sight jack you," Ezio said as I felt a sudden faintness. "Okay, those are simple batteries which store electric power and then slowly seep it through the circuitry. If we cut the main power, those will eventually detonate the main bomb. Okay, you have to carefully remove them. Since the wires are covered, you have to carefully strip the wires."

"That's why you gave me those nail clippers, right?" I asked, looking at the batteries. "Okay, is there anything I should do or say?"

"'Let's begin the operation'?" Ezio asked me. Taking a deep breath, I put the plastic gloves on and grabbed the nail clippers. Pulling myself closer to the wires, I carefully positioned the nail clippers and gently closed them before pulling the plastic covering apart. "Good. I can see through your eyes with my powers, so if you're doing something wrong, just ask me what to do. Okay, do the same to the next wire. I'll do the same down here." Putting the nail clippers next to the wire, I cut into the plastic before pulling it apart, exposing more metal wiring. "That's perfect. Now, you have some wire in that bag. Pull yourself back up and take it out."

"Just tell me what to do and I'll do it while hanging," I said, taking out the wire. "What do I do with the wire?"

"Measure how long you need the wire to be and then strip the beginning of the wire," Ezio said, as I pulled the wire out. It was a short amount, but I stripped the beginning of the roll of wire and then cut the wire off. "When you're ready, strip the end of the wire you just cut off." I then positioned the nail clippers and squeezed into the plastic, before pulling it off. "Wrap one end around the part of the wire that you exposed, and then wrap the other end around the other end." As I carefully put the wire around one of the bomb's exposed wires, I began sweating before I was finished. Grabbing the other end, I wrapped that part before I was finished. "Okay, when you're done, you can now cut off the batteries. Just cut above your wire all the way through. Use the scissors for that." Putting the nail clippers away, I took out a small pair of scissors before positioning them above my wires and then cutting them, causing the battery to fall to the ground. "Brilliant. I've already cut off my batteries. How many do you have up there?"

"There's one more," I said, looking at the circuitry. "I'm about to strip the wires now."

"Is anyone in here?" Sirius asked, as I heard some rapid moving from below. Looking downward, Ezio was running towards the entrance to the bell-tower.

"Sirius, stop!" Ezio shouted just as Sirius was about to come in. "Keiji, Sirius, do not come through this doorway."

"Is there a problem?" Sirius asked as some more footsteps could be heard.

"There's a bomb out here," Keiji said. "There's a nail bomb. There are lasers that will detonate if we cross them. And I guess there are more bombs in the clock tower?"

"Bingo," Ezio said, as I let the second battery fall, hitting Raph.

"Sorry, Raphael," I said, as Raph smiled.

"It's fine- AAGH!"

"There's a bomb under the chair that Bellatrix Lestrange put Raphael into," Ezio told the others. "Those are nail bombs at the top of the archway inside, to stop us from getting out, and there are bombs under the floor here to stop people from coming in. The bell also has a bomb on it, and it will detonate if we try and take him out of the chair that he's being electrocuted in. If we fail to disarm the bomb's bell, Raph dies by bomb."

"I managed to take off the green cylinder," I said, holding it in my hand. "Do I drop it?"

"NO!" Ezio shouted, while I carefully pulled myself up. "Neville, take it down here."

"Okay," I said, while I was pulling myself up. "Hey, Ezio? There's a hole in the bell with two wires going inside."

"What?" Ezio said as he ran under the bell. "Dammit! Neville, there's a bomb in the bell!"

"What!" I asked, before lowering myself downward. "I'm going to drop this explosive. Can you catch it?" _Sure._ As I dropped the explosive, it slowly floated toward Ezio as I lowered myself down and looked into the bell. "There's more of those battery things, around 27, and there's two explosive cylinders. There's also a timer, saying '13:58."

"WHAT!" Ezio shouted. "Neville, carefully disarm the bomb if you can, I'll see if I can handle the bomb down here!"

"I'll get past the bomb here and let us in," Keiji said as he took out a few mirrors. "Just stay calm and remain steady." As I got to work stripping some wires bare, I heard Ezio running down to Raph and continue working on his bomb.

"Hey, Keiji, what do I do if there's a mercury trigger?" Ezio asked, obviously worried.

"I'm almost done with the lasers," Keiji said. "I'll handle it as soon as I'm done with the nail bombs."

"Well, I can't wait," Ezio responded. "These aren't ammeters, they're timers. And I've got only 3 minutes to disarm this bomb. I can take off a few batteries. Maybe take off one of the three explosives. Neville, how are you doing?"

"I've taken off all of the batteries," I responded. "Is it always this easy to disarm a bomb? Moving on to the explosives." As I used the nail clippers to expose the wires, I took out some more wire and stripped the ends before wrapping the wire around exposed metal and cutting off the explosive cylinders, then placing them into my bag. "I've stopped the bomb!" As I lowered myself out of the bell and then lowered myself down to the platform with the exit, Keiji then ran inside and down while Sirius used his wand to pull me over.

"Most of these aren't necessary," Keiji said to Ezio. "But these are actual napalm bombs. Be careful, you can take off the last cylinder but the electric charge through the chair could detonate the bomb."

"… I can't do it," Ezio said, as he dropped his nail clippers and moved away. Keiji then took over and carefully moved the bomb out from under the chair while Ezio ran over to the generator.

"I've got it," Keiji said, taking out the last cylinder before setting it down. "Most of the bombs under the platform are useless. Go ahead and cut the power." As Ezio flicked a switch, the generators began to stop as we all ran down towards Raphael, while Keiji picked the locks holding Raphael into the chair.

"Raph, can you hear me?" Ezio said, trying to awaken his unconscious brother.

"I'm fine," Raphael said, before he started coughing.

"Get that necklace off him," Ezio said, before Keiji started cutting into the necklace. "Raph, you're going to be okay, we just need to get you to Liz in Hogsmeade. Nagato, tell Liz to prepare for us."

"Elizabeth-Chan is in Hogwarts," Nagato replied. "She got into an argument with Dumbledore and came into Hogwarts through a secret tunnel with Koisumi-San and Kyon-San. They were eventually joined by Apollo-San, Suzumiya-Chan and Weasley-Chan. They're on the first floor, by the Herbology classroom."

"That's not far from here," I said, as he ran forward. "I can lead you there."

"Okay," Ezio said while lifting Raphael over his shoulder. "Keiji, can you help?"

"Sure," Keiji said as he helped Ezio lift Raph up the stairs. "Okay, lead the way."

* * *

><p><strong>Ginny<strong>

"Okay, we've got to be careful," Luna said, as we looked around the hallway for any demons. "We find the chamber that Agnus is looking for, we sabotage his magic and we get out. We have to be careful that there are no problems. Got it?"

"Got it," I said, looking around the hall. "Is that… Is that a basilisk?"

"An undead basilisk," Luna said as she looked around. "Oh, for the love of Orvus… How the hell does this happen?"

"How dare those insignificant bastards," the undead basilisk said. "How could Bael and Phantom just leave? Are they cowards? Well, I'll kill them later, after restoring my body."

"Well, well, well," Dante said, stepping out of the stairway as Luna and I began to panic. "I didn't expect you to get uglier, Echidna."

"YOU!" The basilisk shrieked, before lunging at Dante who effortlessly jumped out of the way. "Piss off, Dante!"

"No can do, Misssssss," Dante hissed, smiling at her. "So, how come Agnus summoned you back here? And what's this about Phantom and Bael? I'd love to see those two again."

"NOT IF YOU DIE!" Echidna shouted, before lunging at Dante again. In the flurry of sword swings and gunshots, I tugged at Luna's sleeves.

"Hey, I just realised something," I said to Luna, pointing at a wall. "The portraits, they're blank."

"I realised that," Luna said, as she pointed at the Great Hall. "The door's open. Let's see what's inside."

"Are you insane?" I asked her. "Wait, don't answer that." As Luna nodded, she then headed out towards the door. "What I'm trying to say," I whispered to her, while pulling her back, "is that we don't know what's in there."

"Lots of ice, and the room where Agnus was searching for," Luna replied. "Come on, we have to alter the seal before midnight, that's when Agnus will be able to free Sparda and control his powers. All I need to do is make one single change. And before you ask, it's 11:30."

"Alright, let's go," I said as we ran across the hallway before the undead basilisk crashed into the ground and Dante, now some sort of demon for some reason, was spinning his sword on one hand and his gun on the other. "We're going to go mess up the Death Eater's plans."

"Have fun," Dante said, before the door closed and Echidna was now beginning to get up. "So, where were we?"

"So, how long do we have?" I asked Luna. "And how long will you take?"

"About 3 seconds," Luna responded. "And I have no idea how long the road is. I forgot…" Suddenly, Dante slid through the door, on top of Echidna as I jumped into the hole in the floor. "Dante, we need a tooth from the corpse Echidna is possessing." As Dante kicked a tooth out, Luna caught it and headed into the tunnel. "Thank you. So, how do you want to do this, set power overload to kill Agnus, let one of us channel Sparda or just release him?"

"Release him," I said as we headed downward. "He might be a useful ally."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"So, this is the chamber that Agnus was in?" I said, as I looked around. "What do we do? Do we smash this room up?"

"No," Kasumi said, stopping me from taking out my wand. "We're here to look, not touch." As Kasumi stepped forward, she took out a small book and started looking into etchings in the floor. "This is a demonic magic seal used to release a demon that's stored their magic power in a single location. However, the seal also keeps a demon under the control of the person who releases them, but also allowing them their free will, in a way."

"What does that mean?" Seamus asked.

"I think it means, Sparda will be free, but Agnus will have complete control over him," Hermione said. "He'll be able to talk and think independently, but he can't do anything unless Agnus tells him otherwise."

"That's pretty bad," Naoto said, looking at the ground. "These were made recently. Someone chiselled this into the ground, and due to the lack of degrading quality, this was made recently. And it took a long time to do this so delicately."

"So, what do we do with it?" I asked, as I heard some footsteps coming down the stairs. Aiming my wand and an SMG up the stairs, I lowered them when I saw Luna coming down the stairs, carrying a basilisk fang. "Luna, what are you doing?"

"Breaking something," Luna said, looking at the large circle before getting onto her knees and she began scratching into the floor as Ginny came down the stairs. "We have… 20 more minutes to get out of here."

"This will take about 5," Luna said, while she kept scratching. "So, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Ginny said, as she set a bottle onto the ground. "So, what do you need the bottle for?"

"When Agnus tries to release and control Sparda, it will transfer his powers into the bottle," Luna replied, before grabbing the bottle and then scratching into it. "We need to make sure that Sparda isn't insane, though."

"Why would we have to make sure he's sane?" I asked.

"Because we don't want an insane, all-powerful, nigh invulnerable demon running around Hogwarts," Dante said as he came down the stairs. "Nice plan, by the way, putting him into a bottle. That could be very useful, later on."

"Your sarcasm is so thin it can be cut with a knife," Kasumi said, looking at the bottle.

"Don't you mean 'thick'?" Dante asked.

"…No."

"Anyway, it actually is useful," Dante said. "If he is sane, you can release it in a surprise attack, or use him as a grenade." As he stepped onto the seal, however, he started flicking back and forth between a human and demon form, before pulling his foot back off. "Oddly enough, that's the second time that's happened to me."

"Is turning into a demon… Normal to you?" I asked Dante.

"Yeah, but I can't do it for long, and this circle seems to be forcing my powers," Dante explained as he put his foot on the seal again, turning into a demon in the process, before removing his foot from the ground. Then he put his foot back on the seal, and removing the foot. And putting the foot down, and removing it. And-

"For god's sake, you're, what, 40?" Hermione asked. "Pushing 45? And you're messing around like a kid? Stop that, before I have to get physical."

"She's serious, Old Man," Ginny said, trying to pull Dante away. "That's the second worst thing she could do to you. The worst thing she could do is involve your moth-Ow!" Kasumi punched Ginny.

"My mother died when I was 9," Dante said, trying to shake Ginny off.

"That won't stop her," Luna replied. Dante then pulled back, defeated… before running back and playing with the seal again, as Hermione began charging her Sorceress powers. "Can I give it a try?"

"Go ahead," Hermione said, before Luna sent her seal out and, in less than a minute, had begun casting her summon.

"Are you ready for this, Ifrit?" Luna said, before flames surrounded her. "Hellfire!" Suddenly, Luna faded away in the flames, before Ifrit appeared as a large flaming creature and started crashing against the walls, before getting onto the roof above Dante as Ginny stood back, scared. As Dante looked upward, he was suddenly frozen as Ifrit launched himself from the roof and landing a devastating punch onto Dante's face, sending him across the room as Ifrit stood upward.

"What the hell was that?" Dante asked, as he stood up. "How the hell did Luna summon a demon?"

"I'm not a demon!" Ifrit shouted, before he began to fade. "I am a spirit of magic, an embodiment of pure fire. You're infamous among both the demons and the Fae, Dante. The Son of Sparda who reduced the power of the Prince of Hell, killing him. Many of my kind are grateful for that." As Ifrit faded, Luna appeared again, looking around.

"Oh, look, rubies."

"Can anyone here do that?" Dante asked.

"Hermione's the other Sorceress," I pointed out. "She was about to summon her Eidolon when Luna stopped her."

"Oh," Dante said, before running off to play with the seal again.

"_**Didn't the girl tell you to stop it?**_" A voice suddenly echoed through the chamber, as we all whipped out wands and guns. Suddenly, the magic seal glowed, and darkness seeped out, before taking a form.

"What the hell?" Dante said, dropping his guns. "…Dad?"

* * *

><p><strong>Neville<strong>

"They're over here!" I said, coming around the corner. "Liz! Can you get over here?"

"Nagato told me about what happened," Liz said, as she came over towards us with Ron, Haruhi, Kyon, Apollo and Itsuki. "Where's Raph?" As she ran over, we sat Raph down next to the wall and she started healing him. "His internal organs are fried. How long was he in the chair for?"

"I don't know," Ezio said, as he stood up. "He was wearing an eezo necklace. He's lost his powers, and Agnus injected something into him. Look at his right arm, see the marks?" As Liz started healing him, Raph's body started violently jerking, as the white of his eyes started glowing neon blue as his irises turned black. "Shit, are you okay?"

"It hurts," Raph said, trying to sit back up.

"Well, we didn't expect to catch this many rats," Bellatrix said, from a nearby staircase. "11 altogether, all here to die."

"F*** you," Ezio said, before aiming his gun up.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," another voice said, a female voice.

"And who the hell is that?" Ron asked. "Just another one of Voldemort's whores, I bet." As someone came up, Ron almost dropped his wand. "What the hell?" Some blonde haired woman had come forward, holding a wand at someone's throat. "Professor Snape?"

"Did you honestly think we'd let the Order know sensitive information?" The blonde haired woman asked. "We've had this traitor cursed and giving out information about subordinates that was wrong or used to punish our incompetent underlings."

"Ladies," Keiji said before causing some light to form in his hand behind Sirius's back. "That was a pretty shit plan, when you think about it. We got a lot of information from the hideouts that you sacrificed to us. Severus told us where Crabbe and Goyle were, and they were new, right? Guess that didn't work out as you planned then."

"And who are you?" the blonde haired woman asked.

"Keiji Okuda," he said, aiming his wand at her, "Auror First Class for the ICW. Alecto Carrow, I presume?"

"Carrow?" Apollo asked, quite surprised as to hear that name. "I think I met your brother. Back in Belfast, I think."

"Who are you?" Bellatrix asked. "What are you?"

"Call me Apollo," He said, stretching, before looking straight at Alecto. "I'm an alien. I'm also the one who put the fertiliser bomb under your brother." Alecto went berserk when she heard that, as she threw Snape aside and tried using a Killing Curse on Apollo, who just took the hit before teleporting away. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" As Alecto turned around, Apollo punched her in the face, before grabbing Snape and teleporting away.

"Where the hell are you?" Alecto shouted, running away.

"They're split," Ezio shouted, as he began firing at Bellatrix, before Bellatrix Apparated away. "Where the hell is she?" However, some bizarre light surrounded him as he began floating, involuntarily.

"Ezio!" Liz shouted, as she stood. Bellatrix was also glowing, as she aimed her wand at Ezio. "Let him go, bitch!"

"Or what?" Bellatrix said, smirking. "All I have to do is say one thing to kill him. What can you do, Muggle?"

"I can do this," Liz said, taking out her wand. "Expelliarmus!" Sending a curse towards Bellatrix, Liz sent Bellatrix into a wall and obliterated her wand.

"I've never seen a spell that powerful before," Ron said, looking straight at Bellatrix. "Guess you showed her."

"She's high on red sand," Keiji said, aiming his wand outward. "She's able to use biotics, but that's bad for any Conduits." Bellatrix then stood up, panting heavily. "Give up. We send a spell at you, and it will home in on you. So get on the ground, and throw away any drugs you have." As Bellatrix straightened up, more dark blue lights flaked off her body as Keiji, Sirius and I drew wands and weapons to stop her from doing anything.

"You think I'll let myself get cornered so easily?" Bellatrix asked, smirking.

"You're really that deluded?" Sirius asked her. "Nine against one, no matter what you do to your hostage. Let him go, and-"

"Not likely," Bellatrix shouted, before taking out a wand and aiming it at Ezio. "I learned this one from Severus. Sectumsempra!" An orange curse shot out of her wand, striking Ezio. As he gave a small yelp, blood shot out from around his body as he shot out across the large hall.

"EZIO!" Liz and Raphael shouted, as they stood up, before Raph recoiled in pain. As they ran off to help, followed by Itsuki, Bellatrix started throwing curses around, before Keiji threw a ball at Bellatrix, sending her flying away. "Save some for me!" Liz shouted at us, as we ran after Bellatrix.

"Where did Apollo go?" Ron asked.

"Can we kill Bellatrix Lestrange first!" Kyon shouted, taking his sword out.

"Apollo has Snape with him!" Ron shouted, taking out his gun. "I want to get him to the hospital wing."

"Itsuki, Haruhi, go with him," I shouted. "But be careful, Carrow's a dangerous woman." As I ran over towards Bellatrix, she sent a curse towards me, as I pushed my sword into a crack in the ground, and flipping upward, letting go of my sword as I flew through the air and my sword followed. As the spell travelled under me, I landed with my feet on the ground and grabbed my sword, as I took out a gun and fired five shots at Bellatrix before she shot off onto a balcony.

"She's using a biotic charge!" Keiji replied, before throwing an orb to hold her into place. "We've got her!" As Keiji took out his wand, he whispered a spell before sending it straight at Bellatrix's wand, knocking it out of her hand as she regained mobility. She whipped out a knife and cut Keiji's cheek, as I kicked her in the chest and just barely cut her hair with my sword. She kicked Keiji away and cut my arm, causing me to drop my sword before I lunged at Bellatrix and began punching her in the face, before she kicked me in the crotch and threw me off and began to run away, dodging Sirius's axe swing before he backhanded her. As she tried to stab Sirius, he grabbed her hand and twisted it.

"Not very good, are you Bella?" Sirius asked her, before spinning her around and holding her into place. "I still don't see why you hate Muggles, considering their music and novels are better. Might I recommend one for you, if you live?"

"How about no," Bellatrix said, before kicking Sirius in the crotch and taking his wand. "Well, the tables are turned, Sirius. Avada Kedavra!" As the spell hit Sirius, he stumbled back before looking around, obviously confused. Bellatrix was equally confused, as Sirius took his wand back and punched her straight in the face, before Bellatrix Apparated away.

"…Wait, does that mean that I'm a Conduit?" Sirius asked. "What do you think my power is? Flight? Pyro kinesis? Maybe even-"

"Sirius!" Keiji and I shouted. "Ezio's been critically injured." As we ran off, we found Ezio coughing blood as Liz caused blood to flow back into his wounds, as Raph and Liz tried to wrap bandages around his arms.

"How is he?" I asked, watching Liz healing him.

"We're trying to close the wounds," Liz said, obviously worried. "There's blood in his lungs, but I need a potion to treat it. And he's going to have a lot of scars." Ezio then coughed blood onto the ground before he began passing out. "I have something here, hold on." She then took out a bottle and poured it down Ezio's throat, before he started coughing up a lot of blood onto the floor. "He should be fine now, but we still need to get him to a doctor or someone with better experience."

"I'm going to kill that bitch," Raph said, obviously pissed, before he tensed over as his veins suddenly became glowingly visible.

"Raph, calm down," Sirius said.

"I AM CALM!" Raph shouted, before punching the wall and embedding his fist into it. "What the hell…?"

"Raphael, Agnus did something to you," I said, trying to calm him down. "You need to stay calm and watch over Ezio."

"He's right," Kyon said, drawing his sword. "You should take him to the hospital wing. I'll come with you."

"We have no idea where Lestrange is," Keiji replied, looking around. "Look, I'll go and find the others, just head to the hospital wing."

"Where is the hospital wing?" Liz asked, lifting an unconscious Ezio up.

"Third Floor, past the library," Sirius said. "I can show you a secret passage near here that drops you off in the library."

"Thanks," Raph said, as he put Ezio on his back and he, along with Liz, ran after Sirius and headed off to help Ezio.

"So, we go after Apollo, then?" I asked.

* * *

><p><strong>Ron<strong>

"Where is he?" Itsuki said, aiming a gun down the hallway and looking around. "Hey, there's someone slumped down, over there." As we snuck around, we looked forward to see an unconscious, bleeding Snape.

"Professor?" I asked, stepping forward and waking him up. "Are you OK?"

"What do you think, you stupid boy?" The head of Slytherin house asked us. "I can't believe Lestrange and Carrow learned that curse." Looking down, I could see that he was missing his left femur and below. "I've got to get a potion from down in my lab. We have to get down there, before I bleed out."

"I don't think that's possible," Haruhi said, looking onward. "Haruhi Suzumiya, SOS strike squad. Muggle, by the way."

"Look, we can't get you to the potions lab because the dungeons are filled with demons," Itsuki said, looking around. "What potion do you need, and where can we get it?"

"It's in my desk, in my office," Professor Snape said, as I looked at the wound. "First drawer, in a small, green bottle."

"What the hell was that curse?" I asked. "I've never heard of 'Sectumsempra', before. Or, were you the one who created the curse?"

"I created it," Severus Snape said. "It causes several dozen cuts around the body and, if used by someone skilled enough, can completely slash up an individual. I kept it secret because it was too dangerous. It causes wounds that, if not treated with the potion I just told you about, will open up even if treated."

"Is there enough of the potion to treat more than one person?" I asked. "Bellatrix seriously cut someone up with that curse, and he could die."

"There should be enough," Professor Snape said. "Now, can we go, now?"

"Hold on," Itsuki said, causing a small fireball to appear. "Professor… Snape, isn't it?" As Snape nodded, Itsuki looked at the wound. "I'm going to cauterize your wound to stop you bleeding out. Okay?" As Snape nodded, Itsuki held the fireball to the wound, causing the smell of cooked flesh to fill the air, as Snape started swearing in pain. "By the way, did you see where that catlike guy went?"

"He went to the left there," Snape said, as Neville and Keiji ran over towards us. "He's been taunting Alecto for a while. He must have a death wish."

"Does she have any small, think metal sticks?" Keiji asked. "Or a red sand-like dust?"

"No," Snape said. "Only Bellatrix carries that red dust, which she takes through her nose. I think it's some sort of drug."

"Okay, I'll help get him to the hospital wing," Keiji said, lifting Professor Snape up. "Is there anyone in the wing?"

"Madame Pomphrey and two guards that force her to treat the Death Eaters," Professor Snape said. "There's also a large demon called Phantom."

"The flaming spider?" Itsuki asked, as Haruhi put Professor Snape's arms over her. "I saw him running into the mountains with the giant frog earlier. I'll go and find the potion, Haruhi and Keiji will take you to the hospital wing. Neville, you and Ron go find Apollo." As we split up, we carefully looked around before we saw a woman throwing around curses.

"Avada Kadavra!" She shouted. "Avada Kadavra! Avada Kadavra! WHERE ARE YOU!"

"What's the matter?" Apollo said, obviously trying to scare her. "I don't see why you're angry. I made sure he didn't feel pain when he died."

"YOU MURDERED MY BROTHER!" Carrow shouted, looking around her, sending curses around wildly. "Where are you, you filthy cat!"

"It was simple, really," Apollo said, as he knocked over several suits of armour to spook Carrow. "All I did was break his neck, before putting him under a large pile of fertiliser and put a battery into it. He died instantly, without pain or suffering."

"OH YEAH!" Carrow screamed again. "AND WHAT WAS THE LAST THING HE SAW!"

"A white light," Apollo said. "If he looked into the explosion, anyway."

"WHAT WAS THE LAST THING THAT WENT THROUGH HIS MIND!"

"His ass." Alecto was absolutely furious to hear that, as she sent curses around. Apollo then appeared next to us, holding us next to the wall. "Listen very carefully, you two," He whispered to us. "I could do something absolutely awful to her. So, just get out of here now, and take Snape to get help, before my new friend here finds you."

"Come here, kitty-cat," Alecto said, sending a few more curses out. "Come here, so that I can MAKE STRINGS OUT OF YOUR INTESTINES!"

"…Close your eyes," Apollo said. "Do it, before I have to sew them shut." As we complied, we heard him teleport away.

"There you-Hey, what are you… AAAAAGH!" As we heard a small stretching, we also heard a large bursting sound, before we opened our eyes again. We looked around, only to see blood and bits of meat on the ground, which was steaming and bubbling. We carefully turned around the corner to see Apollo standing in a large puddle of bits and blood, which was steaming, as a skull fell down and smashed into pieces next to him.

"W-w-what the hell did you do?" Neville asked, completely horrified, as I began gagging. "HOW THE HELL DID YOU CAUSE HER TO EXPLODE!" Apollo, who had his back to us, turned his head to look at us. His face was completely covered with blood, which was steaming off of him, as his eyes were filled with a fiery hatred and his mouth frowning, as his face was frozen in a scowl as a ribcage landed near us. "Oh, shit." As Apollo walked over towards us, I was set upon by a sudden feeling to run away from the advancing danger. However, as soon as I was turned, I was immediately grabbed by Apollo and put into a pseudo-headlock by the Lombax, where he had his arms resting on Neville and my shoulders, but it was obvious he could hold us in place if we tried to run.

"Alright you two," Apollo said, as he began leading us away, as the smell of boiling blood filled our lungs and we had to be careful not to gag or puke, because he was obviously still angry with Alecto but was trying to keep us calm. "I should probably tell you how I became a freedom fighter for my race's home galaxy, when the Drophyds first found me. I was raised on a world called Luminopolis, near a town by the beach. The main denizens of the world were a race called Fungoids, who are native to the Polaris galaxy. I live in the Andromeda galaxy, you see. I was raised among them, but when the Drophyds attacked my world when I was 18, my step uncle was killed by one particular asshole in an extremely violent form of torture…"

* * *

><p><strong>Liz<strong>

"There are two guards on the outside of the medical wing," I whispered, before leaning back against the wall. "Should I try and use a Killing Curse?"

"They'll trace it to you," Ezio said, waking up. "Use a gun, and take them out quickly. There's two more inside."

"Ezio," Raph said, setting Ezio down and letting him rest against the wall. "Are you okay?"

"I feel like shit," Ezio said, grinning. "You look like shit, though."

"Hey," I said, leaning down and looking at his wounds. "Your cuts are opening up and bleeding again. We have to get you inside quickly."

"Well, you'd better hold on," Ezio said. "Keiji and Haruhi are coming along with that asshole Snape. Wonder where Apollo is." Sure enough, Keiji and Haruhi came across the corner and Kyon, who was unusually quiet since we came up here. Sirius followed along; aiming his wand around the corners like a spy movie (We need to cancel his Love Film account).

"Are there any guards outside?" Haruhi asked.

"Two, and two inside, from Ezio's scans," Kyon said. "So, how do we take them out?"

"I say we climb up to the scaffolding up there and drop next to them," Raph said. "Snap their necks and everything."

"Or, we draw one over here with a knock and knock him out," Sirius said. "Then, we find an animal and use it as a makeshift silencer."

"Couldn't we use a flash grenade?" Haruhi asked. Finally, after closing Ezio's wounds again, I took Haruhi's gun and shot the two guards in the head as Raph lifted up Ezio again.

"Put in your f***ing tampons and let's go," I said, as I headed down the hall. As Haruhi and I forced the doors open, I aimed my gun at two Death Eaters and shot them clean in the head before looking around the hospital wing, only to see a scared, old woman. "Are you Madame Pomphrey?"

"…Yes," she said, standing straight. "Who are you?"

"I'm a hired gun," I said, looking around to see two dead monsters on the table, and at least one injured dwarf. "I'm working for Dumbledore. Can you help with a few injured people?"

"How bad is it?" Madame Pomphrey said, as Raph lifted Ezio in while Keiji and Haruhi lifted Snape in. "Well, this should be fun. What happened?"

"Bellatrix discovered my special curse," Snape said, as we lifted the injured people to the beds. "Look, if that Japanese boy doesn't come back… there's another way to remove the curse. There's a rare magical phenomenon that causes magic to crystalize under certain conditions. It's guaranteed to happen with the curse Bellatrix used."

"So, we've got to cut them out?" I said, looking around for a scalpel. "What happens if you don't remove them?"

"The wounds will open again," Snape said, as Madame Pomphrey looked at his leg.

"He's beginning to bleed again," Madame Pomphrey said, standing up. "What are you looking for?" She asked me.

"You've got to have scalpels, right?" I asked. "Or some other form of thin, small knife? Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot this hellhole is normally a school, and you wouldn't keep knives lying around-"

"Second drawer, on the right of the desk," Madame Pomphrey said to me. "They're charmed so that they can't be taken out of here." As I opened the drawer, I took out two scalpels and handed one to her.

"Ezio, the younger one, I'm going to operate on him. Is there anything I can use to sterilise the surrounding area? Cleaning supplies to wipe the wounds, towels to put under him to collect the blood, etc.?"

"I've never worked with a Muggle doctor before," Madame Pomphrey said, as she took fout a bottle. "The beds are charmed to self-sterilise, and they'll disappear and change if there's too much blood loss. And this potion, if wiped around the wound should keep it clean. Around-"

"Not in," I finished for her. "I'm not actually a doctor, but I have special healing powers." As I cut open Ezio's clothes (His shirt isn't buttoned) I began wiping the potion around, making sure not to get into his wounds. "Okay, this should be simple, search around for crystals and close the wounds."

"I should be handling him, since his wounds are more serious," Madame Pomphrey said. "Oh, and you, the mutated one," She said, pointing at Raph. "What's your name?"

"Raphael O'Malley," Raph said, looking around. "The younger one that Elizabeth is working on, he's my brother."

"I don't want you to leave any time soon," Pomphrey said, pointing at a dead creature. "I can already tell that that madman Agnus injected you with something, like these two poor Muggles. If you've been easily losing your temper, you have to wait for me to assess you."

"Beginning the operation," I said, carefully applying the potion around Ezio's wounds before feeling around the cuts. "There's a foreign object under his skin. I'm going to cut it out. Are there any tweezers, or pliers here?"

"There's some forceps over here," Madame Pomphrey said, throwing a small pair of forceps over towards me, which I then caught. "What the… Sirius Black?"

"He was acquitted," most of us said, in unison, before a cork landed and hit one of the dead bodies. As I cut into Ezio's skin, I immediately saw a small, orange gem embedded inside. As I pulled the wound open to take a better look, I saw that the gem was connected to the body through tissue. "There's a gem here. There's a small vein next to it."

"I'm almost done treating Severus here," Madame Pomphrey said, before dropping her scalpel onto a metal tray. "Okay, he's treated. I don't know how long it will be before I can treat the leg properly-"

"I'll regrow it in a minute," I said, before taking the scalpel and carefully cutting around the gem, before letting it hang around next to the vein. "Okay, I'm going to need someone to heat up a scalpel, hold it over a flame. I'll be able to cauterize the wound as I cut the gem out. Can anyone do that?"

"I'll heat up a scalpel," Sirius said, grabbing a scalpel from a table and holding it next to a small cande. "I guess I'll be your support then?" Madame Pomphrey then came over, before casting a spell to show several dark spots on Ezio's body.

"Those dark spots are where the gems are embedded," Madame Pomphrey said, before wiping a potion over one of the spots. "There are spots in the cuts, but there are larger ones around the body." As one spot became smaller, a cut suddenly appeared. "Well, that can't be good."

"Can you focus on removing the gems that haven't deposited magic yet?" I asked, before Sirius handed me a scalpel before taking the one I was using. "I can close the wounds myself." As I demonstrated after cutting a gem out, I held my hands around Ezio's chest and caused most of the cuts to close, as blood ran back into then. "I'm a Conduit, someone with strange powers. I'm able to treat serious wounds, but some wounds are harder to treat than others. Hell, do you know Seamus Finnegan?"

"What happened to him?" Madame Pomphrey said, obviously worried.

"He was caught in a bomb blast when the aliens attacked," Ezio said, smiling. "He was actually missing a limb or two. Some of his face was gone as well."

"I thought you were unconscious," I said to him. _I didn't have any anaesthesia, remember?_ "Hey, I can't feel any pain from you. Is there a problem?"

"I can't feel anything," Ezio replied, looking upward. "I can't hear anything in my left ear, and I'm extremely cold."

"He's suffering from nerve damage," I said, looking around his neck. "There are a few gems at his neck. We should handle those ASAP before they cut into his arteries." However, a cut appeared on his neck, which I then rushed to treat. "Great, one of them just cut his artery. This is bad." Several cuts then appeared around his body, his arm, his finger, his legs, his chest, his face. "Oh, no…"

"I'm more skilled at actually operating," Madame Pomphrey said, as she looked at the cuts and pulled the remaining gems out as fast as she could, while I closed the wounds afterword. At one point, I caused several cuts to close instantly. However, as several cuts closed, several more wounds suddenly opened as more black spots appeared. "How are these appearing?"

"There could be a larger crystal somewhere," Snape said. "These crystals separate into smaller gems, before dispersing as a curse."

"…Turn him over," I said, looking at Madame Pomphrey. Madame Pomphrey then took out a wand, causing Ezio to float, before hovering him over the table at eye level for the two of us. "There's a large crystal at the base of his neck, causing a large profusion. We have to remove it."

"That's a delicate manoeuvre, even by magical standards," Madame Pomphrey said. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Of course I'm sure," I said, holding my hand out. "Scalpel." Sirius then held out a small blade for me, that I then used to cut a single line around the large lump, enough to expose a large crystal, which began flaking onto the table, cutting away at the fabric in a small flash. "Okay, the crystal is exposed. I'm about to remove it."

"That could kill him, especially if he's lost so much blood and due to how close it is to the spinal column, the trauma could kill him," Madame Pomphrey said, as she ran over to a cabinet. "Hold on, can we turn him back around? I want to give him some potions." As we flipped Ezio around, Haruhi walked off, aiming a gun down the corridor. "This first one is to replenish his blood supply, the other one to dull the pain." As she poured the potions into Ezio's throat, he suddenly fell unconscious, as he was turned back upside down. "Okay, go ahead." As I began cutting the crystal free, carefully reconstructing Ezio's nervous system, Haruhi then ran back in, followed by Haruhi.

"Does anyone need a potion?" Itsuki said, setting a bottle down.

"We may need it in a minute," I said, before cutting the last of the crystal free, setting it in a pan before healing the incision closed. "Okay, how do we remove the rest with the potion, Snape?"

"As soon as you pour it over a gem while it's still embedded, it will immediately disperse, but will close the wounds immediately," Snape explained. "Just make sure that he isn't allergic to nuts, though, or you'll need a gallstone."

"Ezio doesn't have any allergies," Raph said, watching carefully. "Is he going to be okay?"

"He'll be horribly scarred," Snape said, lying down, as I applied the potion. "But the scarring should be reduced if you removed the gems before they dispensed their magic."

"Okay, he should be fine," Madame Pomphrey said, before I walked over towards Snape. "You're name is Elizabeth, correct?"

"Elizabeth Richards," I said, shaking her hand. "Call me Liz."

"Poppy," She said, as I turned back towards Snape. "So, are you going to try and close the wound here?"

"Didn't Ezio explain how I regrew some limbs for Seamus?" I asked, rhetorically. "I'm going to regrow his leg."

"What!" He asked, before I started operating on him. "Oh… God!"

"Hey, it hurts me too," I said, as a bone began to form. "At least you can have anaesthesia, but if I try and use it, it messes with my powers. Now, hold still, this will only last a minute." As the bone was completely formed, the flesh had almost finished growing back before skin was formed. After another minute, I was finished, and Snape was panting heavily. "Okay, you should have full control over your leg, but don't overdo it."

"Can I ask you something?" Poppy asked me. "Were you serious about… aliens?"

"Yeah, I should probably tell you," I said, pulling her to the side. "Yes, there are aliens, and we actually got one working for us."

"So, after that, I then took a piece of coral…" Apollo said, with his arms over Ron and Neville's shoulders, who were completely blank, before looking at us. "Did I interrupt anything?"

"Ezio was seriously injured, and we just treated him," I said, pointing at a sleeping Ezio. "So, how did you handle Carrow? And why are you covered in blood, Apollo?"

"I can teleport anything, anywhere," Apollo said. "I can carefully remove blood from a person and then place it back into their body. Did you know, that if human blood is heated to 1500K, it expands 50 fold its original volume?" As we all stared on, he then let out a small smile. "Let's just say, these two didn't see my masterpiece." He then began to squeeze his arms to group hug the other two. "Anyway, that was the story of my 18th birthday." As he released the two, they then proceeded to pick up a bottle, before Madame Pomphrey grabbed it from them.

"What are you doing!" She asked, obviously distressed. "This is medical alcohol!"

"As in, pure alcohol?" Neville asked.

"Yes."

"Hand it over," Ron and Neville said, aiming their wands at her.

"Ron, Neville, pure alcohol, no," Sirius said, before putting a bottle down. "Champagne, yes." As the two of them started downing the bottle in turns, I grabbed Apollo by the tail, causing him to scream in pain, and throwing him into a chair.

"What the hell did you do to them?" I asked Apollo, holding a gun to his face, before he teleported it onto a table.

"Miss Richards, I believe you forgot about my- AAAGH!" He tried to say, before I grabbed him between the legs.

"Let me repeat the question," I said, grinning. "Oh, and by the way, testicular castration is the easiest surgery to perform."

"I told them about my 18th birthday," He said, before I gripped tighter. "OKAY, I explained how I tortured and killed a few Drophyds who attacked my hometown and murdered the last family member I had in extremely dark and graphic detail. Is that okay?" As I let go, he began rubbing his crotch. "Okay, I've got training on how to resist torture, but that's horrific. Hey, wasn't Ezio human a minute ago?" As Poppy watched on, I saw that Ezio had transformed into his Lombax form.

"I was going to tell you about that," I said, pulling her over. "Ezio's a genetic experiment, and thus half- or more-alien. He transforms in his sleep."

"He's got scars on his tail," Apollo said, walking over. "Wasn't he cut up in his human form?"

"He was," Raph said, looking at Ezio. "Perhaps the scars transfer in his different forms?"

"No, these are the same scars he already had," Poppy said, as she examined him. "Have you had him professionally assessed?"

"Yes, by Andromeda Tonks," I said. "Although, if he starts sending out flames or electricity, that is perfectly normal, but only in that cat-like form. As a human, he can sometimes force objects to float, and cause others to hear his thoughts. Just… don't say anything, and he won't panic."

"Well, things can only get better," Itsuki said, before a wall appeared in the wall and trapped us inside. "Why did that happen?"

"Dammit, Itsuki, Tempting Fate is one of the author's favourite tropes," Raph said before slamming his fist through a table. Not into, through.

* * *

><p>Hey guys, chapter 17 is up and running. Damn, I'm posting this on April Fool's and I don't give a damn about a possible joke. Must be justified, since it's a Sunday. However, I'm more interested in three particular jokes known as the Mass Effect 3 endings.<p>

Seriously, 3 f***ing endings? All colour coded? I haven't played the game, but my friend told me not to buy it when he beat it. Also, apparently, only the ME1 romances carry over, unless it was Garrus and Tali. Since I ship MShep/Jack, that is kind of disappointing.

I can't afford the game at the minute though, but I'll hopefully have it in May, when they release the free DLC to fix the endings.

'I don't think the DLC will be free.'

What do you mean, Hermione?

'Well, it's a marketing ploy. EA will release a superb game with a shitty ending and will possibly add a new ending with each DLC. If they add a few endings as DLC, they're not going to give it away for free, are they?'

They're going to announce it at PAX. If they alienate their fanbase again, it will cost them millions of dollars. And if they do charge for that DLC... heaven help them.

Anyway, there's a funny forum on the BioWare network that shows different reactions for the endings. My three favourites are;

3) An Enterprise crew member falling away, screaming and holding his face in shock.

2) A picture of the president of EA, Gendo Ikari.

1) A sign that warned players, 'Be prepared', with a picture of Scar (I laughed for an hour when I saw that picture).

However, what really got me on the forum were two pictures of what fans WANTED to see in the endings, and they were absolutely adorable. If EA removes their heads from their asses to make those endings, I'll gladly but the game.

One was a hand-drawn picture of a young asari baby wrapped in an N7 hoodie, while an off-screen hand holds up a pair of N7 dogtags, implying that the child is Liara's and Shepard's baby daughter (if they're shipped, of course). This was a beautiful picture and it said that, no matter how many times someone tries to destroy life, it will always find a way. It was simple and touching, and said something greater than Mass Effect 3's endings.

'What?' *Shown the image* 'That's... that's beautiful... Hold on, I'm showing this to the others...'

Hold on for a sec. The other picture was a simpler picture. In-Story, you can cure the genophage with Mordin's help. The picture? Mordin, surrounded by a group of baby krogan. Go find that on the internet. I'll wait. *Shows the picture to Hermione* Well, what about that?

'I'm sorry, I... I have to go...'

I'm proud to be a gamer, okay? Assholes like Jack Thompson may denounce us as violent assholes who use games to hide our own sociopathy, but there is one thing he can never denounce us by. And if he does, I'll personally travel to the US and ask him why he won't shut the fuck up.

When watching a movie or a TV show, or reading a book, you have to follow a path chosen for you by the author in order to craft new emotional bonds for the audience to interact with, but this is severely limited. Games like Mass Effect or the Persona series, even something like Beyond Good and Evil, all create a world that the player can explore and interact with in their own way. In Mass Effect, you can handle situations differently depending on whether you're an asshole or a saint, while Persona allows us to interact with people in the same way as we do in real life, that is, daily interactions and familiarity. As for Beyond Good and Evil, we enter Jade's world by seeing how people interact with her. None of that 'here's a quest, do it' crap, they talk to Jade in a sense on familiarity, and she speaks to all of them as you would speak to someone you see around town on a regular basis.

'Games are violent'? Yes, they are, but so are books, and films, and television. We watch action films, but do people bitch about them? No, they bitch about a comedy film about a man mistaken for the Son of God. Harper's Island wasn't considered controversial, and it had a guy get murdered in front of his daughter. Hell, Harry Potter managed to get a sexual reference in (Go look up Greek Centaurs then look at what happened to Umbridge).

Gamers can interact with a world, and their decisions change how we're preceived in game by the characters, and how they interact with us. That's why I'm glad to be a gamer. Thank you, and see you next time.


	28. Operation Hogwarts 18: Tartarus

"Okay, how do we get out of this?" Apollo said, as he tapped the wall. "Do we push someone out of a window, or do we improvise an explosive with the alcohol?"

"You are not blowing up this room when there are patients here," Madame Pomphrey said, taking the medical alcohol and holding onto it while also examining Raphael. "And who do you expect to throw out of the window? Professor Flitwick?"

"How did he lose his eyes?" Snape asked, looking at his colleague. "Bellatrix Lestrange, I presume? What did he say to cause her to rip his eyes out?"

"He trapped several students inside the Ravenclaw Dorms, and won't let them out," Madame Pomphrey said to Snape. "He was still able to kill three Death Eaters, but they need him alive to get the students out."

"What?" The small man said, waking up. "Who's there?"

"We're working for Dumbledore," Kyon said, walking over. "Most of us are Muggles, but we took down most of the Death Eater operations in London."

"And Belfast," Ezio said, sitting up. "Don't forget Belfast." Ezio then stood up, before turning back into a human. "So, who are you?"

"My name is Professor Filius Flitwick," the small man said, as he looked (?) around. "Sirius Black? What are you doing here?"

"I was acquitted," Sirius said, before taking out a-

"SIRIUS, HOW MANY BOTTLES OF CHAMPAGNE DO YOU HAVE!" I shouted.

"Hey, Sirius is a Conduit," Ezio said, looking at him. "His power is summoning any liquid. Can you summon nitro-glycerine? We could use that on the door."

"Well, that explains it," Raph said, as Madame Pomphrey looked over him. "Is this going to take long?"

"Is he always like this?" Madame Pomphrey said, looking at me.

"Normally, he isn't PMS-ing," I said, walking over to Professor Flitwick. "Perhaps the substance he was injected with is causing severe personality shifting. Okay, Professor, I'm going to regrow your eyes."

"But I'm not blind," Professor Flitwick said, obviously confused. "Sure, I don't have any eyes at the moment-"

"No shit," Haruhi said, looking at him. "Normally, when my grandmother goes to get a licence and she reveals she's blind, having her application rejected for being 'vision impaired' is kind of an understatement."

"I can see perfectly fine, actually, but there are some black spots, though," Professor Flitwick said. "By the way, who's the cat?"

"My name's Apollo," he said, grinning. "By the way, I'm an alien."

"He's being serious," Itsuki said. "Hey, how can he do that?"

"He must be a Conduit," Ezio replied. "It's a telepathic power called Sight Jacking. He must be using it instinctively because he's blind."

"I can see something on the outside," Flitwick said. "There's someone walking around on the outside. I can't tell who it is, but I think it's a light blonde haired woman."

"It's Lucius Malfoy," Ezio said, closing his eyes. "He's looking for the hospital wing."

"So, the Death Eaters didn't seal us in here?" Apollo said, lifting up a dead monster, and walking over towards a window.

"Apollo, can't you teleport out of here?" I asked, as I began healing Flitwick. "Why are you planning on-" *SMASH* "Why did you throw it out of the window?"

"I've been trying to teleport for the last 15 minutes," Apollo said, as he stepped out of the window. "I'll see if I can blow a hole from the outside." As he jumped away, Ezio then stood up, as he began stretching. "So, Doctor, how bad is it?"

"You mean Raphael?" Madame Pomphrey said, stepping back. "He's had his blood completely changed, and he's experiencing trauma because his internal system is changing slightly. His muscle tissue is changing as well. I can't explain it perfectly, though. But the change is related to how angry he is, so I recommend remaining calm."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"And that's how I found out I had a nephew," Dante said to his father, having explained his whole life since he was 9. "Oh, by the way, congratulations, you're a grandfather."

"Well, that is…" Sparda said, looking completely blank. "Wh-What was that about a demonic clone of Eva?"

"Oh, right, Trish," Dante said, looking slightly worried. "Well, Mundus created a clone of Mom to lure me to Mallet Island and kill me. I helped her develop a soul, Mundus killed her, she was resurrected and now we're partners in the demon hunting business."

"Jesus Christ," I said, slamming my head against the wall. "And I thought I was fucked up."

"Your name is Harry, right?" Sparda asked me. "Harry Potter?"

"I never mentioned my name," I said. "How do you know it?"

"I had most of my power sealed inside this castle," Sparda explained, pointing at the floor. "I can see and hear everything in this castle. Oh, and Agnus is coming down the stairs." As we got ready, Dante just pulled my gun down, not bothering to take his out.

"We've got to let Agnus break the seal," Dante said. "He's the only one who can do it. That… and it will be funny." As I let everyone grab me, I turned invisible as Sparda disappeared and Agnus came running down the stairs, panting heavily.

"Damn, I'm l-l-l-l-late," Agnus said, putting several candles on the floor and lighting them. "I have to b-b-begin the ritual." As Agnus started chanting something, I led everyone away, heading for the staircase as Ginny then broke away and snuck away, followed by Luna. Kasumi switched on her invisibility device and stayed behind, as Hermione gripped my arm tighter, not wanting to leave me alone. Dante gripped his sword, and Seamus charmed our guns to infinite ammo, as we slowly walked towards the staircase. "What the… What's w-w-w-w-wrong?"

"I messed with the writing," I said, causing an illusion of myself to appear nearby. "It was simple, really. Just scratch something into the floor."

"What did you do!" He shouted, before taking a swipe at the illusion, as he took a step back.

"I'm just an illusion," I said, moving the illusion around a bit. "The real me is somewhere else. So, why would you want to release a demon, anyway? So you could control it? Or because you wanted to steal it's power? Either way, your plan's gone down the toilet. I changed the seal to leak its power all around the planet. It will be another… 2000 years before Sparda will be able to resurrect?"

"And what do you expect to do, Mr Potter?" Agnus asked me. "To kill Voldemort? Kill me? I'm a demon, so you can't do anything to me."

"Well, I can't do anything to you," I said, focusing on my Persona. "Oberon, however…"

"You expect some mystical fairy to beat me?" Agnus asked, obviously sceptical. "Go on, show me!"

"Okay," I said, before the illusion transformed into my Persona, as it used Garu to throw him against the wall. "Oh, by the way, Sparda's power is destroyed, but his consciousness was saved. See if you can guess where we put it." As my Persona ran up the stairs, Agnus chased after it as we turned back to normal.

"Harry, Ginny just ran up there!" Hermione berated me, as she smacked me across the head. "She has Sparda, so if she gets caught Agnus will kill her. What the f*** were you thinking?"

"… I was thinking that she would seriously hurt Agnus if he came close?" I said, before I began panicking. "OH, SHIT!"

* * *

><p><strong>Ginny<strong>

As Luna and I ran up the stairs, the bottle I was holding began glowing in a purple light as a small black mist entered it and Luna came up to me. "Agnus is behind us," Luna said, beginning to panic. "We have to get to a safe spot, that, or find a way to kill Agnus."

"How the hell do we kill a demon?" I asked.

"Well, there are two ways," Luna said. "First is banishment, and the other is sealing. But since he used to be human, it's possible to strip him of his powers, killing him permanently."

"How?"

"Banishment is killing him when he still has his powers," Sparda said, as the bottle glowed with each word. "That won't actually 'kill' him, but he can't leave the demon world for about a year. Sealing will keep him alive, but in a vegetative state, or possibly keep his consciousness trapped wherever the seal is located."

"And you did that willingly?" I asked.

"If a demon seals their power in several locations, they can see around all of those locations," Sparda replied.

"How many burlesque shows did you watch with that trick?" Luna asked.

"I never saw any sexual entertainment, I'm too good for that," Sparda said, as we gave him dirty looks. "I… admit to watching one scene from Caligula, but I stopped soon afterword in disgust."

"Was that an actual snake?" I asked, as we headed to the top and ran behind a few ice pillars. Strange, the ice appears to have moved around a bit, obviously jagged and was obstructing the light. That made it perfect for us, since we could now hide as Agnus ran outside of the room.

"…" Sparda didn't say anything, but the fluorescent red glow told everything. "Anyway, if we strip him of his demonic powers, then we can kill him normally and that would be him dead, permanently. We have to craft a spell for that, however, and we need Agnus' real, human name."

"I think we may need to bluff him," Luna said, as she leaned out. "That, or get Ezio to use Shadow Eyes on him." _You know there's a phrase, 'Speak of the Devil and he will appear'?_ "So, where are you and your team?" _We're trapped inside the Hospital Wing, with Snape, who had most of his leg ripped off by a curse he himself created, and Professor Flitwick had his eyes ripped out by Lestrange. By the way, can you guys look for Apollo?He's trying to blow the wall from the outside, but I think he's lost. Also, that Agnus guy injected Raph with something, and he's been suffering from anger management issues. His eye colour has changed as well. They're glowing, neon blue. Also, the injection mark is beginning to harden the skin around his arm._

"That sounds like he had demon blood put into his system," Sparda replied. "He'll die unless he absorbs some form of demonic power. We should seal Agnus then have Raphael draw his power, before he starts going berserk." _Well, shit. _"How badly has he progressed?" _… he just flew out of the window. How can you stop him?_ "He'll try and get some energy, but it may involve fighting and killing random demons. However, if he doesn't kill enough demons to satisfy the energy requirements… he has to be killed."

"Damn," I replied, as the rest of the group came up. "Where can we meet up?" _What part of 'We're trapped in the Hospital Wing' don't you understand?_ "Okay, where can we meet up with Apollo?" _I told him where you are, he'll be there in a minute._

"Who are you talking to?" Dante asked, as he came up. _Me._ "What the hell?" _I'm a telepath, Dante. My team's trapped in the Hospital Wing, but one of us managed to get out. Also, my brother is turning into a demon, and is possibly on a rampage._ *BANG* _Okay, he's definitely on a rampage. I just checked, and he felled around 50 demons, and a really powerful demon, Scarab-Based._

"Wait, he already killed Agnus?" Kasumi asked, "Where is he?" _I can't tell, the ambient magic is messing with my powers, and for some reason, Nagato can't look around either. I can see only in the immediate vicinity of whoever I'm talking to. Also, something's wrong._ "How badly is it?" _Harry, remember when I told you that a friend of mine got involved with Shadows?_

"Wait, the Shadows got out?" Sparda asked. _Twice, as far as I know._ "How many Persona Users are awakened?"

"Me," Harry said, "Ron, Naoto," who waved, "And Akihiko, who I think is in Hogsmeade." _Well, get them together, since none of our group can use magic, and Hogwarts is turning into Tartarus._ "What?" _Open the door, Harry._ As Harry looked around in confusion, he then walked towards the door and opened it, before walking outside… and then fell down, screaming.

"HARRY!" We shouted, as I set down the bottle and ran towards the door. Taking out my whip, I then looked down to see Harry, who was hanging from a painting. "Harry, are you okay?"

"WHAT THE FUCK!" He shouted, as I lowered my whip down to him.

* * *

><p><strong>Ron<strong>

"So, what, Hogwarts has completely changed, and we're trapped inside," I asked, "right?"

"Right," Ezio said. "Listen, I just told the others that it's unsafe for Wizards to run around, so only Conduits and Persona users, that's you, Ron."

"Wait, we can't leave yet, can we?" Neville said, before we heard a rumbling around the walls. "Oh, this is going to go horribly wrong, isn't it?" Suddenly, the floor started moving wildly, and we were all separated.

…_on… you hear… Ron, can you hear me?_ The next thing I knew, I was in a hallway, almost similar to the regular ones, but it twisted and turned in unfamiliar ways. _Ron, if you're awake, say something._ "Where the hell am I…?" I asked, as I stood up and took out my axe. _Be careful Ron, more Death Eaters entered the tower._ "You mean 'castle', right?" _…no…_ As he said that, I walked over towards a window and looked down, only to see how high up I was. _Welcome to floor 7 of 25, Ron. This… is Tartarus._ "What the hell happened?" _I have no idea, but it seems that Voldemort did something at the observatory. He's now on floor 25, but you should try and get to floor 3._ "Head down, right? How hard can it be?" _You can't head downward, but there's an elevator on that floor. Head to it and come down to the first floor. That's where I am, with Keiji. Don't worry, it's on the other side of the wall to your right, but the instant you step away from the staircase, you'll be targeted by Shadows and demons, got it?_

As I looked around, I saw that I was resting on a staircase, with a white barrier around it. _Remember, if you head upstairs, you can't come back, got it?_ "I'm ready. Tell me where to go." _Head forward two squares, left one, right two, left one, then head left until you see a large metallic door._ "Where are the others?" _Well, I have no idea where Harry is, or Dante and Naoto, but everyone else was pulled outside, except for those in the towers. Slytherin House is on floor 3, Hufflepuff's on 10, Ravenclaw's on 13 and Gryffindor's on floor 17. Just… head to the elevator._ As I stepped away, I then began running through the hallway, before reaching the elevator, before three Shadows appeared in front of me. "Damn, I can't get through."

_I know these Shadows,_ Ezio said. _Use Agi on the blobs with the masks, the Cowardly Mayas. As for the Dancing Hand, use Strike attacks to defeat it._ "Okay," I said, before causing my card to appear. "Kick some ass, Arthur," I said, preparing my swing. "Persona!" As Arthur appeared and sent out two fireballs towards the Shadows and knocking them over, before I ran up and dropkicked the enormous hand. As I began to run towards the elevator, some talismans surrounded me, but did nothing. _Ron, can you use dark spells with your Persona?_ I then turned around to see a large eagle. _Venus Eagle aren't very strong against fire, but it isn't weak either._ "I have Agi, Bash and Slash, that's it." _Look, try and take it down before the others wake up._ However, the eagle was surrounded by a large dark circle, which then caused the Shadow to die. I then saw a small pixie fly around, before it disappeared to show Naoto holding a revolver at my direction, followed by that Dante fellow.

"Hey, are you alright?" Naoto asked, as I relaxed.

"…Thanks, I thought this could go really bad," I said.

"Well, let's kill the Shadows before they get back," Dante said, drawing a large sword. "It's go time!"

"I hear that," I said, before running towards the Shadows and we began kicking ass, before the Shadows were destroyed and we all rested. "Okay, let's open the elevator and get down to the bottom."

"Why? I'm having fun," Dante said, before putting his sword away. _Ron only has 3SP and he was seriously hurt when Hogwarts shifted, leaving him with 15HP. He can't defend himself at the minute._

"Uh, can you explain that again?" I asked. A screen then appeared. _Nagato? Are you on the way?_

"We're all moving towards the School, but we'll be a minute," Nagato said. "Anyway… the screen shows Ron's personal stats, as well as his Persona's strengths and weaknesses."

"So, what does this mean?" I asked.

"Arthur mainly augments your strength and defence, but not magic. Your main strength is fire, which you absorb damage from, and negate strike damage, while being resistant to slash attacks, yet you have a weakness to electricity and ice magic, and pierce damage. You have 214 Max health points, and 116 Max Spiritual Power, but you only have 15HP and 3SP."

"You need healing magic and some potions to replenish your magic," Naoto replied. "Come on, open up the elevator." As I did so, we all stepped inside, and I looked around the call buttons. "What the hell? 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23… What's with the random numbers?"

"They're prime numbers," Naoto answered. "They're numbers that can only be divided by themselves or one, and one itself isn't a prime number. But why prime numbers?"

"Let me guess…" I said, looking at the elevator door. "The 500th prime number is something like… 3571, I guess?"

"…Ron, did you just work that out in your head?" Dante asked me.

"Yeah, why?" I answered, before Naoto grabbed me.

"What's 412 to the power of 12?"

"…What?"

"What number do you get if you multiply 412 by itself 12 times?"

…23,920,298,362,969,902,942,430,645,190,656, I think…" I replied, slightly scared. "This isn't really the time, is it?"

"What is the area of a circle if it's diameter of 123 meters?"

"…the radius is 61.5 meters, which is squared to make 3782.25 meters, squared, which is multiplied by π to make 11882.3 meters."

"Dear God, you're a genius!" Naoto said, releasing me, "You're a pure, mathematical prodigy."

"…What?" I asked, as I pressed the call button, before the floor began to flash, when we suddenly found ourselves at the bottom of the staircase.

* * *

><p><strong>Akihiko<strong>

"Oh my god, that is so cute!"

"Akihiko, we're filming!" Miranda shouted.

"Have you seen this picture?" I replied. "It's absolutely adorable!"

"Yes, I've seen that forum," Miranda replied. "I really liked a few of the pictures, especially the one with Doctor Evil- are those baby Krogan?"

"Yes, isn't it sweet?" Hermione said, showing off the picture, as we all squeed.

"Jesus, we're filming a scene, people!" Res shouted, as he walked onto the set. "Yes, the pictures of Mordin and the baby krogan are sweet, as well as the baby asari."

"What?" Miranda asked, before taking the laptop and looking at another picture. "Aww."

"Did ANYONE read the script?" Res asked, looking around. "Turn off the cameras, we'll have to rehearse."

"So, another Tartarus, and more Persona users," I said, as I entered the castle. "Well, this is going down horribly."

"Can't we send some Wizards inside?" Apollo said, sitting on a banister, letting Vivi play with his tail. "It's not like they can't use magic in a magical school, right?"

"That's exactly the problem," Nagato replied. "The potential for dark matter distortions has been completely nullified, and only Persona users can use magic because their powers come from another realm." Apollo was completely confused by this, as were most of the people in the entrance.

"I think she meant…" Ezio began to say. "That whatever caused the castle to turn into the tower may have caused all of the magic within the tower to become completely worthless. As for why Persona users can use magic… They're using magic from another dimension which uses completely different rules. …Is that right, sempai?"

"Yes, that is completely accurate," Nagato replied, as Mikuru and Haruhi came inside. "Wizard's magic is caused by localised distorting of dark matter, causing some differentiation of local chemicals and photons, producing a spell. However, there is a law for the amount of energy needed to cast a spell, called 'Equivalent Exchange', which uses resources from within the human body."

"…Are you saying that every time a wizard uses magic, they're using blood magic!" Liz shouted in shock.

"I don't think so," Ezio replied. "Notice that Neville, Crabbe and Goyle are all slightly… heavier… than most other wizards? I believe that whenever a wizard uses a spell, they use calories and carbohydrates in order to fuel their spells."

"Something similar with biotics," Keiji replied.

"Biotics… the ability to create mass effect fields using element zero nodules embedded in body tissue by generating and controlling dark matter…" Nagato said, looking through some records with the help of Hermione. "You're sitting ducks inside the tower."

"Persona magic is the same as demonic magic, but unlike traditional occultist magic where a demon summoner calls forth a demon to give them power, a Persona user channels pure Mana through their conscious mind to use magic, causing a demonic entity born from their thoughts and memories to appear and fight for them. As for Vivi, he is an embodiment of Mana on the physical plane, and can use magic within the tower."

"Hold on, we're not letting Vivi head into the tower, even with a squad," Luna shouted.

"I'll watch over him, if necessary," Miranda said,

"Hey, we did a roll call of known people outside the tower, and we can't account for Ginny," Mikuru said.

"What?" Charlie, Bill, the twins and Ron shouted, as Ron came out of the elevator. "Where's Ginny?" Ron asked, as he ran over.

"I don't know," Ezio said, looking around at different monitors. "Fred, George, get over here and join us." As the twins obeyed, Ezio's blue power glow surrounded them and more screens appeared around them. "Damn, the floor layout keeps changing, I can't get a definitive location."

"Wait, it only changes when someone isn't on the floor," George said, looking around. "I found Ginny, she's on floor 5, in a large room, but the floor layout isn't set, either. Also, I found Harry, but he's running around with a demon." As if on cue, Harry appeared in the elevator, followed by the demon.

"So, what's it like to be running around with a body, dad?" Dante asked.

"Wait, Redgrave?" Akihiko asked. "What are you doing here?" And after a short time of explanation…

"Okay, now we can focus on getting to the top of the tower," Liz said. "If you guys need healing, come over towards me."

"Well, it seems that the potion labs were left intact," Severus replied. "If anyone needs a potion, come see me."

"I'm going to make sure that all of the children are alright," Dumbledore replied. "If you're heading inside, make sure to talk to someone to see if you can gather any information."

"Naoto and I will do that," I replied. "What will everyone else do?"

"Well, I need to… do something else," Harry said, walking off.

"Where's he off to?" Hermione asked.

"I think he needs to speak to someone with an overlarge nose," Sparda replied.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Harry's a Wild Card, meaning that he can summon different Personae," Ezio replied. "He needs to trade his Personae for new ones, although it will leave him with fewer ones."

"What?" Draco asked. "How the hell can he do that?"

"From what I can tell, based on my emails with Minato and what I can gather from Harry…" Ezio began, before sighing. "You need to be mentally broken to use the Wild Card."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," Igor said, as I entered the blue environment. The Velvet Room appeared to look like a blue version of the Gryffindor Common Room, but with only two chairs, a table with a crystal ball on the top, with Oberon appearing in it. There were several picture frames around the room, all with different pictures of different cards, all above me, with frames at ground level with different creatures shown. "So, it seems that you have acquired additional Personae."

"Yeah, Igor, I've been meaning to ask about that," I asked, looking at the pictures. "You told me that I could summon additional Personae, but I have no idea how."

"Switching Personae is a simple matter of forming your thoughts and focusing on that particular Persona," a blonde woman said, as she came over. "Oh, I'm sorry. We haven't been properly introduced. My name is Margeret. I'm the holder of power, and the bearer of the Persona Compendium."

"…Persona Compendium?"

"When you obtain a new Persona, it is automatically added to your Compendium," Margaret said, showing the inside of the book. "Currently, you hold Oberon, Pixie and Slime, and can summon those Personae freely. However, after obtaining a Persona, you can speak to me to keep up a Persona's strength. Also, whenever you need to recall a Persona, you can speak to me and I'll call forth a Persona for you, although it requires payment for that particular service."

"So, you need money, I get it," I replied. "Okay, what can you do, Igor? Something about gaining new Personae?"

"By sacrificing your old Personae, you may obtain new Personae that will inherit skills from your older Personae," Igor said.

"Well, can you try it with my Personae?" I asked, as he took Pixie and Oberon, before causing Apsaras appear.

"Oh, are you the one who called me?" The beautiful woman said, looking at me.

"No, what would be Igor," I said, pointing at the large-nosed man.

"So, you're a Persona user, aren't you?" She asked me, before a card began to appear. "Very well, I will serve you." She then disappeared, as Apsaras appeared in the orb.

"So, can I get Pixie and Oberon back?" I asked Margaret.

"That will me 1523¥, please," She replied. "Oh, right, you're a Wizard. Sorry, that will be 3G, please." Handing over the money, two cards then appeared, as Oberon and Pixie appeared back in the portraits. Concentrating, I caused Oberon to appear in the orb.

"Well, it seems you've gotten the ability to change Personae," Igor replied. "However, we can only indirectly help you by providing you with the power to refine your talents."

"Yeah, thanks," I said, standing up, and heading towards the door, before it opened of its own accord and another person ran inside, while the Velvet Room began to distort wildly.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were busy, Igor," the other person said.

"Don't worry, I'm already finished," I said, smiling. "So, you're a Wild Card too, huh?"

"Yeah, nice to meet you," he said, before stepping forward. "Igor, can I ask a favour?"

"You know that I can't help you outside of acquiring Personae," Igor replied.

"Sorry, I'm just worried about a friend of mine, and want to make sure she's okay," he explained. "Last thing I heard, she was in London, so I-"

"What's their name?" I asked. "I can have a friend look for them, if needed."

"Naoto Shirogane," the guy said to me.

"I know her," I replied. "Don't worry, she's perfectly fine. I'll pass on that you're looking for her, Mr…"

"Oh, sorry," He said, scratching the back of his head. "Yu Narukami. And you are?"

"Harry," I said. "Harry Potter."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Harry," He said, as we shook hands. "Well, I do have some business in here, so…"

"I'll speak to you later," I said, before I headed out the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Naoto<strong>

"And when the Death Eaters took over, they hanged Filch from the Clock Tower, saying he was an example," Padma replied. "Oh, god…"

"You couldn't do anything," I said, comforting her. "It was a hard time, I admit it, but… Just say strong, and try and help us as much as possible…"

"I know…" Padma said. "They didn't hurt any of the kids, didn't want to hurt the 'cattle'. Listen, I found these around the castle, I wonder if they'd help."

"… A whip and a bladed fan?" Akihiko said, looking at them. "I'll give these to Ginny, when we find her, and Cho."

"Also…" Padma said, as she took something else out. "I found these potions. The Death Eaters were giving them to those monsters."

"These are Snuff Souls," I said, putting them in my pocket. "These are incredibly useful. Thank you."

"Okay," Padma said, before walking away.

"So, when do we head inside?" Akihiko asked.

"Well, there are demons over at the Quidditch Pitch, and it also holds a seal," I said. "If we don't destroy that, we're not getting very far."

"Yes, but Ginny's still trapped inside," Akihiko said, as Harry walked over towards us. "Ah, Harry, any news?"

"I have three more Personae, and an urge to kick ass," Harry said. "By the way, Naoto, do you know someone called Yu Narukami?"

"…Yes," I said.

"I just spoke to him; he wants you to get into contact with him," Harry said. "Anyway, when do we head into Tartarus?"

"As soon as you want," Akihiko replied. "So, do we go after the demons on the Quidditch pitch first, or Ginny." _They're staying away from Ginny, at the moment, I think we can afford to kill the large demon first, but I think Sparda is twitching to meet the guy after finding out it was the guy that helped murder his wife. Talk to Dante as well._

"Thanks," Harry said, as he began to walk off.

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

Walking away from Akihiko and Naoto, I began walking over towards Dante and Sparda, who was now in human form. "So, wanna kick some ass?" I asked, as Dante took out his guns and checked them.

"Sure, it could be fun," Dante said, as he looked down the barrel of his gun and *BANG*

"HOLY SHIT!" I shouted out, before Dante put his gun down. "Are you okay?"

"Dammit, Agnus messed with the trigger," Dante said, as he rubbed his head. "Great, I have to fix Ivory's trigger mechanic, possibly disinfect her and Ebony."

"…You name your guns?" I asked.

"Ebony, the black one, and Ivory, the white one," Dante replied.

"I called mine Luce and Ombre," Sparda replied. "I should probably get new guns, by the way."

"This is Natalya," Ezio said, holding up his right Combustor, "and this is Kara. I call the Shard Reaper 'Nastasha'."

"Why do people name weapons?" I asked.

"Familiarity," Ezio said, as he came over. "When soldiers are on a battlefield for a long time, they develop emotional bonds with their weapons as they aren't going to die on them."

"Anyway, who else should go?" Dante asked.

"What, can't the two of us handle him?" Sparda replied.

"From my scans, I found a weakness to ice magic," Ezio said. "Take Draco and Hermione, that's their specialty. Just… make sure Draco isn't hit with Zio."

"Fine," Harry said. "We'll leave in 5 minutes, I'll get them ready." As I said that, I ran over towards the outside of the school to see people talking in the courtyard to see Draco and Hermione arguing about something.

"I still don't see how it works," Draco replied. "How in the name of Merlin's beard does a large metallic ball destroy a large junk in a mountain!"

"Newton's Second Law of Motion," Hermione said. "An object in motion stays in motion, unless acted on by an outside force. Now, say that the metallic 'orb' was flying at over 120 km/h, and then you calculate how much energy is needed, you can see how exactly a large enough bullet travelling at that speed could cause a landslide in a mountain range." Wait, what?

"True, but how could that amount of energy be carried?" Draco asked. "From what I can tell, the directionality comes from Ireland, at best Belfast." Oh, shit. "How can you explain that?"

"A large exothermic reaction, possibly caused by around 10 pounds of gunpowder," Hermione said, as I sheepishly tried to shut the girl up. "It could be larger, but I only got a C in my physics and chemistry A-Levels."

"What the-" Draco said, gobsmacked. "That's the Muggle equivalent of NEWTs. How in the name of Merlin's bloody left testicle did you get two A-Levels!"

"Actually, there's something in Muggle society called 'Stepping up'," Hermione said, grinning. "It's where prodigies are allowed to take classes at a higher education level, so I got my GCSEs when I was 8, and I got my A-Levels when I was 9. Oh, and by the way, I have 9 A-Levels, I take the exams in the summer."

"So, how did a large bullet crash into the mountains?" Draco suddenly asked her.

"I don't know, maybe some trigger happy Militia, we were busy fighting for our lives to know everything," Hermione retorted. "Harry, are you alright?"

"Ready to kick ass?" I asked, as I walked closer to them. "We have to kill a demon over by the Quidditch pitch. I already have Dante and Sparda involved, but the demon is apparently weak to ice magic."

"So, the ice sorceress and the ice Persona User it is, then?" Draco said, as he pulled out his wand. "Sure, all I need is my wand and a rifle. When do we go?"

"Do you know where Fred and George are?" I asked. "As soon as we find them, we'll head out."

"Why do you need them?" Hermione asked me. "Because they have some skill you need?"

"Sort of," I replied. "I really want to perform a finishing move with two Bludgers. Just imagine it, sending two Bludgers towards me as I smack them straight towards me as I send them towards a demon, obliterating it."

"You're not a Beater, Harry," Draco said to me.

"…wood said i could be a beater…"

"What was that?" Draco asked.

"Nothing," I said, as Dante and Sparda came over. "So, the plan is simple, kill Griffin and destroy the seal." However, Sparda suddenly tensed up. "Is there a problem?"

"I feel a great evil," Sparda said, looking around.

"Yeah, me too," Dante said, as he grabbed his guns, while Ezio came over to me.

"Hey, do you guys know why most of the people here are tensing up?" He asked. "Good god, it's like Lucifer suddenly showed up."

"Hem-hem." No, Ezio, it's much, much worse. "Well, I didn't expect something like this to occur." As we all turned around, we then saw Umbridge looking at us, wearing a large pink cardigan. _You're mercenaries, you two. Do you hear me? MUGGLE MERCENARIES!_ **Well, I guessed that would be necessary, thank you,** Wait, Sparda's a telepath? "May I ask what happened to cause Hogwarts to…"

"Become the awakening place of Tartarus?" Sparda asked, finishing her question. "I don't know, but we're looking into possible leads."

"And who might you be?" She asked.

"My name is Dr. Sven Redgrave," he introduced himself. "I have a PhD in demonology, which is why Professor Dumbledore asked me to help with the inevitable exorcism needed. This is my son, Tony."

"I cut and shoot demons," He responded with a small smile.

"Aren't exorcisms done by priests?" Dolores asked.

"I'm a practicing Buddhist Monk, actually," Sparda replied. "Of course, I don't go into the whole ceremonial end of things, rather, I study how best to counter specific demons."

"He's also an expert in the field," a man said, as he came towards us. He was wearing a long, but modestly long robe, having a wand holstered on his right side, showing that he was left-handed. He was wearing a business suit under his robe, sharp-dressed and professional. Gray-haired, quite old, actually. "Nice seeing you again, Sven," He said, with a smile.

"Oswald, what a surprise," Sparda said, forcing a small smile. However, the temperature suddenly dropped, showing a sort of tense situation was involved. "I haven't seen you since… 1965…"

"I'm sorry, but…" Hermione asked. "May I ask, who are you?"

"My name is Oswald Blackfellow," The man said, introducing himself. "As for the short interim until the next election, I am acting Ministry of Magic."

"Then why the f*** are you here?" Dante asked. "Since you're a political representative, you're a target."

"I can defend myself, thank you," Oswald said. "However, I would like to know exactly what kind of situation is involved." After we explained… "Oh, that bad, then?"

"Yes, that bad," Dante said. "So, can we go kill the large demon bird now, before we have to get into the tower?"

"I'll leave you to it," Oswald said, holding his head in his hands. "Of course, you were supposed to be retired. How can I forget that you exorcists NEVER retire?"

"May I ask… How you know each other?" Umbridge asked.

"Sven here is the Muggle who single-handedly banished 213 Dementors from a small Norwegian village in the 1950's," Oswald said, before Umbridge was taken aback, shocked.

"What?" She asked, in disbelief. "A Muggle? But… How?"

"With lots and lots of chocolate," Sparda said, as we began to walk away. "Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Oswald." As we headed away, Miranda then ran towards us.

"Hey, mind if I join you?" She said, taking out an SMG. "I can't stand being around there, at the minute."

"Why, all the depressed children?" Hermione asked. "I thought you were a social worker."

"Oh, I can handle the kids," Miranda said, as we walked off. "It's that overly large c*** in that hideous pink outfit."

"Miss Lawson, how could you use such language?" Hermione asked.

"Well, if you've seen some of the weirder stories about social care, you would have a drinking problem," Miranda said. "I'm actually surprised I don't. I worked this one case where this woman's kids were taken into care after she cooked and fed them their father. The bulimia was the worst."

"Was this before or after you stopped working for Cerberus?" Sparda asked.

"What?" She asked, shocked. "But-how…"

"He's a demon," Draco explained. "Come on, we've got work to do."

"So, how do you know him, anyway?" Dante asked his father.

"Just a word of advice," Sparda said, as we all walked towards the Quidditch pitch. "If he follows any of you into a bathroom, scream."

"It will make him come faster," I said, before I was sent flying with a slap to the back of the head.

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"So, treat the injured over by the fountain," Liz said, as she talked to a few paramedics. "The water's fresh, so it's safe for drinking. Ezio, what's wrong?"

"I know where Raph is," I said, leaning against a pillar. "He flew into the forest. Got any recommendations for a team to search and subdue a berserk demon?"

"What can you tell?" Liz asked. "Strengths, weaknesses?"

"He's consumed so much demonic energy, starting with Agnus, and I have no idea how powerful he was," I said, worried. "I can't gauge how strong he is, because he's **distorting the twin's powers**. I know where he is because we can see **the outline of his blacked out body**. And it isn't pretty."

"Don't have anything?" Liz asked. "Okay, I'd recommend trying to reason to him, and if that doesn't work, try to subdue him by lowering his stats with Neville and Luna. If possible, take Vivi, and have him search for weaknesses with first tier spells before attacking him with second tier spells, third if necessary. And then after that, use a masterball to capture him."

"I'm f***ing serious, Elizabeth," I said, walking over to her. "Also, bad news. The Demon is here."

"Sparda?" She asked, sarcastically.

"Umbitch," I replied, as she began to sigh. "Worse yet, there's a new Minister for Magic, and he makes Sparda tense up. Something big is going to happen when we leave."

"I know," Liz said, as she finished treating a patient. _By the way, why is he injured? He wasn't involved in fighting._ "See this guy hear? Dickless made a joke about the centaurs, so they started firing at him."

"What happened to the centaurs?" I asked.

"Ever see Hancock?"

"The 'Sanford and Son' scene?"

"Yep."

"Those poor, poor bastards," I said. "So, you're busy. Crap."

"Can't leave, just in case," Liz said, giving me a sad smile. "But take Luna and Neville, and some of the soldiers that came up here."

"Liz, I can't just take a few soldiers," I said. "I'm not a goddamned General."

"Well, luckily, we're cops," I heard someone say behind me, causing me to turn. "What's up, Ezio?"

"Jack?" I asked, as his cohort came over. "Finn? What the hell are you doing here? And…" I paused, as I saw their faces. "What the hell happened to you?"

"I see you've noticed, then," Finn said, as he held up his right arm, which was completely covered in ice, yet it was somehow able to move like a normal limb. Jack, however, had his left arm covered in flames and letting off ashes, while his sleeve was completely burned off. "There's now classification for Conduits. You're a mentalist, Liz's a medic, and we're elementals. However, there's an issue for elementals where they become 'One' with their element. For example, I'm turning into an ice statue. And I'm packing on a few pounds."

"Hopefully, you won't go completely insane, or turn into a limbering giant," Liz said. "Need any healing?"

"No, we're good," Jack said. "So, how's it been for you guys?"

"Fine, pretty normal," I said. "Except that Harry was almost executed in a Kangaroo court, we've become full-on guerrillas, I met the Prime Minister, we're fully allied to the Lombax we met at the zoo, his name's Apollo, by the way, I'm a genetic experiment created by a galactic terrorist group called 'Cerberus', my dad was a member, who worked with the head of the Militia, and I'm partially an alien as a result, plus shapeshifting, the Devil May Cry games are real, Harry's on a job with Dante and Sparda as we speak, and Raph has been turned into a demon as is running around in the woods. Care to help me subdue him?" After Ezio said that, Jack and Finn stood there, shocked and confused.

"Wait, what was that about Raphael turning into a demon?" Jack asked.

"Long story," Liz asked. "Ezio will explain it on the way. Anyway, Ron and Seamus are over by Hagrid's hut. It's by a large pumpkin patch, near the lake."

"Why didn't the Death Eaters burn it down?" I asked. "Don't they hate half-breeds?"

"Well…" Liz said, nervously. "Hagrid was… squicked… when he saw what they did inside, and it involved a few Feel Bosses."

"What's a Feel Boss?" Finn asked.

"…You don't want to know," I said, as we walked off.

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"Okay, how do we handle this?" Draco asked, as he looked onward from behind cover.

"These Shadows and demons are all weak against ice magic," Sparda said. "May I recommend bufu?"

"None of my Personae have that spell," I said. "In fact, I can't properly cast ice magic with my wand."

"Then you need practice," Draco said, as he looked out. "Miranda, hit one of the demons with a biotic attack."

"All I have is Warp," she said, looking outward. As she let out a wave of biotic energy, Draco called forth his card, the Tower Card.

"Let's show them that we're number 1, Narcissus," Draco said, calmly, before raising up the butt of his rifle. "Persona!" He shouted, striking the card, as a glass figure appeared, standing over a rippling mirror, as it sent out a spell towards the demon, which mutated the spell into Mabufudyne, killing all of the demons. "Well, that was easy."

"I've never seen such magic as that," Sparda said, obviously amazed with Miranda. "What kind of magic is that?"

"That was a biotic skill," Miranda said, as we headed on out. "Basically, I have implants that allow me to manipulate gravity around me, giving me a form of telekinesis. But if biotic energy collides with magic, it greatly enhances the spell's effect."

"Didn't Liz say that happened to Ezio?" Hermione asked, as she got behind cover. "Well, this is great. The area has been terraformed, making it harder for us to get to the pitch."

"What?" I asked.

"The ground has moved," Draco said in an annoyed tone. "Anyway, how do we handle the next load of demons, let alone Griffin?"

"There's only one more wave before we have to fight Griffin," Miranda said. "If we let Hermione use Summon while I help with combo attacks, we should be fine. So, how are we fighting Griffin?"

"Sparda and Dante make a surprise attack while we fight him head-on," I said, looking around for any demons. "New Shadow type up ahead. Draco?"

"Persona!" He shouted, before he sent the spell at a Warped enemy, killing most of the Shadows with Mabufudyne, only for three demons to respond with a fire spell, knocking him on his ass. "Agh!"

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked, as I focused on a Persona and… THERE! "SLIME!" I shouted, before calling forth the Persona to hit the target, knocking it down.

"The other two are weak against bash attacks," Sparda said, before turning into his demonic form. "Luckily, they're also weak against Mudo spells." With a flick of his wrist, a dark seal appeared on the floor, banishing the last remaining demons, leaving a few unfortunate survivors. "I need to stretch more, but is it wrong to strike these fools down now?"

"…No," Dante said, before we rushed the demons, kicking their asses in a smoke cloud. I was momentarily knocked back, but when the dust cloud settled, I swear I saw a skull forming. With the demons vanquished, we regrouped…

Only for 5 cards to appear in front of me. "Hey," Draco asked, confused. "What's with the cards?"

"They're for Harry," Hermione said, as a screen appeared. "'Shuffle Time' is an event where a Persona user with the Wild Card ability is able to obtain money, weapons, items, and even new Personae."

"So, Harry can get new spells by gambling?" Miranda asked.

"Harry has to be involved with the final blow to a fight, however," Hermione said. "If he kills the last enemy or takes part in an All-Out attack, he activates Shuffle-Time."

"So, there's only one Persona, two Coin cards, a Sword card, and a blank card," I said, looking at the cards. "Which should I go for?"

"What's the Persona?" Dante asked. "I can't see what's on the cards."

"It's some blonde woman," I said, looking at them. "Hot blonde?"

"Hot Blonde," all Draco and Dante said, before the cards started spinning. Watching carefully, I put my hand out, touched a card… and then saw it flip to reveal the hot blonde. _You have welcomed Succubus into your heart._ Thanks, voice in head.

"Okay, I got the Persona Succubus, what the hell is that?" I asked.

"A succubus is a demon that has sex with men in their sleep, drawing their semen to collect and use when they transform into Incubi, a male demon who rapes women in their sleep," Hermione said.

"So, I have a transgender demon now?" I asked, confused. "So, I can f*** and be f***ed." _Hey, like I find it amusing too._ "Who said that?" _I'm you, and you're me, remember?_

"Let me guess," Sparda said, looking at me. "You're hearing voices? That's normal, it shows that your connection to the demon world is strong, giving you an extra boost to your Persona abilities." _Wait, Sparda's alive? How can this be?_ He sealed most of his power in the nearby castle. So, what's your name? _Succubus._ Seriously. _You really want to know?_ Yes. _Learn my last spell. I'm level 45, by the way._ What! 45! _Good luck getting that done. _**You know I can hear you, right? **_Shove it._ "Harry, you're too weak to summon Succubus, switch to another Persona." So, I switched over to Pixie.

"Okay, let's go kick-" _Hey!_ "Oh, dear god." _Hey, listen!_ "Can someone shut the pixie up?" _Why, don't you like pixies?_ No. Anyway, we headed towards the entrance of the pitch _OF DOOM!_ "That's it!" I shouted, stealing Dante's gun and held it to my head. "Alright, you foot-tall little brat, I'm laying down some rules. Rule 1, you don't talk when I expect to get into a fight, while I'm in a fight, or when I'm in class. 2, if you deliberately annoy me, I'll march into whatever nether realm you live in and beat you to death. Got it?" _What if I say no?_ "Did you not notice the big ugly mother***er here?" _Oh, damn._ "Thank you." I then returned the gun to Dante. _Anyway,_ Pixie tried to say, before I took the gun back and unloaded it.

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"So, that's the gist of it," I said, as I lead the small squad into the forest. Luna followed with Vivi and Neville, Seamus carrying a revolver, Ron aiming a shotgun wildly, Jack and Finn flanking with two assault rifles and Hagrid in front with a crossbow. "So, how'd you get out of Belfast?"

"Back up," Jack asked, looking at me. "What was that about selling someone as a sex-slave?"

"You don't want to know," I said, as I climbed over a log. "Now answer the question."

"About 6 days after you left, the Navy were given orders to find survivors and move them over to Britain," Finn said, as he looked around. "It took about 4 days to get people onto the P&O boats and over, all travelling back and forth to get as many people out of Belfast, Dublin and Cork. They're all held up in either Newcastle or Cardiff. Now, explain the sex-slave business."

"What's a sex-slave?" Vivi asked.

"When you're older," all but Jack and Finn said.

"In case you want to know, it's related to why I moved back from the US when I was 9," I said, looking around. "Ever hear of the JOKER case?"

"The serial killer who you could apparently hire to kill for you by dialling your own cell-phone number?" Jack asked. "You were a victim?"

"Barely managed to survive," I said, as I saw Ron cowering, muttering something about 'Follow the butterflies'. "I was almost killed by the guy, but I went psychotic and killed him instead. That's when I was diagnosed with a mental condition called Yagami Syndrome. However, the police detective on the case, a guy called Javert, thought I was the killer. Hell, I'm probably the only person who has a restraining order enforced solely by the FBI. Unfortunately, he's a CIA agent now." _So, you sold him off as a sex-slave?_ "In a gay brothel."

"You're sick," Jack said.

"Hey, Ron, what's wrong," Luna asked, looking around. "Are you scared?"

"…There are giant spiders in this forest," He said, whimpering.

"Oh, Aragog's kids?" Hagrid said, smiling. "They're quite nice, when you get to know them."

"They tried to eat me when I was 12!" Ron shouted, lowering his gun. "You sent me and Harry into the forest to talk to a 30 foot spider! You could have warned us that he'd sick his kids onto us. Oh, and that reminds me: I still have to KILL you for that!"

"Calm down," Neville said, as he looked around, before drawing his sword. "Screw it, aim and shoot." Neville then stood back as three large spiders jumped over to us. Ron aimed and shot his gun into a spider, before kicking it away, as Neville sent curses out towards the spiders, while Luna buffed us. Finn sent out a freeze laser from his hand to keep a spider still, while Jack took out a small bottle, before he threw it at a spider, causing it to burst into flames.

"I've got this," Neville said, calmly, before raising his arms and aiming them outwards, as a green light enveloped him. As he stuck out his hands, several tree branches enveloped a spider, pinning it to the ground, as we all aimed our guns at it, only for it to burst into flames. "Was that necessary?"

"That wasn't me," Jack said, confused. As we looked over to another spider corpse, it also burst into flames, to our confusion. "So, we're fighting giant spiders around a magic castle, looking for a demon who could be insane." As he checked his weapon, Hagrid looked at the corpse.

"It seems that they're burning through magic, literally," Hagrid said, worried. "If this is happening, it may be because of a toxin or a form of foreign plant-life. Perhaps the Death Eaters are trying to grow Devil's Snare in a nearby tunnel…" However he stopped when he saw Jack's unamused face.

"So, when did you get a green thumb?" Seamus asked Neville. "Did you get that power from a Blast Core?"

"Yes, I did," Neville said, as he moved the roots back into place. "I can feel plant-life, so I can easily control it. It might be because of my interest in Herbology."

"Yes, we are indeed hunting an insane demon in a magic forest that is overlooked by a castle," Hagrid said, as Jack readied his weapon.

"F***ing metal."

"Author's Note, a shout out to Neon Genesis Evangelion: Nobody Dies, now available on ," Ezio said, with a small grin.

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"Seriously, why'd you shoot yourself in the head?" Hermione asked me, as I heard a ringing in my ear.

"I have an annoying voice in my head, that's why," I said, as Sparda held me up, lifting me by the back of my jacket, as I looked down. "Holy crap, you're holding me up to your head and I only go down to your crotch."

"My demonic form is nearly 8 feet tall, if that's what you're asking," Sparda said, before dropping me to the ground. _For one of the most feared demons around, he's a really nice guy._ And that's when I grab Dante's gun again.

"DON'T TEMPT ME, PIXIE!"

"Call her Tinkerbell," Miranda said, sarcastically. _Hold up. Only one person calls me Tinkerbell, and it's not any of you._ So, you've got a boyfriend, huh? What's his name? _…I don't have a boyfriend…_ Oh, a crush, is it? _NO!_ "Harry, are you arguing with the demon?"

"She has a crush," I grinned. "It seems 'Tinkerbell'" _Shut up!_ "is an affectionate nickname for her."

"Harry, don't taunt the demons," Dante said, putting his hand on his head. "Bad things happen when you taunt the demons."

"F*** off," I said, as we got into position. "Now, it's time for battle, in the name of the glorious Sun."

"Harry, you're drunk," Draco deadpanned.

"From shooting himself in the head?" Hermione asked, as we walked inside, weapons drawn.

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"Okay, what the hell are those things, Hagrid?" Finn asked, looking over towards a few creatures in the clearing.

"I don't know," Hagrid said, looking outward. "I've never seen those before."

"Oh cool! Grungoths!"

"Apollo, what are you doing here?" I asked, looking at the Lombax, before he collapsed his cloak.

"Well, it's kind of awkward at camp, what with Umbridge there, considering that I attacked Fudge before he was murdered," he replied, as he looked around. "Hey, you're the two guys from the zoo."

"And you're the asshole who was following us," Jack replied. "So, anyway, what are-" he tried to say, only for Apollo to grab his (non-burning) arm and cause him to wince. "What the-"

"When did you hurt your arm?" Apollo said, looking at a joint.

"What?" Jack asked, only for Apollo to look at him. "About two days ago, why?"

"You've partially torn your biceps tendon, so if you strain your arm too much it could completely tear," Apollo said, as he took out a cloth, grabbed a twig and wrapped it around Jack's arm. "Talk to Liz when we get back. She'll fix it in an instant." I was, however, shocked by it, as Apollo turned to me. "Oh, right. I haven't told you. I'm a diagnostician. I wanted to be a surgeon, but I wasn't any good at it." Jack and Finn, however, were staring at me. "Perhaps you should transform back into human, Ezio." Looking at my hands for a second, I then realised I had accidentally turned into a Lombax.

"I have to admit…" Finn said, looking at me, as Vivi started playing with Apollo's and my tails. "You're actually kinda cute, for a heavily scarred alien cat."

"Gee, thanks," I said, as Vivi started batting my tail.

"Wow, your crotch is enormous," Jack said, as he grabbed me.

"OH MY GOD!"

"Look out!" Seamus said, before we rolled away as a large gorilla-like creature attacked us. Neville, without hesitating, caused some routes to grab the creature, as I sent out a few electric bolts into its face to knock it out. However, Neville was knocked back when the other two attacked, as Apollo teleported under one and punched it straight in the gut, as Luna started batting the other one, using her flag to disorientate it. Seamus, however, took Jack's assault rifle and started unloading into the creature, as Finn held it in place with ice.

"Give me a flame," Luna said, as Jack and I sent out fire towards her. She then spun it around her, causing her seal to appear on the ground. "Hellfire!" She shouted. Before we knew it, Ifrit was already out, and he was preparing his fireball for his volley. However, Jack was feeding the fireball with his powers, as Ifrit launched into the air, before sending down his attack, killing all of the creatures. "So, what are these creatures, anyway?"

"They're called Grungoths," Apollo said, looking at them, as Hagrid looked over one of them. "They're creatures native to Magnus, a planet in the Polaris galaxy. They prefer arctic conditions, so they must have been uncomfortable in this heat. Males also travel in packs of 4 while hunting, looking for food for female Grungoths."

"Oh, crap, there's another one?" I asked, before turning back into a human and trying to find the last one.

"Well, the Death Eaters say they killed something similar after it killed and flayed one of them outside the main entrance," Hagrid said, as we looked at him. "These… are from another planet?"

"Apollo, what the hell are these doing here?" I asked, as he caused them to disappear. "Or, did the Drophyds leave them here in their infinite wisdom?"

"I'd say, Drophyds being reckless," Apollo said, as we headed further into the forest. "Anyway, we can't be far from Raphael, right?" An enormous roar belted out, shaking several trees, sending wind towards us, as we tried to stay still. Vivi was flown back with Luna, Seamus grabbed onto Ron's belt, who had stuck an axe into a tree, Apollo and I gripped a tree and Hagrid just stood there, but his clothes on the other hand… "Oh, sweet, merciful Goddess."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

Stepping into the Quidditch pitch, my team were almost blown away by a powerful gust of wind, as we got ready for a fight. "What insolent little pests dare enter my domain," a voice said, as we looked up to see an enormous eagle flying around.

"This isn't your domain," I said, calmly. "It's a sports field. Or is your birdcage a little too small back in whatever shithole of hell you're from."

"You dare talk back to me!" the eagle said, as it flew off of the stands. "I am the great, powerful-"

"Maybe I don't give a f***," Hermione shouted at the large bird. "Maybe I don't remember when the last time I blew my nose was."

"I'll teach you not to be arrogant to me," it said, as it came down and tried to sweep us off our feet, except for Miranda shooting upward at it, and Draco sending bufu up to strike the demon in the chest. As it came crashing down, we all stood up, in position to fight.

"I've got an ammo mod to freeze targets," Miranda said, holding out a small device. "It only works for 10 reloads, and this gun only fires 6 times before I need to reload. Get it down so I can blow a hole in its head."

"Alright," I said, as I turned us invisible and created illusions to make it look like we were running off, while Hermione prepared her summon and Draco worked with Miranda to prepare a powerful bufu spell.

"You think an illusion like that can fool me?" Griffin bellowed. "I can see right through it. Of course, I can't see you, but I see that you're not running towards the large stick with a hoop on top."

"Well, that's gone wrong," I said, turning myself back to normal, while dispelling the illusion. However, I left the invisibility on the others, while also running around the field. "Hey, Tweedy!"

"It's Griffin, you insolent little pest."

"Wow, you're just like my potion master," I quipped, while flipping him off. "Kind of ironic, that you're sitting around the sports field while all of the other demons are busy fighting. What, are you always this lazy, or is it that you're growing fatter?"

"How dare you," He said, as he came down to me, before I ducked out of the way.

"Now!" Miranda said, channelling her biotics to strike Griffin, while Draco called forth his Persona, causing a huge magical strike to hit Griffin, causing it to fall to the ground. Hermione didn't waste any time, as she had already finished the seal.

"Arc of Ice!" Hermione shouted, as she disappeared, as an ice pillar appeared that was 50 feet tall, as Lamperough appeared on top, right next to Griffin. As he jumped up, he then put his fist down, as he came crashing down towards the ground, sending shards of ice out in all directions. As he reached the ground, Griffin was skewered by all sorts of ice picks. "Well, that was awesome," Hermione said, before slumping down.

"Hermione!" I shouted, as I ran over towards her, while Miranda ran over towards Griffin, putting the ammo modification, before shooting six shots out into his head, as ice formed around the wounds. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just tired," She said, as she stood up. "I knew it would happen. It's because, as a sorceress, I use a separate form of magic, which uses expendable mana. Don't worry, I have an ether ready."

"Wait, it's separate from wizard's magic?"

"Sure, I think anyone can use it, but some are better than others," She said, as she took out a bottle and drinking it. "Harry, I can't use a summon for 24 hours, so we have to change our tactics."

"Can you keep casting ice magic?" I asked.

"Sure," she said, as Griffin stood up. "Do you know Glacius?"

"Only slightly," I said, as Griffin flew off, as four demons appeared. I then took out my wand, and aimed it at the demons. "Glacius," I cast, causing ice to appear over the demons, sending them back. "How was that?"

"Okay," Hermione said, as the demons came back up. "Try this." She then ran forward, and raised her hand. "Omnes Glacies Clavum!" As she said that, frost appeared around her, before shooting out and homing into the demons, before striking them with a spike of ice from the ground and skewering them, as smaller shards came up around them. The demons let out a small scream before dying, as Griffin appeared again.

"Seriously, give us a fair fight, fatty," I said, as Draco grabbed me, while taking Miranda's handgun.

"DON'T ***WHACK*** TAUNT ***WHACK*** THE ***WHACK*** DEMONS!" Draco shouted, punctuating each word with a smack.

"…Seriously?" Griffin asked, confused. "This is what I'm fighting? This should be easy."

"Oh, coming from the asshole who left his goons to attack us," Draco said, flipping him off. "Let's see what you're made off."

"Fine," Griffin said, as he sent out a few lightning bolts down to strike us. I was knocked on my ass, though.

"Harry!" Hermione called out, as Griffin came down and struck her, sending her back. "Okay, asshole, you're going to pay… Glacies Hasta!" A shard of ice appeared over her, which then shot over towards Griffin, causing him to wince.

"Okay, I'll get ready for a combo attack," Draco said, before running over towards Miranda.

"Let's see how you like this," Miranda then shouted, hitting Griffin with a warp attack. Draco then followed with a bufu spell, which combined to form mabufudyne, causing Griffin to fall to the ground. "Is this where we rush at him and beat him senseless, correct?" As we all grinned, we rushed towards Griffin, and began beating the crap out of him. As we headed back into position, Griffin came to, and then flew straight up.

"Ha! Is this what you have? Are you the best fighters here? I expected better. Fight me like a man… or woman, for the two ladies."

"So, should we hit him one last time, or let the others have a go?" Draco then asked, before Griffin came down, as Dante entered the fight.

"Oh, this is going to suck, isn't it?" Miranda said, laughing at the large demon.

"Wait till I get you off my back," Griffin said, before a second sword suddenly fell into the ground.

"Yeah, it's gonna suck," Sparda said, grinning, as Griffin's eyes went wide. "Hello, Griff. Mind if I have a quick talk with you? For **old time's sake?**" We were all scared, even Dante. Griffin was about to go to a dark, scary place, and it wasn't hell.

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"Okay, there's Raph," Luna said, as we saw Raphael, in full on demon mode, as he was attacked by two more demons. The demons lunged at him, channelling magic for an attack… and instantly disintegrated as Raph held up a hand.

"Holy shit…" Finn said before dropping his gun, as we got behind cover. "We… We have to fight him?" Raph, in his demonic state, was currently feral, and had developed several inhuman tendencies. Well over 12 feet from head to toe, he was reduced to walking on all fours, flicking 9 thin, blade-like tails about, cutting into the wood of the trees with ease, while also digging into the ground with his claws. His head was relatively the same size, but with horns that were razor sharp, and could impale anyone if he charged into them. His skin was rock hard and, apart from some flat parts which were brown and rocklike in appearance, he was glowing a dark blue colour, which was the same colour as his iris. And he also has wings, which appear to be functional. This is going to be so… so… fun.

"You lot stay back," I said as I put away my katana and took out a phone. "Hey, Harry, where are you?"

..::We're over by the Quidditch Pitch,::.. Harry said, as I watched Raph scratching a tree post. ..::Why, need help dealing with Raph?::..

"I just need some advice, can you put Sparda on?" I asked, leaning against a tree.

..::No can do, he's quite busy,::.. He said, as I leaned against a tree, and rubbed my head. ..::What do you need to ask him? Or… is he too strong for you?::..

"Actually, can you ask him how to deal with a demon that is feral and can kill other demons by raising his hand?" I asked, as I saw more demons come over towards Raph, who was quite docile towards them, simply smelling the demons, batting the scythe of one of them, before going berserk when one tried to attack him and sending his tails to slash them apart, tearing them apart with his bare hands like they were paper. "Oh, Jesus, he killed 50 demons in 10 seconds flat."

..::Hold on,::.. Harry said, as Ron and Jack were talking quietly, obviously in a parody of wildlife documentaries. ..::Okay, how is he acting, to the closest animal?::..

"He's like a kitten," Hagrid said, grabbing the phone.

..::Hagrid?::.. Harry asked, before muttering some foul language. ..::Ezio, is your phone on speaker!::..

"Yeah," I said, as Raph scratched his back against a tree, withering it away and felling it, causing the tree to fall on him, which he then lifted off of himself with his wings. "Basic mannerism is that of a cat, but he seems to limber about like a bear. Docile to anything that approaches him, but if he feels threatened, he turns violent in a heartbeat. He killed 50 Hell Prides in some… creative ways. Oh, and he can fly, and is currently perched on a tree."

..::Well, Sparda recommended staying away from him and waiting for him::.. Harry said, putting emphasis on the last few words. ..::But if you have to approach him, be slow and careful, no sudden movements, and try to feed him something, like a favourite food of his. Also, demons can tell siblings apart by smell, so it's best if you do it::..

"Yeah, I don't have any lasagne on me," I said, as I looked out at Raph, who was now playing with the birds. "I have to admit… for a 12 foot tall demon, who is a person of mass destruction… He's kinda cute when he's trying to chase bluebirds."

..:: ...What? ::..

"I have an idea," Neville said, taking out a plant. "We could crush this up, nepata cataria, and put it on the ground. He'll be intrigued, we walk over to him, and put him to sleep."

"We're not killing him," Luna said, as Vivi went out and looked at Raph. "Of course, how do we knock him out after we give him the weed."

"You're giving him marijuana?" Jack asked, obviously confused.

"Jack, I work Vice, that isn't an illegal substance," Finn said, grabbing the plant. "Neville, what are you doing with catnip?"

"Let's do it," Hagrid said, grinning, as he took out a metallic leash with a chain. "We can take him back to Hogwarts and keep him in a cage until we can turn him back into a human."

"We're not putting him in a cage," I said, annoyed.

"What's catnip?" Apollo asked, looking at the plant.

"Later," I said, as I rubbed my temple. "Great, Raph makes me blind in one eye just by looking at him, Neville's carrying a hallucinogenic for pets, I have two confused cops, Hagrid is most likely thrilled by the sight of him, and Vivi and LUNA are the sane people here."

"Where is that kid, anyway?" Finn asked, as Luna let out a small scream, as we turned around. "Oh, f***, he's playing with the demon." Vivi was out in the clearing with Raph, and was scratching his belly.

"Okay, I'm going out there," I said, heading out into the clearing. "Vivi, what are you doing?"

"Can we keep him?" Vivi asked, while hugging Raph around the neck, who was grinning at the gesture, before going 'Puppy Dog Eyes' on me. "I promise to clean after him, and feed him, and-"

"Vivi, he's my brother," I said, while rubbing my head. "We have to take him back, and no, he can't be your pet. And don't give me those Puppy Dog Eyes, why did you fly off, anyway?" Raph just stared at me for a second, before, rolling onto his stomach, standing on all fours, walked up to me… and licked me in the face, sending me back a few steps, before sitting down. "If you wanted to say sorry, wait until you're human."

"Well, that would upset the Dark Lord's plans," Bellatrix said, Apparating behind me.

"F*** off, you coked up slut," I said, turning to face her.

"Sorry, thought I killed you when I slashed you up," Bellatrix said, letting biotic energy flow over her. "Must try better next time. Of course, isn't it a bit silly to come into the Forbidden Forest with just a small child?" Great, she hasn't noticed the others.

"Small child?" Vivi said, obviously amused. "Hahaha… Considering you're in such a state, I wouldn't insult someone who could kick your ass, you drugged up, cock juggling thunderc***."

"VIVI!" I called out, obviously shocked. However, Vivi only held up a ball of water in his hand.

"See this?" Vivi threatened, while I reached for my katana, only for one of Raph's tails to wrap around my wrist, holding it in place, so that I could see the others getting into position around her. "It's a water spell. Due to how biotics, or the generation of dark matter, works, all I have to is use a spell to kick your ass. That's because magic is the distortion of dark matter in the local area that causes photons to alter wavelengths and then changing back again when they collide with physical mass to produce a different effect. When magic collides with a biotic move, magic overpowers it, absorbs it and becomes much more powerful. So if you don't suppress your biotics, I'll drown you right here, right now. Got it, bitch?"

"How dare you?" Bellatrix shouted, obviously angry. _Ezio, if you can here me, I've got a plan._ _You know, I can't actually look at you because you overpower my Shadow Eyes, did you know that? __Listen, she's got Death Eaters nearby with biotics. It's a trap._ Silently swearing, I passed the message onto the others, who all got ready. "Don't you know who I am?"

"Amy Winehouse?" I quipped. _How come you were feral a minute ago, but able to communicate with me through telepathy? __I don't know… As soon as you came near me, I was… somehow able to think more clearly. As for why I flew off… It hurt to be near the others…__ You needed demonic energy, you were starving. We need to kill Bellatrix, right here, right now._

"I'm a pureblood witch, and that makes me one of the most powerful witches in the world," Bellatrix said, causing her biotics to flare and also caused me some dizziness.

"You mispronounced, 'Inbred'," Vivi said, as Bellatrix sent a biotic wave at him. "Aguamentiraga!" Vivi shouted, as his water spell shot forward and became a giant river in an instant, sending Bellatrix flying back, before more Death Eaters Apparated in. I was able to push at one Death Eater and blow him to bits, but I was soon knocked back into Raph by a biotic blast. While I recovered, Raph closed his wings around Vivi and me, as we heard gunfire erupt outside, and Apollo teleported inside our barrier.

"Hey, we got half of them dead, but we have no idea where Lestrange is," Apollo said, as we heard a ricochet. "Wait, did a bullet just bounce off Raphael's wing?" A quick nod from Raph confirmed it. "Cool, made of diamonds. Anyway, I'll get you into a position to ambush her. Okay?"

"Better, get Neville into position, get me way from the fight, and let Vivi kick ass," I said, as Raph set me down. "I'm way too weak to biotics."

"I can handle it just fine," Apollo said, helping me up. "Sure, I can't teleport for a while, but, that's it."

"Apollo, your powers aren't tied to your brain," I said, as I regained my composition. "If I get hit by a biotic attack that's powerful enough, I get knocked out, or else I could suffer from brain haemorrhaging."

"Yeah, good point," He said, before grabbing me. However, I moved his hand off and turned to Raph.

"Give them hell," I said, as Raphael grinned at me. Apollo then teleported me away, before I sat down on the ground. "Great, I miss the fight-" I tried to say, before Apollo dropped a gun onto my head. "What the f*** is this?"

"Plasma Striker," Apollo said, grinning. "It's a crossbow that shoots 8 plasma bolts at incredible distances, making it an effective sniper rifle. It has an experimental bioscope that identifies weaknesses in enemy armour or pressure points and vital organs without, making it easier to kill a target. Like I said, 'Experimental'. Our friend gave it to us while it's currently being tested, so you can't keep it. But, you're a better shot than me, so, why not?"

"These bullets are enormous," I said, looking at the crossbow, before looking through the scope and taking aim. "Well, it's quite accurate, since it targets the brain, heart, and the non-lethal option targets joints without killing the target. However, there is one concern that I have with the gun." I then took aim at a Death Eater, squeezed the trigger… and his head was disintegrated, along with the rest of his upper torso. "Apollo, did you see that?"

"…Holy crap," Apollo said, obviously shocked.

"The force needed to fire bullets this big at the same speed as Earth sniper rounds, which is between 800-1000 m/s-"

"I use the imperial system," Apollo said, looking at me.

"2600-3400 '/s at the moment that they leave a barrel," I said, looking at the shocked Lombax. "Now, if the same speed is reached by this bullet, the friction, and also the air displaced by it, would be greater. And when the bullet is bigger, it doesn't shoot through a person like normal, it _rips them apart and then splatters brain matter all over the place!_ Also, the air current that was displaced would come rushing past and blow the remaining body apart, as well as any unlucky son of bitches that were standing nearby. Apollo, you're a diagnostician, which means you should be smarter than me. Why didn't you get _a sniper rifle that didn't make a scene!_"

"I'm axe crazy," Apollo said, looking at me. "Yeah… but that was really, really nasty."

"Yeah, I know."

"Can you do it again?"

"I'm going to," I said, taking position, aiming for a 'non-lethal' spot. "Seriously, the damn gonads?"

"It's meant to be non-lethal," Apollo said. "Yeah, but if you shoot someone in the nuts with a sniper rifle, the wound would be too large to clot, especially since large veins and arteries pass it in humans… I didn't design the gun, and I've never used it. I guess this is a shitty rifle."

"Tell your friend then," I said, looking at him, before I suddenly felt a heart attack, while holding the rifle, before taking aim. "Okay, let's see… Two in a row, coming right up…" With a shot, I turned two Death Eaters into clouds of blood, as I aimed for another two. "They've got kinetic barriers up, I think. The others can't get through because the bullets are bouncing off something."

"Hey, Ezio, you may want to stop for a second…" Apollo said, as he came over to me.

"Hold on, Luna's injured, Vivi's slumped over and Hagrid's aiming at them with his crossbow," I said, looking at the others. "At least Raph is providing cover with those wings of his. Okay, taking aim… I can't kill either one, there's no spot."

"Then collapse the barrier," Apollo said. "If a biotic is holding up a barrier and you collapse it, it knocks them back briefly."

"Thanks for the advice," I said, aiming straight for the barrier and pulling the trigger, which then ricocheted off the barrier as it collapsed, causing the Death Eaters to stumble before being shot by Jack and Finn. "Crap, I can't see Neville, he must have gone after Lestrange."

"Can you find him?" Apollo asked me.

"I don't think so…" I said, before sensing Neville. "He's by the lake, he ran in the direction that Vivi blasted Bellatrix!"

"We'll go in a minute," Apollo said, before I walked past him.

"He's a Conduit and a shitty Wizard going after a dangerous biotic," I said, heading off. "It can't wait."

"Look at yourself!" Apollo said, grabbing my arm. "You're not human, and you're not a Lombax. You turned into a third form." As he let go, I walked over towards a large pond, and looked at myself. I only had 3 fingers, all ending with sharp talons, my legs ending with sharper talons, which had completely ruined my shoes, most of my clothes were damaged (I LIKED THAT GREEN SHIRT, YOU CERBERUS BASTARDS!), and my face was covered in metallic plates, which hid most of the scars on my face. Looking at myself, however, showed that I had a natural hood for my body. "So, you're now a turian. I'd warn you about one thing. Don't eat anything in that form. Seriously, it could kill you. Also, would you like me to help you get clothes for that form?"

"You're gay, aren't you?" I asked, before jumping. I had just realised my voice was different. How could I not realise that. It was way, way deeper, and it had an audible vibration when I talked.

"No, but it is shocking for you," Apollo replied, before a longcoat appeared over my body. "Need to call Miranda?"

"I'll text her while we're looking for Neville," I said, as I started running. "You know, this body is bulkier, taller, and slower but is better for running around terrain. I'm already getting used to it."

* * *

><p><strong>Harry<strong>

"Do you, Sven Redgrave, hereby agree to never perform an act of torture while around, or to, an individual who is under the legal age of responsibility, under the condition of death?"

"I… I will."

"And do you agree to never do so while utilising your demonic powers, under the condition of the Cruciartus?"

"I do."

"And do you also agree to never reveal any embarrassing detail about an individual who may come to you for help, unless that detail was involvement in a crime committed for a selfish motive, or so help me God, I will perform a turian tango?"

"What?"

"Just answer the bloody question!"

"I will."

I have no idea how, but Miranda Lawson, with the aid of Draco Malfoy, was currently forcing Sparda, the Legendary Dark Knight, the Slayer of the Prince of Darkness, the Demon who turned against his condemned brethren for the sake of humanity… into performing a magical ritual called the Unbreakable Vow, partly out of disgusted horror of what he did to Griffin. I know that the guy killed Sparda's wife, but… seriously, what the hell was the trombone for? Anyway, according to the spell, two people make a magical vow, one who sets the conditions and the other accepts them as a promise. The third person, the witness or 'Bonder', casts the spell to form a contract. Wait, Miss Lawson was making a deal with the devil… Anyway, if the person who agrees to the terms of the oath breaks them, they die.

"You know, there are two funny things about this form of contract," Sparda said, after the charm was completed. "I can't actually die, but it will hurt, all the same."

"Damn, I didn't think about that," Miranda said, looking away.

"Second, this is how I got engaged to Dante's mother," Sparda said, giving a soft smile.

"Hold on, Mom got you to propose by _signing a demonic contract!_" Dante asked, obviously shocked. "Wait, you got engaged during a leap year, didn't you?"

"So, she popped the question while binding you?" Hermione asked. "Why did you agree to do it?"

"Well, we were… business partners, while working as hunters, both demons and humans," Sparda said. "After about 10 years or so, Eva asked me to make a demonic contract, since she didn't want me to betray her. So, I agreed to it on her terms, and she asked her friend, Cleo, to make an Unbreakable Vow for us. I still remember how she got me into it. She actually asked me the question, and I agreed to it before realising what she asked me, so I had already agreed to marry her. When I realised what happened, she just held out the ring… on the end of her tongue."

"So, that's where I got that trick," Dante said, obviously amazed. "And you actually got trapped by that? I would've checked the calendar."

"…Dante, I'm still your father, and if you try making fun of me, I can get creative with punishments," Sparda said, as he managed to coy Dante in such a shock, that he turned into a demon, a small, cute demon, and hid behind Miranda. "Hey, it could be worse… your mother could be alive."

"Oh, come on, you're a badass demon slayer," Draco said, picking up the terrified Half-Demon. "Are you really that scared?" However, Dante just grabbed Draco's ear and whispered something to him. "Oh, that is wicked."

"So, if you were sealed in Hogwarts, does that mean, you could…" Hermione said, standing awkwardly. "See and hear… everything?"

"I tried not to look into the girl's dorms or bathrooms," Sparda said with a smile, before turning into a human, which calmed Hermione down. "However, it was still irresponsible to brew Polyjuice potion when you were twelve." That caused Hermione to go wide-eyed. "Your skill is incredible. Hell, I swear you're just like Lilly Evans."

"…My mom?" I asked, before Sparda realised a mistake. "What do you know of my mother?" Sparda began trying to backpedal, before I held up his wand. "Listen. You have a magic elemental weakness to light magic. I can summon a Patronus. I also have the ability to control light in a localised area. So, just give me a short, honest version, what were my parents like, really?"

"…Lilly was her generation's Hermione, one of the best Witches in the school, except that she excelled in potions, which is how she met Severus Snape," Sparda replied. "They had an argument, they broke it off, and he feels guilty about it ever since. Your dad, however, was something of an asshole, mainly due to how they bullied Snape. However, James saved Severus after one prank went badly wrong, one involving a werewolf."

"Sirius?" I asked.

"Yes."

"If that's the reason why Snape hates me, I'll kill him."

"Well, there is one other reason, but it isn't for me to discuss." However, something clicked in my head. And I was about to explode.

"Snape loved my mom, didn't he?" I asked. Sparda just gave me a weak nod to confirm it. "'He did something to break off the friendship' means he angrily called her a Mudblood." Sparda again nodded. "And because I'm her son with his rival, he hates me, correct?" As Sparda nodded, I just walked out of the Quidditch pitch, heading down towards the castle.

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

"What have you done?" I asked Sparda, as we saw Harry walking off. "He's pissed off, and he's psychologically unstable. He could do something completely reckless."

"How bad can it be?" Miranda asked, before I started running out of the pitch.

"He's contemplated suicide," I said, before running out to see that Harry had, somehow, already reached the castle. "Wow, I only thought dust clouds happened in Road Runner cartoons." However, we all winced suddenly, for some unknown reason.

"What the hell was that?" Draco asked, as he started twitching uncontrollably, and frost formed over my arm. Dante was scratching furiously, and Sparda was tapping his foot wildly.

"It's a Devil's Touch," Sparda said, as he steadied himself. "It's one of the reasons why wizards and ninjas make the best Demon Hunters. It's a tic that magic users get when they're close to a demon, acting as an early warning for them. It's worse for Draco and you, Hermione, because you're a Persona User and a Sorceress, making you closer to demons magically."

"Wait…" Dante said, looking at his dad. "Did you just say, 'Ninjas'?" However, the screams of pain we heard from the castle only drew us towards it, as we all started running towards it.

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio<strong>

"Okay, I see Neville, and…" I paused, looking through the scope. "Holy crap, he's actually fighting her to a standstill."

"What?"

"Here's some binoculars," I said, handing them to her. "He shaped the roots to give himself some cover, is sending ailments out to hurt her and… holy crap, he disarmed her."

"Well, he is a wizard, right?"

"Neville is really bad at casting spells, from what I hear from Seamus," I said, looking at Bellatrix. "Apparently, he uses his dad's wand. As Hermione told me, using someone else's wand means that you can't properly cast spells due to the fact that the wand is a magical extension of the body, so to speak."

"So, we break his wand, then," Apollo said, smiling. "So, have any idea what powers you have in that form?"

"I don't know, I haven't manifested anything," I said, before taking aim again. "I can't shoot her. She's behind a tree and a really thick barrier. I could weaken it, but it would ricochet off of the shield and kill…" And then I paused, seeing a series of lines around the area. Trajectories, hit areas, probabilities of hitting, aim assist… "My turian power is aim assist."

"So, you can guess where the best place to shoot is?" Apollo asked, as I looked straight at him. Well, it didn't seem to be necessary to have a gun. One swift punch and… "Agh!"

"Yep," I said, looking through the scope and aiming at the tree. Pulling the trigger, the large bullet collided with the tree, shattering it and forcing it to fall towards Bellatrix. It wouldn't kill her, or even hit her, but it was the distraction needed for Neville. "Come on, let's get over there." I then ran through the forest, as Apollo started following me. "Come on, pick up the slack!"

"You hit me in the nuts," Apollo said, teleporting ahead of me. However, I realised that Neville and Bellatrix were in a close-ranged fight, and Neville was unarmed, while Bellatrix was unarmed. "Shit, aim for her."

"Hold on," I said, taking out my beam Katana. Looking ahead, I watched carefully as they were fighting each other, looking for an opportunity. "NEVILLE!" I called out, throwing my katana at him, unopened, and sending it through the air towards Neville, before he caught it with one hand, opened it, then shoved it into Bellatrix's torso in a blow that caused her to freeze, then drop her knife, before Neville turned off the katana, causing her to fall to the ground. "Nice catch," I said, stepping out for Neville.

"Ezio?" Neville asked, confused. "How did you turn into a dinosaur?"

"How did you know?" I asked.

"You've got a scar that says, 'Elizabeth Matthew's Bitch', scratched onto your leg," Neville said, as I looked at it. "Now, please put some clothes on, I can't believe that you transformed while naked."

"Well, that's the thing…" Apollo tried to say. "This is the first time in this form and the… metallic plating… he doesn't…"

"Oh," Neville said, as he backpedalled. "Well, looks like I got my revenge."

"I know," I said, looking on as the other came rushing over. _Ezio? What the hell-_ _CHIMERA, Raph, remember? Wait, I don't have telepathy in this form, how the hell did you do that? __I have no idea, it must be because I can't speak normally._

"Ezio?" Seamus asked, as the group reached us. "What the hell are you?"

"I've never been to space, I have no f***ing clue," I said, tying the coat over with a belt, before beginning to walk away, after throwing the rifle back to Apollo, and beginning to walk away. "This is just great, I'm in a forest in the middle of Scotland, completely naked, my brother is a demon, I'm stuck as an alien, and I feel quite sick. I haven't had any absinthe yet."

"Ezio, have you tried turning back?" Finn asked, putting his hand up. The one covered in ice. I had to pull the coat over myself before he got the message.

"Like I said, I'm completely naked," I said, as I began to walk away. "Find me some clothes, and I'll give it a-" and then a demon jumped down from the canopy. Without thinking, I just whipped out a Combustor and shot its scythe, sending the blade flying upward, cutting into a tree. The demon, I think a Hell Fury, I'm not too entirely sure, just looked at the broken weapon before the large branch came down, killing it.

"Wow…" Jack said, looking at me. "Just… wow. How did you manage that?"

"Depending on my current species, I have different powers," I said. "As a Lombax, I'm an elemental, although I can use both fire and electricity. As a turian, I can see where to shoot someone and how to perform perfect shots. I can't really explain it… It's like seeing a physics explanation for each shot, and seeing possible outcomes." Suddenly, my phone rang, as it picked up a phone from Miranda. "I should thank Hermione and the twins for charming these phones, they're truly amazing. Hello?"

..::Ezio, you said you had some…::.. Miranda began, before pausing. ..:: Wait, your voice is flanging. Did… did you turn into another alien? Specifically, a turian? ::..

"Wow, you're incredible," I said, amazed. "What does 'Flanging' mean, anyway… never mind. Are there any restrictions to changing back into a human? Also, how can I get clothing for turians?"

..:: Shredded? ::.. Miranda asked, chuckling. ..::I'll see what I can do, after we get the whole Hogwarts business done. I have to go, Harry found out that Snape hates him because of a love triangle involving Snape and Harry's parents, so Harry punched him into the air. ::..

"Holy crap, I can see him," I said, looking onward. "Anyway, we're heading back now. We've got Raph, and he's completely sane now."

..:: So, he's human again? ::.. Miranda asked.

"…No," I said, as the others spotted the Flying Professor. "I've got to go, bye." As I hung up, I noticed the others betting, wondering where he'll land. "He's going to land in the lake, if you're wondering."

"…F***," Seamus said, Jack taking a Galleon from Ron, Finn forking over a fiver to Luna, Hagrid talking to Apollo about Raph, who threw me some new clothes, and Bellatrix Lestange lunged at Neville, who impaled her on my katana.

"This is for my parents, you son of a bitch," Neville said, before taking the blade out and cutting her in half.

"Are you okay?" Finn asked, trying to comfort Neville. "If you need to talk…"

"I'll see a psychiatrist when this is over," Neville said, as he began to walk away. "So, we should start walking, it's almost dawn."

"Neville…" Luna said, calmly. "We have a demon here, we can make an entrance."

"Wait until I put some clothes on," I said, turning back into a human behind a bush. "But, can Raph carry Hagrid?"

"I need to check something," Hagrid said, as he began walking away. "I need to make sure Aragog is okay."

"Aragog…?" Ron asked, nervous. "The giant spider? The one that almost fed me and Harry to his children?"

"Yeah, his burrow is near here," Hagrid said. "I'll only be a minute, head back as soon as you can." _Come to think about it, there were about 50 spiders around here. They ran away after I killed one of them._

"That's the smart thing, Raph," I said, fitting the boots so that my jeans went over them, not in. "Raph said that the spiders are staying away from him after he killed one of them." Ron, scared shitless, just lunged at Raph and refused to let go as Seamus and Neville tried to pull him off. "Anyway, we should be able to head back, without any problems." Then, the first problem occurred, when Apollo, high as a kite, began rubbing his head against my chest while purring. "Oh, god… who dared him into eating catnip?" Vivi then held up a plant, smiling. "Bad, bad Vivi. Giving catnip to Lombaxes is not nice."

* * *

><p><strong>Hermione<strong>

"Harry, stop!" I shouted, holding him down.

"Wow, it isn't even daybreak, and we already have two people threatening staff members," Miranda said. "Anyway, what do we do now?"

"Well, I have Harry in a Body-Bind, so he should be fine until after we get Snape out of the lake, and the others back here," I said. "So, what was the call about?" Miranda then pulled me over, and grabbed Liz, who was free from healing, and pulled us towards a quiet spot. "Good news, they have Raph calm, and Ezio's team are coming back. Bad news, he's tapping into his CHIMERA powers faster than any other subject."

"He turned again?" Liz asked, worried. "What happened?"

"He didn't elaborate, but he turned into a turian," Miranda said, as I began looking up the term. "I'll explain what they are later-"

"Known for their militaristic and disciplined culture, th**e **turians were the third race to join the Citadel Council," I said, instinctively. "The turians then filled the peacekeeping niche left by the once-cooperative krogan after the Krogan Rebellions, and eventually gained a Council seat in recognition of their efforts. Originally from the planet Palaven, turians are best known for their military role, particularly their contributions of soldiers and starships to the Citadel Fleet. They are respected for their public service ethic—it was the turians who first proposed creating C-Sec—but are sometimes seen as imperialist or rigid by other races."

"So, you're a walking encyclopaedia, huh?" Miranda asked me. "Well, here's something you should know, Elizabeth. Be careful about letting Ezio eat anything as a turian, because he might not be able to digest it due to incompatible DNA."

"Thanks," I said, leaning down. "Well, how'd the boss fight go?"

"Pretty good," Miranda said. "Draco and I used combo attacks to deal heavy damage, while covering for Hermione, and Harry acted as a distraction for us. I can't believe I said that with a straight face."

"Hey, we need to focus on getting Ginny, and the other students out, of the tower," Liz said. "Of course, what do we do about Umbridge? I don't know about her new boss… Blackfellow… I think we could trust him, but we have to be careful. Umbridge may skew certain details to him to turn him against us."

"Really?" Miranda asked. "How bad, exactly, is this woman?"

"Trying to rig a trial to throw Harry in jail for self-defence after someone in the Ministry sent Dementors after him," I said. "By the way, Dementors are executioners who suck a person's soul out. Luckily, Harry can summon a Patronus, but still…" Our conversation was cut short though, when we heard a large amount of screaming. "Fred and George did something, didn't they?"

"I don't think so, they're down in the potions labs," Liz said. "Are they… did they fly in on a f***ing demon?"

"That's no demon," I said, looking at the group that had just arrived, and had already split. "That's Raphael O'Malley." When I said that, we all ran over as fast as we could, before pushing our way through the crowd of students, to see Umbridge screaming her lungs out for someone to kill the large demon, Ezio getting into an argument with her, Dante and Sparda assessing the now gigantic demon Raphael, and Raphael scratching his back with three of his tails.

"Why isn't anyone shooting it?" Umbridge asked. "Why isn't anyone shooting that monster?"

"Don't you dare shoot at my brother," Ezio threatened, "If you do, I will take your wand and shove it-"

"Ezio!" Liz said, stepping forward. "What the hell happened to Raphael?"

"He escaped into the woods after getting injected with demon's blood, and became feral in the woods," Ezio said, as that Blackfellow came over. "I was able to calm him down and put him into his normal trail of thought, but if anyone attacks him he'll go feral again."

"Oh cool!" Haruhi said, running over and looking at Raph, while Kyon and Itsuki tried to stop her. "Hakareni noru tame, no kudasai suru koto ga dekimasaku? (Can I have a ride, please?)"

"Kareha watashinootouto desu! (He's my brother!)" Ezio shouted, angrily at her, before Raphael lifted her up onto his back. "Look, I know you want to go, Haruhi, but we need Raphael to see the vet, maybe after we're done."

"Dakara nihongo wo hanasuka, (So, you speak Japanese?)" Sparda said, as he walked over towards Raph. "Dono you na hokano gengo wo hanasuka (Do you speak any other languages?)."

"I speak Italian if it's any consolation," Ezio said. "So, can you turn him back into a human?"

"I can, but it will take an hour to get him to control his power," Sparda said, before turning back to me. "See, he's not a really powerful demon, he's just exerting his power all at one time. If he was in the demon world, it wouldn't be a problem. However, he's on the human plane of existence, which means he's spending all of his Mana on maintaining that form, and he'll eventually turn into a human from burnout. First off, I need to teach him how to turn into a weaker form to maintain his Mana flow in a more controlled manner. Then, I'll be able to help him learn how to control and suppress it."

"How do you know so much about controlling demonic powers?" Umbridge asked her, accusingly, before Oswald stood forward.

"Dolores, as an exorcist, he's skilled in controlling demonic power in order to make banishing demons easier," Oswald said, in a calm, quiet but commanding manner, which caused Ezio to turn away shortly, before regaining his posture. "So, do you need my help in anything?"

"I can handle it," Sparda said. "Aren't you busy?"

"Well, sort of," Oswald said. "I gave the order that Harry be put into protective custody, but Madame Bones made a compromise with him, so that he could get several guards to follow him. I didn't realise that he was coming up here, so when the all-clear was given that this place was safe, I came as soon as I could."

"Kahera oni karede ha nai ka. (He's a demon, isn't me?)" Ezio asked towards Sparda, causing him to jump.

"Dono you ni anata ha gozonji desu ka? (How did you know?)" Oswald asked, without flinching.

Nagato, however, came over and just looked at everyone. "Shadou no me konjitto denryoku etsuxio tokutei shousaiwo hyouji suru kota ga deki masu (Shadow Eye users, like Ezio, can see how powerful an individual is when they look at them). Shikashi karena ga nanika ni ha amarini moooku no enerugii wo tsuihou wo mire ba tokutei no ESPers onrain no fuxooramu de ha shiteki shite shitsumeishimasu. Kareno kixyouryokuna akuma wo mi te katamega mie nai node Ezio tadashi, kanzen ha (However, when ESPers look at individuals look at them, they go blind. Since Ezio is permanently using it, he went blind when he looks at you)."

"Can you stop talking in Japanese?" Umbridge asked, obviously confused. "What are you talking about, anyway?"

"If we wanted to tell you, we would," Miranda said. "Don't worry, I have only one thing to say. Kanjixyoutekina kuso wo sokonau shite iru, anata no tamashiiinu tawagoto subete kuso nitsuite minikui mono ha hikigaeru no you ni mieru akaunto no satsuei sa re te i mase no." Most of the Japanese speakers laughed subtly, even me. That's too rude to translate, by the way. If you want to know what it is, translate it yourself.

"Did… did you call me a piece of shit?" Umbridge asked.

"Shite, it's a form of Japanese pronunciation," Haruhi said. "So, we'll let you head on while we handle some other business." As Sparda lead Raphael away, Ezio tried to head over towards the Forbidden Forest before Miranda and Liz grabbed him, and Haruhi went over to more students and started recording them with a camcorder. I just found Draco, who was working on a piece of paper. "So, what are you doing?"

"Trying to figure something out," he said, as he showed me the paper. "I tried looking at a book of creating spells to see if I could recreate that spell you did, Glacies Hasta? I think I can get it done, only if I…"

"Wrong source," I said, looking at the spell. "The source I used is a quote from the Lord of the Rings, only translated into Elfish, a fictional language used in the Tolkien lore."

"Tolkien?" Draco asked, as I dropped a copy of The Fellowship of the Ring in front of him.

"It's a good book," I said. "I'll draw down the spell if you can tell me the differences between the book series and the film adaptations."

"…You have a bet," he said, as he started reading the book.

* * *

><p><strong>Liz<strong>

"Guys, can we handle this after we go to the forest?" Ezio asked.

"Why, there's nothing wrong, is there?" I asked.

"Someone thought it was a good idea to give Apollo catnip," Ezio said, before being dropped, then he led the way to where Apollo was. Apollo, for all his credit, was absolutely adorable when he was high, as he was currently rubbing himself against the remains of the plant. "Blame Vivi, but give him credit for some of his fighting against Bella."

"Bellatrix Lestrage is dead?" Liz asked. "How?"

"Neville thrust my katana into her, twice," Ezio said, grinning. "Anyway, you want to talk about my new form. I actually didn't notice that I transformed, I only realised when Apollo was kind enough to point it out. In fact, the only thing I noticed was that I had a barely noticeable heart attack."

"There's something wrong," Miranda said, as she took the plant away from Apollo and started burning it. Apollo, however, started inhaling the smoke. "You're turning far, far too quickly for your DNA to be completely stable. I'd ask that you get it checked, but I'm afraid that if you draw attention to yourself then Cerberus would try and capture you. So, have an idea of your new power?"

"Aewsomeness by Analysis," Ezio said, grinning. "When I'm a turian, I can see equations and instructions to make perfect shots, every time. In fact, I shot a demon's scythe with a Combustor to send the blade to cut off a branch from a tree and crush the demon. Hell, I could try shooting a bullet through a few trees if I wanted to."

"Please don't," I asked, before squinting at me. "Ezio, something is really, really wrong?"

"What is it?" Ezio asked, before I had another heart attack. "Oh, crap, I think I'm transforming ag- Augh!"

"Ezio!" I shouted, running over to him. He was coughing, but he was transforming quickly. "Miranda, what the hell's going on?"

"I- I don't-" she panicked, as Ezio coughed up a green substance. "Chimeras should only have 3 DNA sources, not 4!"

"What!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>

I'm watching WALL-E, and I don't care, the little bastard is adorable.

My mak keeps saying that I should get ME3, but I could always borrow it from him. However, I have to admit, my other friend was really, really angry about the endings. He's colour-blind, you see. Anyway, I would rather buy the Devil May Cry HD Collection, mainly because I prefer Devil May Cry to Mass Effect. Sure, I'm absolutely shit in that and Bayonetta, but you can't blame a guy for trying.

Also, whoever is the first person to name Ezio's new species before I post the next chapter can choose his power. I'll also give you a quick shout-out in the next chapter.

I also downloaded Resident Evil 2 and 3 on PSN- Wait, sorry, SEN, and I actually like them. They're not that hard, compared to later games.

'Then stop playing the game on Arrange Mode, res.'

"Hey, didn't he just say he sucked?"

Azimuth! What are you doing here? You're not even in this arc?

"Yeah, I need to speak to you about something about Apollo. Fro tet oui dinh so cditahd ehdu y tysh mulym ranu? Fa'na dnoehk du pa lujand, oui tysh vuum! Fro tet oui mad res kad rekr? UH LYDHEB! TU OUI GHUF RUF NYLECD DRYD EC DU TU DU MUSPYQAC! ED'C YH ADRHEL CMIN!"

'E lyh cbayg Ym Prat, oui tu ghuf dryd, nekrd?'

"I need to speak to him privately, can you finish this for us?"

'What do you want me to do, sing?'

"YES!"

Wait, don't let him take me away! Please, no! NOOO!

'Oh god' ¬_¬

'May it be an evening star  
>Shines down upon you'<p>

***WHACK***  
>'May it be when darkness falls<br>Your heart will be true  
>You walk a lonely road'<p>

***THWACK***  
>'Oh! How far you are from home<p>

Mornie utulie (Darkness has come)  
>Believe and you will find your way'<p>

***SMASH***  
>'Mornie alantie (Darkness has fallen)<br>A promise lives within you now

May it be the shadow's call'

***BANG* *BANG* *BANG***  
>'Will fly away<br>May it be your journey on  
>To light the day'<p>

***BOOM***  
>'When the night is overcome<br>You may rise to find the sun

Mornie utulie (Darkness has come)  
>Believe and you will find your way'<p>

AAGH! My balls!  
>'Mornie alantie (Darkness has fallen)<br>A promise lives within you now.'


	29. Operation Hogwarts 19: Wolf

'Hey, res? Where are you?'

"Something wrong, Hermione?"

'Ron? What are you doing in the Author's Office?'

"This is an office? It looks more like an observatory."

'That's a balcony, Ron. Hey, have you seen res? He's disappeared, and he has to write the next chapter.'

"I don't know, but I have to get into position for the next chapter. The notes say that I'll be involved in a boss fight with Lupin, Harry and Dante."

'Wait, where are these notes?'

"They're on that shelf there, to the left of the desk. Third up, second file."

'Operation Hogwarts Chapter 19 Notes… I think I could write a few pages using res's computer.'

"By the way, what do you think res's real name is? I mean, outside of the series."

'I have a guess, but I don't think he'll be comfortable with me revealing what it is, mainly due to an altercation he had while I was speaking with him over in a local café in his home town. Oh, by the way, if someone mentions "[REDACTED]" as a comment towards him, please hex them, they're bullying res.'

"…his name is [**REDACTED**]?"

'RON!'

"Sorry. So, who did res speak to last?"

'Well, Azimuth, but not so much "spoke to" as was "had the living crap beaten out of him due to the Catnip jokes while screaming at him in Al Bhed".'

*Hey, guys… what are you doing here? And why is my head spinning…?*

"Apollo? What are you doing here?"

*I'm res's OC Lombax, when we're not filming and I can't go home, he lets me bunk here.*

'Apollo, something is seriously wrong. res has disappeared, and we have no idea where he is. Can you call Azimuth to find out what he did to him due to the catnip gag?'

*Oh, crap, I got high? Okay, I'll get over there and speak to him now.*

"I really have to ask him if he can take me off world somewhere."

'Okay, just let me go ahead with the Author's Notes.'

'Hello, everyone, this is Hermione Granger, official character of the Harry Potter canon by JK Rowling, or as I call her, God-'

"res calls her JK-Sama."

'Here to officially inform you that due to unforeseen circumstances, residentidiot, or res20stupid, as he is also known, is unable to work on the story at the minute. However, I will try and arrange for someone to write the next chapter in his place. So, I have to mention other information based on either reviews or Personal Messages… wow, res talks to this "CrossOverFan97" a lot. Anyway…

'Congratulations to CrossOverFan97 for correctly identifying the mystery species using nothing more than blood colour… how the hell does that work? Anyway, they got to choose Ezio's new power-'

^Can someone get me some clothes that don't fall off or get destroyed when I transform? Please!^

'Which will be discovered later in the chapter. Also-'

*Hey, guys, Azimuth left res here, and left after words to get me some medication to deal with some of the worst side effects. He doesn't know where he is.*

"This is bad, isn't it?"

'Yeah. Ron, can you get Mad-Eye and Kingsley in here? We need them to help us find res. Apollo, get Azimuth here now, they'll need to speak with him. Also, who the hell can write the next chapter?'

(I have an offer that you can't refuse…)

*Tonks? Why are you wearing an ugly suit? And… why are you…*

'Why are you stroking Crookshanks like a bond villain? If you wanted extra pay for writing, I can authorise it.'

(Oh.) Tonks lifts Crookshanks and sets him on the floor. (Thank you. So, where are the notes?) Hermione hands Tonks the notes. (Okay, I'll read them and start writing the story. Oh, and by the way, I can get some CSI Aurors in here to investigate and help Kingsley and Mad Eye.)

'Just write, I'll find res.'

* * *

><p><strong>Tartarus, 3<strong>**rd**** Floor, 6:25 a.m., 25****th**** of July 2011**

The hallways of the accursed tower, that was formerly known as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was filled to the brim with a variety of demons and monsters, all of whom would gladly end the life of a mortal if it provided them with a form of sick amusement or even a simple soul to add to their collection. They scouted the tower, sometimes killing weaker demons to fill the void of boredom that ran into them, all to find a human that was weak enough to be played with.

Dante was not amused in the slightest.

"So, you sure you want to do this?" The oldest member of the team said, as he drew his sword and held it outward for Harry to step on top of. "If I get this wrong, it could kill you."

"Ginny is in the room behind those large doors," Harry said, as he drew his knives, but held a solid grip on to the skull's eyes of Rebellion. "If we don't get her out and she dies… I'll never forgive myself."

"Hey, she's my sister," Ron said, acting faux-offended to Harry's remarks, before taking a serious stance and looked at Harry while Lupin came over towards them after obtaining some demonic vials. "If you can't live with yourself… imagine what me, and the rest of my family, would go through…"

Harry, listening to his best friend's sombre words, frowned in realisation as to how serious the stakes are. Shaking his head, he then looked at Dante and nodded to him. Dante, with hesitation, began to swing the blade around above him before throwing it towards the demons. Harry, on cue, then ran along the blade and used the momentum to launch himself towards three demons, which he then vertically slashed and sent flying before they fell to the ground and disintegrated into sand.

"Behind you," Remus shouted as he ran forward in his wolf form and grabbed two demons that were only a hair's breadth away from skewering Harry on their scythes. He then threw them into the air as a mist appeared in the room, causing an illusion of a full moon to appear before it shone down on Remus.

"Soul Comet," Remus said, before he crouched down and howled at the moon. The mirage of the moon then glowed behind him as spirits came down towards the demons and collided with the demons, sending them crashing into the wall.

"Agi," Ron said, sending forth Arthur to destroy the two demons. "We don't have time for you, right Arthur?" Ron asked, before his Persona ruffled his hair and disappeared.

"So, what was that move you just did?" Dante asked Remus as he picked up his sword and holstered the blade. "I've heard of Soul Comet, but only in passing."

"It's a scarcely unknown spell," Remus said as the younger members of the squad re-joined them. "It's from a branch of magic known as the Charm of the Warring Wolf, a rare form of magic that, when mastered… is supposedly able to keep a werewolf from going insane during a full moon. I have, unfortunately, been unable to discover more than that spell."

"So, you learnt it before you became a Conduit?" Dante asked.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Harry said, butting in, "but we really should be saving Ginny, right?" As the two of them nodded, the Ron and Harry then ran towards the door and forced it open to show Ginerva Weasley standing inside a large room with three pillars lined against all of the walls and torches spaced in between them were the only objects that illuminated the room. "There she is. Ginny!"

However, that isn't what Ginny saw as she stood around the room. The image that she saw was a picture perfect recreation of the Gryffindor Common Room that, instead of being vibrant of the gold and red that was so influential with the House, was black and white, and covered in grey. The portraits were blank and damaged. The fireplace was out and overflowing with ashes. The furniture was heavily damaged. It was a cruel mockery of the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Ginny, can't you hear me?" Ron asked, as he tried to run forward only to crash into an invisible barrier. "What the hell is going on?"

"I think you have an idea," Harry said, as he took out his knives and tied them to his sub-machineguns. _So, are you thinking about asking Ginny out?_ A voice said, suddenly from the walls. "Crap, she's being terrorised by her Shadow." _No way, her brother would kill me._

"Dean?" Ron asked, horrified. "I'll bloody kill him."

"Shadows manipulate someone by using their own memories against them," Dante replied. "That isn't actually Dean, it's just what a mockery created by Ginny's memories." _Besides, she has a temper, doesn't she?_ _What do you mean?_ "Wait, is that Seamus?" _Remember when Crabbe went and harassed her?__ You mean when Crabbe smacked her ass?_

"Harry, can I borrow your knives later on?" Ron asked his friend in a sincere voice that betrayed his feelings. "I'm going snake hunting later. Big, fat, stupid snakes." _Yeah, she used some spell to attack them with their own snot. That was awesome. But… I'm scared that, if I do date her and do something to break her heart…__ Oh, please, the only way that she'll do that to you will be if you cheat on her. __I know, man, but…_ "Wait, Ginny has man problems?"

"She's thirteen, Ron," Remus said, putting a hand on his shoulders. "She's going to start dating boys eventually. I bet that she already scribbles the name of crushes inside her notebooks." _**Oh look, there's Weasley, what, don't you have a 'boyfriend' to date?**_ "Isn't that Pansy Parkinson?"

"Yeah, it is," Harry said, looking onward.

"For some reason, I doubt that her emotional problems come from a girl who she hates, or her issues with boys," Dante said, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "I've seen teenage girls, and they're never THAT emotional about their love life." _**Yeah, there goes the Weasley Slut.**_

"Hey, no-one calls my sister a slut, not ever her own Shadow," Ron declared, angrily. "I don't even care if you're quoting that bitch Millicent Bulstrode, got it?" _**Where are your customers- I mean, 'Boyfriends'? Don't you have a date with Creevey? Or is it that idiot Longbottom? What about Abbot? She's already 'dated' four boys now, right?**_ "Harry, we have to get her out of here before her Shadow attacks her."

"We can't do that because of the barrier," Harry then said, sadly. "Besides… I think we should let the Shadow speak."

"WHAT!" Ron shouted at his friend, angrily.

"That's a good idea," Dante said, smiling. "If we can get her to overcome her emotional problems, then she'll be able to summon a Persona for protection. Also, it may be able to settle some fears for her."

"No, no no no," Ron said, dismayed. "When Harry's Shadow tried to kill him, it held him down with the same chains that they use to rip people apart. I don't want to put her in that kind of danger." _**She's going to f*** a lot of people and have little Mudblood children, all whores like her.**_

"No…" Ginny then said, speaking up. "That's not…"

"**Of course it's true,**" a distorted voice said, drawing everyone's attention to the other end of the room. A cloud of dark magic appeared on the other end of the wall before some footsteps echoed through the room. "**Ginny Weasley, the Gryffindor Slut. That's what you are, and that's what you'll ever be.**"

"What the…" Remus began as he saw the Shadow walk out of the mirage. "What is she wearing?" Harry and Ron also wondered this, but for a completely different reason. Unlike Harry's Shadow, which was dressed exactly like Harry, Ginny's Shadow was wearing a more… provocative outfit. Wearing nothing more than a padded bra to enhance her cleavage, a pair of panties, high heels and a mink coat, she was a picture perfect model of Ginny, except for the trademark glowing, yellow eyes and the permeating dark essence.

"**What, you don't like my outfit?**" Shadow Ginny asked us, trying to flirt with us. "**This is me. This is what I really am. Go ahead, let them call me a slut, I don't really care because I'm enjoying every second of it.**"

"No, I'm not a slut," Ginny protested at her Shadow, obviously angry at the accusation before lashing out and slapping her Shadow. "How dare you insult me in that manner? I'm no skank, no matter what you say."

"**Oh, really?**" Her Shadow said as it turned back towards her. "**How can you denounce a part of yourself? I AM a part of you, no matter what you say.**"

"Don't do anything, Ginny," Ron said, stepping forward. "She's trying to manipulate you. Just… listen to everything she has to say and don't lash out."

"**Oh, what do you know about her, you incompetent asshole,**" Shadow Ginny shouted at Ron, lashing out. "**You 'Men' are nothing more than sex-craved maniacs, who only want a girl so you can f*** the hell out of her.**" Ron was taken aback by her words, as she then began to laugh at him. "**What do you know about girls in general? You don't even realize that Hermione likes you, do you?**"

"Hey, if you're Ginny's Shadow," Harry began, stepping forward, "why is your breast size wrong?"

"**What?**"

"Your boobs are the same size as Ginny's but because you're wearing a padded bra, your boobs are technically smaller," Harry pointed out. "If you're trying to represent Ginny's views on sex and boys, you're doing it all wrong."

"**Shut the hell up, dumbass,**" Shadow Ginny responded before sending out a fire spell at Harry, who was protected by a sudden intervention by Dante. "**All you boys care about is sex, right? You can't even tell that I care about you. Why haven't you ever asked me out on a date?**"

"Hey, Ron would kill me if I did, remember?" Harry then said, laughing nervously.

"**Oh, it's useless trying to talk to you idiots,**" Shadow Ginny said, before chuckling. "**Men should be like Kleenex. Soft, strong, and disposable.**"

"Oh, come on," Remus said, stepping forward in front of the two boys. "All girls have boy issues, what makes Ginny any different? You can't just take a normal part of puberty and exaggerate it like this."

"That's the whole point of a Shadow," Harry said, carefully drawing his guns. "They exaggerate everything."

"**Oh, I'm **_**exaggerating**_**, huh?**" Shadow Ginny said, angrily. "**Tell that to that Slytherin bitch who put a used condom on my bed!**"

"What?" Ron asked, horrified. "Ginny… Why didn't you tell me?"

"**Trust you? You're an idiot, I could never trust you. When it comes to sex, boys are like, 'I had like 50 bitches last week', keeping scores about how hot they are and women are **_**expected**_** to be attracted to them, but girls? If a girl says she slept with one guy, all the boys are like, 'Slut', 'bitch', and 'whore'. That's what happens in a society rule by men. However, I'll just play by their rules. It's the only way to get around in the world.**"

"SHUT THE F*** UP!" Ginny bellowed through the hall. "You think you're identical to me? You're nothing like me."

"**Why would I do that? You know the truth. Women like Dolores Umbridge and Narcissa Malfoy, did they ever have to do hard work to get into their current positions in society? No, because they can get down on their knees and work with their tongues. So I'll just latch onto a man and bleed… him… dry.**"

"No," Ginny hissed, angrily. "You're wrong. I can make it by myself!"

"**Oh, don't try and protest. That's what I REALLY think. Isn't that right, 'Me'?**"

"No…" Ginny said in a quiet tone. "You're not…"

"Ginny, no," Ron called out to his sister, but it was already too late, as she had already formed the words in her mind and began pushing air through her Adam's apple.

"NO," Ginny shouted at the top of her lungs in rage. "You're not me!"

"**Ha. Ha-ha. HAHAHAHAHA! I can feel it growing. I think I'm gonna… Just…**" The darkness around Ginny's Shadow enveloped the room as Ginny stumbled back in horror.

"Now's our chance," Remus said, as he ran forward and tried to grab Ginny with the intent of throwing her back behind us while we protected her. It was too late however, as Ginny was pulled upward by two chains that held her upside down as Ginny's Shadow turned into a gigantic monster, twisting the image of the room into a bastardisation of the Gryffindor Common Room but in the form of a strip club.

"**I am a Shadow, the 'True' self**" the 10 foot tall Shadow, wearing two silicone pouches on her chest, bladed stilettos on her feet, a cracked black mask that had white stains, hair that spouted into whips and blades and a bear trap between her legs, swinging back and forth from the ceiling as she had two, five-foot tall Shadows appear next to her, spinning hoops around their midsection that had blades protruding outward that had branched blades on either side. "**Why don't you just relax and enjoy the show, studs.**"

"Okay, that is horrific," Dante said, dropping his blade. "And I've seen a succubus without her makeup."

"What are those symbols that they're spinning?" Harry asked, confused.

"Those are the Venus Symbols," Remus said, as he crouched down, carefully gripping his wand. "I guess it was worse than I thought."

"If that thing uses love as a status effect, I'll destroy it," Ron said, obviously horrified at the idea.

"**Marin Karin,**" the Shadow called out at Ron, causing a pink haze to overcome him but with no effect. "**What? You don't love me?**"

"Ginny's my sister, you sick bitch," Ron said, as he took out his axe. "Come on, let's kick her ass."

"Nagato, can you get me a scan?" Harry asked, as a screen appeared before him.

"I will try and identify an elemental weakness for Ginny's Shadow," Nagato said as a hologram appeared around the Shadow. "However, you should try and destroy the Devilish Venuses as they are both nullifying attacks aimed at her. The blue one counters magic, and the red one counters physical attacks."

"Okay, scan those first and then tell us their weaknesses," Harry ordered. "Just stay calm, Ginny, it will be over soon." As the blue Shadow stepped forward, it began spinning its weapon over its head before running over towards Remus, who was quick enough to dodge out of the way and respond with Soul Comet at the Shadow, who was clearly unfazed. "Everyone, aim physical attacks at the blue Devilish Venus, aim magic at the red one." Harry then grabbed his guns and ran forward towards the blue and made two diagonal slashes, first with the right weapon, followed by the left weapon, before kicking the Shadow in the face as he launched himself into a backflip and fired the guns downward at the Shadow, knocking it over with a stomp to the face as he fired again in another back-flip. "Okay, One-More." Harry then twirled his guns around as a Tarot card appeared which was then made the target of Harry's next attack. "Show them what we're made of, Oberon. Persona," Harry called out, as his Persona appeared and sent out a whirlwind towards the red Shadow, knocking it over as the barriers surrounding Ginny's Shadow fell.

"**What?**" It asked in shock. "**How dare you? You attacked my girlfriends!**"

"Yeah, mind if I go next?" Ron asked, throwing and then catching his axe while said it. Immediately, he then ran over towards the main Shadow and with two swings of his axe, he left deep gashes inside the large sacks of silicone as the Shadow screamed out in pain. "Okay, let's kick some ass. Arthur!" Ron bellowed before his gigantic guardian spirit sent out a fireball. As the fireball struck, the Shadow screamed in pain before falling to the ground. "Let's add insult to injury!" Harry then gave a quick nod before the squad all rushed the Shadows in an all-out attack, slashing, striking and kicking the Shadows, before we were forced off.

"**You bastards! I just paid for those implants!**"

"What?" Ron asked, horrified as to what was just said.

"Muggle women get sacks of silicone surgically implanted into their breasts in order to make them fuller and larger," Dante then said. "Of course, some people are repulsed by it. When we get out of here, I'll teach you how to spot fake ones from real ones. Well, looks like it's my turn." Dante then took out his sword and charged at the blue Devilish Venus and made three slashes before launching it up into the air, then shot it several times with his guns to juggle the Shadow in the air, before grabbing his sword again before striking the Shadow with his sword, destroying it with the final attack. "Lupin, go for broke!"

"Soul Comet," Remus said, as he sent his spell at the red Devilish Venus, sending it high into the air as Remus whipped out his wand. "Alarte Ascendare," Remus said as the spell launched the Shadow higher up, before spinning his wand. "Bombarda," was the last spell muttered, as it caused a small explosion to appear around the Shadow, vanquishing it. "Okay, now for the main show. Bomdarda Maxima," was then cast straight towards the last Shadow, causing a large explosion to appear and knock it down. "Okay, this is the part where we trample her, right?"

"Exactly," Harry said. Before the squad began beating the Shadow like there was no tomorrow. "Damn, it's not working."

"You've dealt only 50HP damage to the Shadow, which has 1000HP" Nagato warned us. "The front is weak to fire damage, but you should target the back. It's weak against wind damage."

"Nagato, she has the apparatus for the swing built into the wall," Remus replied, as he was struck by a hair whip. "How do we get back there?"

"You can't," Nagato replied. "Would you like me to get support? Wait… something's not right." Suddenly, the Shadow screamed in pain and then fell downward. "There's someone back there. Thy just dealt 320HP of damage to the Shadow."

"Hey, who's back there?" Ron called out.

"If you're trying to slay the demon as well, then I'm an ally," a deep, gruff voice said from behind. "How can I help?"

"Wait, I don't recognise the voice, who are you?" I asked.

"Let's handle the enemy first," the voice said. "Tell me what to do?"

"The back of the rig is weak against wind spells and physical attacks," Remus called out. "It's part of the Shadow, and its main weak spot."

"Hey, why don't we aim for the ropes?" Dante asked, before I whipped out my rifle and aimed at the top of the rope and he shot at the other. The Shadow screamed as a combination of the rope attacks, Ron using Agi on her chest and the strikes to the rig caused the Shadow an immense amount of pain. "Okay, at the count of three," Dante said, as we got ready to attack the Shadow again. "1, 2, 3!" We then charged the Shadow one last time as it screamed out in pain.

"Something is wrong," Nagato said in a dismayed tone or, rather, the closest equivalent for the stoic young girl. "The Shadow isn't dying, but… It's health points are at 0."

"I have an idea, but you're going to hate me for it, Ron," Harry said before running over below Ginny. "Ginny, you may think this is everything, but it isn't. You're better than this."

"**Oh, really? Then why don't you tell everyone what's really on your mind?**"

"It's- It's not that easy," Ginny said.

"I know you have a crush on me," Harry shouted. "If the Shadow is terrorising you about that, then-"

"**That's not why she created me,**" Her Shadow butted in. "**Go on, tell everyone why you're angry at the world.**"

"It's terrorising me because…" Ginny started, before hesitating. "Because…"

"**Just spit it out.**"

"I'M BISEXUAL!" Ginny shouted. "There, I said it! I'm bisexual! I'm gay! I've kissed a girl and I LIKED IT!"

"…Wow," Ron said, shocked. "Just… what does that have to do with a used condom?"

"Pansy Parkinson found out," Ginny said, sighing heavily as Harry noticed tears falling downward. "I realised I was bi last autumn, when we were taught about sex ed. Hannah found out, helped me realise myself and… we started dating."

"Wait…" Harry said, looking upward, before jumping back in confusion. "Hannah Abbot? She's a lesbian?"

"No, she's bisexual as well," Ginny said, just hanging there. "We went on a date in Hogsmeade in October, we were trying to keep it a secret, but Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode were there… They got some Slytherin, I don't know who, to 'donate their semen for the two lesbos'. It was only one date, but… they saw us kiss and…"

"So, is it possible to get into a three-way?" Harry asked.

"W-What?" Ginny responded, obviously shocked by her male crush's question.

"Do you know how many guys would like to make out with two girls at the same time?" Dante asked her, rhetorically, before Ron delivered a swift blow to cause him to double over.

"Didn't you pay attention to what the Shadow was saying?" Ron asked him, angrily. "Ginny, I know you're scared of what other people would say about you but…" Ron said, before taking a deep breath. "You're still my sister, and I care about you. If everyone else in this school rejects you, I'll still be there for you."

"Ron's right," Remus said, stepping forward. "Although, the magical community is more accepting of homosexuals than the Muggle community, but there are still a small minority of people who hate homosexuals with a passion because they can't have wholesome, Pureblood children. It's one of the reasons why the Death Eaters hate Professor Dumbledore."

"Besides, when people openly denounce gay people in the Muggle community, they're trying to earn the ire of people to draw attention to themselves, like those idiots of the Westboro Baptist Church," Dante said, as he treated a wound that healed rapidly. "You've got a close knit group of friends, Ginny, and if you come out to them and they're your true friends… they'll accept it without question." Dante then finished by pushing Harry forward.

"What we're trying to say is…" Harry began, trying to choose the best words to say. "I don't think any differently because of that. In fact, I might ask you for dating advice in the future, if it's possible."

"Yeah…" Ginny said, before smiling to herself. "Yeah, thanks. I guess that I was the last one to truly accept it. I can see that now."

"**Don't you dare,**" her Shadow shouted, sending lightning spells around the entire room, knocking Ron over. "**DON'T YOU DARE ACCEPT ME!**" Ron, however, stood back up, using his axe to support himself as he took out his shotgun and broke Ginny's chains before collapsing again. Ginny fell to the ground and was caught by Harry, who set her down as her Shadow began to lose its composure.

"I can see it now," Ginny said, looking at her Shadow. "You're a demonic representation of my fears. But I'm not afraid of you anymore. So, please, if you think I'll reject you again then strike me down, right here, right now."

"**No,**" Her Shadow said, quietly.

"Okay, one last chance," Harry said, after having Pixie cure Ron's injuries. "Lupin, use that explosion spell again." As they got into position, they all began to glow a faint red. "Okay, Limit Breaker: Light Speed!" Harry cried as he disappeared briefly into thin air and returned after 25 cuts appeared over the Shadow.

"Devil Trigger," Dante responded, before morphing into a demon and performed a 20 strike combo and broke a rope, leaving the Shadow dangling from one end.

"Limit Breaker: Wheel of Fortune!" Ron shouted, as a wheel appeared before him. Ron then spun the wheel and watched it spin as he waited hesitantly. The wheel then stopped, showing the number 83, before the number opened up to show a cannon, which launched 83 grenades at the Shadow, cracking the rig.

Ron then glowed again alongside Harry and Dante, as the three of them prepared another attack as Remus readied his attack. "Soul Comet," Remus said, as his attack was amplified by his own limit break. "Limit Breaker: Strength of the Moon." The damage performed by the move caused the rig to crack, sending Ginny's Shadow down to the ground.

"Limit Breaker Combo," the last three said, getting their blades ready. "Tri-Slash: Rough Divide!" We then rushed forward, trailing our weapons on the ground, channelling magic through them as lights covered the sharp points. We all collided with the Shadow at the same time, before the ground beneath us glowed and cracked, sending powerful light magic up to harm the Shadow.

"The Shadow only has 24HP left, defeat it quickly," Nagato said to us, before we heard a growl from behind the damage rig. The rig was destroyed as a wolf jumped outward from behind and leapt at the Shadow, crashing into it and biting it, before the Shadow began to explode, leaving behind the unconscious, but original, form of Ginny's Shadow.

"Wow, I never thought I'd see a wolf fighting demons," Ron said, leaning on his axe.

"I may only be a wolf, but I am a powerful warrior," the wolf replied, causing Ron to fall over in shock. "Surprised? So am I, I have no idea where I am, let alone why I'm suddenly able to talk."

"I'm surprised too," Harry said. "Why am I surprised? I'm fighting with superheroes, wizards and demons to stop a madman from trying to bring about the end of the world, I just fought my best friend's sister's nightmare, my pet owl has telepathy and I'm able to turn invisible at the drop of a hat. Next thing you'll be telling me, Ezio's coughing green blood and breathing acid. Oh, I'm Harry, by the way. Harry Potter. This is Ron Weasley, his sister Ginny, Remus Lupin and Tony Redgrave."

"My name is Blanca," the wolf said, bowing, "the White Wolf of Domremy." Remus, when he heard that jumped back in shock.

"You mean the wolf that helped in the destruction of Sapientes Gladio?" Remus asked, as he tried to compose himself. "But… you're too young. That was during the second year of the First World War."

"Wait, 'First'?" the wolf asked, obviously confused. "What do you mean by 'First World War'?"

"The Second World War lasted from 1939 to 1945," Dante responded. "There have been a few wars back during the 20th Century, and there's still one going on in the Middle East since 2003."

"What?" The wolf asked, scared.

"Yeah, today is the 25th of July, 2011," Ron asked, as the wolf dropped its mouth open.

"You mean I've been trapped in the void for 96 years?" The wolf asked, dismayed. "But- What happened to the others? Yuri, Gepetto, Karin, Lucia. Did anyone else appear in this tower?"

"I have no idea," Ron said.

"Anya, Jochaim, Kurando?" The wolf asked as it sat down, dismayed. "They're… they're gone?"

"Hey, we'll help you find them, okay?" Harry said, walking over and putting his head onto Blanca's shoulder. "Even if they're dead, we'll still help you find out what happened to them and let you honour their memories."

"Thank you," the wolf said, before standing back up. "Until then, I will aid you as much as I can." Harry was the only person in the room that noticed time halt inside the room as a Tarot card, which of Justice, appeared in his mind. _Thou art I, and I am Thou,_ the voice uttered into his mind. _Thou hast established a new bond... It brings thee closer to discovering the secrets of the universe… Thou art blessed when creating Personae of the Justice Arcana…_ Time then began to flow again around Harry, as he gave a gentle smile to the wolf.

"Ginny," Remus said, as he drew the attention of the others towards Ginny, who was standing face to face with her Shadow. "Just stay calm. Okay?"

"I know that," Ginny said, as she looked at her Shadow. "Well, you are physically like me, but I'd never wear something like that. But, you're right. You are me. I was scared of my own sexuality because I'm only 13 when I realised the truth. But I shouldn't be scared of it, no matter what other people say about me." Ginny took the Shadows hand before hugging her in a deep embrace. "I'm Ginerva Weasley. It's nice to finally meet you." Then Shadow then gave a sigh of relief and disappeared in light that surrounded Ginny with a smile, before it reappeared around Ginny as her Persona. Carrying a whip that was separated into 27 sections that ended in blades, wearing a piece of armour around her torso that was tight fitting and revealing, decorated with a symbol that was a cross between the Mars and Venus glyphs, reverse so that they appear outward. She wore a scarf that flowed downward towards the ground, with bright red hair flowing down her back and over the top of her chest, which was covered in an armoured bra, with a pair of tight fitting jeans on her legs that ended with a lower half of chainmail, with the feet ended by stilettos that were, like her armour, made of gold materials. The Persona nodded at her new master, before a Lovers Tarot card appeared before her and disappeared in her hand. "Nice to meet you to… Ishtar…"

Ginny then collapsed onto the ground, only for Ron and Harry to run over and check her pulse. "I guess she's suffering from burnout from awakening her Persona… Ishtar, right?" Ron asked, before turning towards the two adults in toe room. "Do any of you two know what Ishtar is?"

"She's a Babylonian Goddess," Blanca said, as he stepped forward. "She was deity of Love and War. Her priestesses practice sacred prostitution."

"Wait, I don't want my sister to go into prostitution," Ron said, worried. "But… we have to get her out of here."

"There's an elevator in the next room," Blanca said, as he led us through. "It should only be a minute to call it. Don't worry, as demons don't spawn on the same floor that a large one was defeated on."

"So, this floor should be safe from boss fights," Dante said, as he covered us, just in case. Remus opened up the elevator and led us inside, as we set Ginny down on the ground. "That's fine by me."

"So, Blanca," I said, trying to start a conversation with the wolf. "You're a time travelling, talking wolf?"

"I wouldn't say that I'm a time traveller," the white wolf said, as the elevator began to activate. "More so, pulled out of the fabric of the universe. So, might I ask what caused two Wizards to obtain such a strange power?"

"We were almost killed by demons based on our fears and regrets," Ron said. "Although, since Harry wields multiple Personae, I'd expect him to summon a Persona without fighting his Shadow, not me."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that," Harry said, as he spoke up. "Why didn't it attack you when you were more emotionally distraught at the time?"

"Well, I opened up to you about my own fears, and you helped me come up with a plan on how to deal with it, right?" Ron asked, as he gave a small sigh as the two adults just looked at each other. "So, I guess I should thank you for that."

"I thought that I was the one who was gay," Ginny said as she stood up with Ron's support.

"How are you?" Dante asked, stepping forward. "Do you need any help?"

"I just need to lie down for a bit," Ginny said as Ron put her arm over his shoulder. "So, do your Personae speak to you two?"

"Yeah," Harry said, before wincing. "Although, some of them can be quite annoying, though. The worst is when Pixie starts acting up, but she is helpful with her healing powers. So, why hasn't the elevator activated yet?" Harry then turned towards Remus, who was desperately pressing the button to send the team downward. Suddenly, the floor jerked as the ground to the elevator started glowing before flashing throughout the small room.

"Welcome back," Nagato said as she opened up the elevator for us. "I already called Elizabeth over to have her examine Ginny, but she's currently busy at the moment, so she won't be available for a while. As for the rest of you, you should head upward back into the 3rd floor. The Slytherin dorm is in there, and if you can safely break the curse on it, it should set some of the castle back to normal."

"We'll get that done as soon as we get someone to help us," Harry said to her as Ron helped Ginny out of the elevator. "Nagato, is there anything we can do around here to get some help in the tower?"

"A few people want to talk to you," Nagato said. "Hermione and Luna think they've figured something out about their Sorceress powers, and would like to discuss it with you. Fred and George would also like to talk to Ron about something they found around the grounds. Cho has been speaking to a few students, and said that Colin Creevey wanted to talk to you about something he has for you."

"If it's to show me a shrine, I don't want to-"

"I think it's a new weapon," Nagato interrupted. "Lastly, Haruhi said that she wants some help with something over by the greenhouses."

"Get Neville to go with Haruhi," Harry said. "Tell Ron about his brothers, he'll see them on his own free time. I'll go speak to Hermione and Luna, and speak with Colin along the way. Where are they, and where's Colin?"

"I'm right here," Colin said, running up to me. "Thanks for saving us, Harry."

"It wasn't just me, Colin," Harry said, raising his hands in protest. "I was just one person in this operation, like Lupin and Tony here."

"What- Professor Lupin?" Colin asked, shocked. "You're trapped as a werewolf?"

"Oh, right," Remus said, as he began switching back into a human. "I should have done that while I was waiting to head down. It's good to see you, Colin." As he had finished transforming, he began to walk off. "Harry, if you need me, I'll be over by the bridge."

"Okay," Harry said, as Dante headed over towards a wall and leant against it. "You'll be waiting here then, Tony?"

"Sure," Dante said with a smile. "It will get me a good chance of getting some action." Colin and Harry walked outside of the tower's main foyer, with Harry looking around the immediate area to find Luna and Hermione. "Hermione and Luna are down by Hagrid's shack. He's upset about something, I don't know what."

"So, what have you been up to since getting out of Hogwarts?" Harry asked Colin as the two walked off.

"Well, I've been taking a few photos," Colin said, taking it out. "Of people, animals, demons…"

"You shouldn't get near the demons unless you have someone with you," Harry said, annoyed.

"Yeah, but I have a strange power that I use with my camera," Colin said, before aiming it at Harry and taking a picture of him, which was then ejected quickly before Colin started waving it and then touched the image, and disappeared. "See? I can copy a person's unique powers."

"You're a Conduit?" Harry asked, amazed. "Wait, is that why you were taking photos of demons?"

"Yes, I wanted to see how I could help everyone else, so I've been taking photos to find out some information," Colin said, before stopping. "I want to save Dennis, my brother. He's trapped in the Gryffindor Common Room. I'll do anything that I can." As Harry put his hand on Colin's shoulders, Blanca stepped forward and let out a quick yip. "Oh, where did you get that dog?"

"We found him in the tower," Harry said, scratching his head, "and he's a wolf, actually." The three then walked forward, as Harry noticed the two Sorceresses talking outside of Hagrid's hut. "He's quite intelligent actually, I'm thinking of calling him Blanca."

"He's quite big," Colin said, as we stopped at the bottom. "He has a unique power though. Do you think I should take a photo of it?"

"How does that work anyway?" Harry asked. "You just take a photo and you get the power?"

"Well, actually, it's slightly different than that," Colin said as he gave a small smile. "When I look at someone through my lens, I can tell what powers that person has, how strong they are and what their weaknesses are. Then, when I take a photo of them, I can copy that power, but it draws energy out of me whenever I actually use that skill. By the way, Harry, I would try and avoid electricity and open currents if I were you."

"Thanks for the heads up," Harry said, as the two stopped outside the hut. "So, what's eating Hagrid?"

"Are you aware of a large spider called Aragog?" Luna asked, sadly. "Hagrid went to check on him… but he found him dead, having had its legs removed. A few demons were dancing over the body, and Hagrid went berserk when he killed them."

"We've been trying to talk to him, but he's gotten really drunk," Hermione said. "We're worried about him, but since we can't get Hagrid to open up…"

"Just wait for him to calm down a bit," Harry said, sadly. "You should be able to talk to him after that, but he'll be quite upset. By the way, Colin, Nagato said that you had something for me?"

"You mean Yuki?" Colin asked, smiling. "Yeah, I do. Here," Colin said, holding out two short blades and a larger blade that had bizarre handles at the end. "They're bayonets, for handguns and a sniper rifle, respectively. You attach them to the end of your gun so that you can use them for melee attacks. Also, take this," He said, holding out a small, black cylinder and a holder for it. "It's a laser. You attach it to the bottom of a gun so that you can see where the bullet will land. Well, if you need me, I'll be taking pictures over by the Stone Circle." Colin then ran up the hill, as Blanca walked over beside Harry and sat down.

"Colin's a good kid," Luna said, as she sat on the fence. "He really wants to help, but all he can do is giving Harry a few blades."

"He has a Conduit power that seems really useful," Harry said, as he removed the blades from his guns and replaced them. "Taking powers from others is a good power."

"He can use blue magic?" Luna asked, amazed. "Well, if it is a Conduit power, he could be resistant to certain spells."

"You aren't thinking about getting him to fight, are you?" Hermione asked.

"I'll take him into Tartarus for a short while, before we get into a serious fight," Harry said, smiling. "I'll make sure he's well protected, maybe take Ezio, Akihiko, you, Luna, and, if Ginny's up to it, her. Draco us necessary, as he knows the password."

"Why?" Hermione asked. "What happened to Ginny? She's not hurt, is she?"

"We fought her Shadow," Harry said to them. "I'm actually quite surprised what was eating her. But… I won't say what it is, let her reveal it herself. By the way, where is Ezio anyway?"

"Ezio's in the Forbidden Forest with Liz and Miranda," Luna said. _**Harry, someone's watching you!**_ A voice said into the back of his head. "He-"

"Hold that thought, Luna," Harry said as he looked around. "Percy, why are you spying on us?" No voice replied, before Harry stepped forward and pulled the invisibility cloak off from the older male.

"So, you could see me?" Percy said, deflated. "Listen, I'm going to say this once: I know you have connections to the assailant that attacked Cornelius Fudge-"

"And we're not letting you know anything," Hermione responded.

"No, that's not what I meant," Percy said, before handing us a piece of paper. "Just say that this came from a guy named Nixon."

"You're Deepthroat?" Luna asked in a low whisper, as Harry looked at the paper. "Okay, I have to admit, you've got quite a bit of balls to betray Umbridge. So, why?"

"…I have telepathy," Percy said. "That file, it shows her connection to an individual called 'Kai Leng', a Cerberus operative. They last spoke 3 months ago. She's using her Cerberus connections to help find any of their 'CHIMERAs' because one of them disappeared after its conception. This note shows that it may have been taken to the Andromeda Galaxy. It's coded, so you can't read it."

"I should have guessed you had a power, since your dad was a Conduit," Hermione said. "So, you're on our side, then. Don't worry, your secret's safe with us."

"Just one thing," Harry said as he stepped forward.

"Umbridge WAS involved in trying to kill you," Percy said. "She doctored the evidence to cover her tracks. I can't prove she did it, but as soon as I get something, I'll leak it to the media."

"Thanks," Harry said, as he stepped back and Percy Apparated away. "So, what did you two want to talk to me about?" As he said that, Hermione and Luna walked forward and grabbed his hands, before a dark blue and red insignia appeared on his palms and travelled up his arms, then appeared on his back, which wasn't visible to the target of the spell that they cast.

"There, all done," Hermione said. "We're going to brand most of the Order, if you're wondering. That should allow you to use blizzard and fire magic, but you have to strengthen your own magic with it."

"Wait…" Harry asked, confused. "Did you make me into a Sorcerer?"

"No, you're more of a Magician," Luna said. "You'll start with a blizzard spell for Hermione's Path, her line of Magic, before moving onto more powerful magic, such as wide-area spells, weapon charms, rapid-fire spells and even elemental protection. Ifrit said something about 'Harmonizers obtaining new fusions with each branch', but I don't know what to say about it."

"You can cast Fire and Blizzard now, without the need of a wand," Hermione said. "Just don't use them to cheat during class or use them irresponsibly, or I'll take your new powers away. Got it?"

"Sure," Harry said, as he and Luna got ready and ran upward to the castle. "Hey, Colin, want to help us?"

Hermione was stuck with the wolf sitting near her, so she walked over towards it and began rubbing behind its ears. "So, where did Harry find you, then?"

"Inside the tower," Blanca spoke up, causing Hermione to jump back in shock. "Perhaps I should have said something while Harry was here," he said, as he began scratching himself.

In another part of the local area, two women and a Lombax were trying to help their friend he was in shock due to his own unstable nature. "Miranda, what the hell's wrong with him?" Liz said, as she tried to heal his airway and stop the bleeding from his mouth. "What did you mean by 'he shouldn't have more than 3 DNA sources'?"

"Project CHIMERA was only able to combine DNA from 3 different sources to keep the test subjects stable," Miranda said, as she took out a syringe. "Using 3 DNA sources, including the human base, was best because if they had 4 or more different sources, their DNA would break down if they didn't get a specific drug to stabilize them. This should be enough to keep him from dying, but if he had more sources then he'll need more of them."

"And what happens if you used 2 sources?" Apollo asked, as he opened up Ezio's passageway.

"The main reason why I was pissed when I found out that Eddie Pryor wasn't stopped from becoming-" Miranda tried to say, before Liz cut her off.

"I know that's important but…" Liz began shocked. "Killbane's a Chimera?"

"Yes," Miranda said, as she pushed the needle against Ezio's chest and administered the drug to his system, directly to his heart. "If three sources are used, the base neurology is carried around the forms, but some Chimeras were known to develop different behavioural ticks based on their forms. If Ezio is lucky then he'll become more disciplined due to his turian powers-"

"And a better problem solver and inventor due to his Lombax form," Apollo blurted in.

"How can you defend this, Apollo?" Liz asked the black Lombax, who then stood back. "Wait, is that how he got the idea to use toothpaste and popcorn to cause a glowing effect in a church?"

"I thought it was him," Miranda said as she sighed deeply. "Anyway, this effect is much more apparent with 2-source Chimeras, such as those with DNA from violent species."

"Wait, who is Killbane again?" Apollo asked, as Ezio stood up.

"He's the main heel of the Ultimate Wrestling Championship, or UWC," Ezio said, as he steadied himself against the tree. "He's gotten into serious trouble due to the fact that he's killed several people in the ring."

"Ezio," Liz said, as she walked over and helped her boyfriend. "Are you alright?"

When he heard that, Ezio just looked at her, obviously mildly annoyed. "Sure," he said in mildly sarcastic tone. "Except for the fact that I almost died and I'm a fucking anorexic frog."

"You're a salarian," Miranda said.

"I'm an amphibian," Ezio said. "F*** me, next thing you'll tell me is that I'm going to turn into a blue-skinned woman."

"I'll kill someone if that happens," Miranda said. "Considering that it is entirely plausible, but asari are natural biotics to it will kill you. Anyway, you should take these," she said as she handed Liz several full syringes to Ezio. "If he starts convulsing again, inject this straight into his heart. Anyway, are you comfortable like that?"

"I'm so thin my jeans keep sliding down," Ezio said, grabbing onto his belt. "Am I going to have to streak every time I use my chimera powers?"

"Hey, I could get you different clothes, if you need me to," Miranda said. Ezio then tapped his throat, before beginning to cough. "Do you need any help?" He then waved her off, before jumping back, screaming after coughing again. "What is it?"

"I just spat acid," Ezio said, looking at a puddle that was eating into a tree at an incredible speed. "Oh, my god. Hold on… I'm drooling like Chuck Norris."

"Enough of the jokes I don't get, Ezio," Apollo said, looking the damaging puddle. "Can you do that again?" Ezio just glared at the grinning Apollo, pushing his eyelids up to narrow them. "For science." With a quick shrug, Ezio then went over towards a stone and spat on it quickly, causing a hole to sink through it. "Come on, you've got to try better than that." Ezio then took in a deep breath then put his hand on the top of the stone, before breathing outward to cause a stream of acid to shoot out and dissolve the stone before him in only a few seconds.

"So, what should these do?" Liz asked Miranda. "Should these stop him from being killed?"

"These should keep him from getting new forms until I can find a way to stabilise his condition," Miranda said as Ezio and Apollo kept playing with the chimera's new power. "He'll still be able to switch back and forth between the four forms he already has, but you should apply this if he starts coughing blood again, especially if it isn't red." Liz paid attention before her phone began to ring.

"Hello?" Liz answered, holding the phone to her ear. "Okay, is it serious? We'll head back now." Liz then put her phone away, as she grabbed Ezio by his collar and pulled him over to leave the forest. "We have to head back, Ginny had to fight her Shadow and Harry wants you to head into the tower with him."

"Okay," Ezio said, turning back into a human. "But that could be useful, like imitating a Mortal Kombat fatality. Oh my god, I'm a horrible person."

The group eventually managed to get back, with Apollo tailing Ezio while invisible, Liz running off towards the healing area and Miranda walking over towards the Stone Circle. "If you need me, I'll stay by the other end of the bridge."

"Okay," Ezio said, before heading into the main tower. "Okay, what do you need me for?"

"We're heading in," Harry said, as Colin looked at him through his camera. "Oh, Ezio, this is Colin. He's a year younger than I am, and he's a Conduit with the power to copy powers through his photos, of both Conduits and demons."

"Blue magic," Ezio said, shaking his hand. "Hope you can fight, it can get quite hectic in there."

"Who's the invisible guy?" Colin asked, causing Ezio and Harry to jump back. "I'm still using Ezio's illusion power. I can see him."

"We'll explain it after we get in," Harry said. "You two, Colin, Luna and Akihiko, and me. We'll be trying to get the Slytherin dorm open, so we'll be heading to the third floor through the elevator."

With a shrug, Ezio took out his beam katana and headed over towards the elevator. "Fine," he said, tailed by Apollo. "Let's head up."

Meanwhile, over by the greenhouses, Haruhi, Mikuru, Kyon, Itsuki and Neville were exploring the greenhouses. "What are you searching for, exactly?" Neville asked the group.

"There's a demon over by the back of the tower," Kyon said as he looked around. "It's possessing a plant, and emitting spores to cause darkness to envelop the local area, so we need to know what it is to kill it."

"Describe the plant," Neville said, as Itsuki looked through a book.

"The local environment was damp, more of a swamp-like environment," Mikuru said, looking at some of the plants. "It looks a lot like that plant, there, but it was a more darker colour."

"It's a plant known as a Devil's Snare," Neville said, taking the book from Itsuki and flicking it over to a different section. "Tentacle-like appendages are used by the plant to strangle its struggling victims. However, if you remain calm, it should let you go, so don't struggle with the plant. They can't stand fire or light, so we should use those kinds of spells against them."

"Would magnesium flares work?" Kyon said, taking out sticks and guns from a backpack. "They glow on contact with air, and they burn at incredible speeds."

"I bet that those soldiers should have more," Haruhi said as she grabbed Mikuru and led her away. "We'll be back in a minute." Haruhi then led her away at top speeds, as the three boys were left in the greenhouse.

"So, Neville, you must know a lot about plants to spot the type of plant using only slight information," Itsuki said as he sat down on a table. "So, what's the plant next to me?"

"That's a mandragora plant," Neville said. "It's already mature, so don't touch it or the cries will kill all of us." Hearing that, Itsuki carefully moved away from the plant and looked at another one. "The plant next to you, Kyon, is Gillyweed, which grows gills and fins on the body of the person who eats it- is that a Bouncing Bulb?"

Kyon, however, suddenly keeled over in pain before Neville helped him up. "I'm okay," Kyon said, as he sat down on a stool. "I can still fight."

"Well, here," Neville said, handing him a leaf. "It's from a thera plant, which is known to have healing properties."

"We're back," Haruhi said, carrying 6 guns and 8 flares, followed by Mikuru who had 7 guns and four flares. "Let's have some fun."

"Sure," Neville said, as Kyon chewed down on the leaf and then jumped up. "Let's go weeding." However, while they were preparing for a fight, a few people were already in a fight.

"Use fire," Colin said as he put the recently taken photo into an album he was carrying, while Ron sent a fireball over from Arthur to kill a Shadow. Okay, there's one more, on the roof."

"I know," Ezio said, as he grabbed his rifle from his back and aimed it upward and then pulled the trigger, killing the Shadow before we all regrouped. "Wow, Colin, you were pretty good with that camera."

"And I got three demon photos," Colin said, showing them off. "Agi, dia and rakunda. I was also able to get a picture of Ezio, but there's something weird about it…" When Ezio heard that, he was frozen in place. "I can take photos of Conduits to get their powers, but from my scan power, I can tell I only got a small amount of your power through this photo."

"…?" Ezio was taken aback by these words, lost for words at what Colin just said. "What powers did you get?"

"Well, I couldn't copy that weird eye skill," Colin said, looking at a photograph. "But I was able to copy telekinesis and fusion spell, the ability to combine two separate spells together."

"That's a unique power?" Ezio asked in shock. "Huh. And here I was thinking that any Conduit could do that with enough skill."

"But I can tell you have way more powers than that," Colin said, holding his camera up. "You can also use manipulate fire and electricity, you have superhuman precision and acid breath."

"When the hell did you get acid breath?" Luna asked, shocked.

"…After I split off from you and talked to Liz and Miranda," Ezio said. "I know why you can't copy most of my powers, Colin, but…"

"Colin, it's best that you shouldn't bring this up again," Apollo said, stepping forward. "It's… due to a serious health condition and it's quite embarrassing." Colin then put away his camera and took out his photo album. "He may trust you to know about it, but you shouldn't press- LOOK OUT!" As he was speaking, Apollo tried to run forward with Akihiko to stop a Shadow from attacking Colin.

Colin, however, reacted quickly and whipped out his album, gripping it hardly before swinging it upward to smack the Shadow in the chin then striking it with the put its head downward, before spinning in place and striking the Shadow sideways to cause a powerful strike to connect with the Shadow, sending it crashing into a wall. "I got this," Colin said, whipping out a photo before causing it to glow. "Take this," Colin said as he threw the photo over towards the Shadow before a spell took effect. "Okay, hope this works." Colin then whipped out his wand and aimed it at the Shadow, before brazing himself. "Expelliarmus," he began, to knock the Shadow backward. "Flipendo," Colin muttered again, before taking out another photo. "Spell fusion: Aqua, Terra, Agi! Tower Inferno!" When he said that, a stream of lava burst out from the ground and shot the Shadow up into the air, where it burst into the ichor that all Shadows are born from. "How was that?"

"Okay, he's our main caster," Luna said, as Draco opened up the door to the Slytherin Dorm and we all ran inside. "Wow, this place seems so… dark."

"Dammit, aren't there any lights in here?" Akihiko said, before banging his knee on a table. "Who the hell dressed this room up?"

"Snape," Draco and Harry said in unison. "Okay, this is weird," Draco said as he looked over a large pile of slime and a clipboard. "Lacerations located on the lower liver… as well as some minor damage due to spikes in the upper left arm… what is this?"

"It's a medical chart," Apollo said as he took it and then looked at a few markings on the table. "Damn. There's only one way to undo the seal and that's to heal someone. I'll need someone's help to perform the operation."

"I'll do it," Ezio said, stepping forward. "I have no medical training, but I'll do anything you say."

"I'll do all of the operation, I just need someone as my support," Apollo said as he teleported the necessary tools forward. "When I say scalpel, you hand me a blade. I say sutures and-"

"I make sure that the needle is threaded and ready to sew up the patient's wounds," Ezio said, as he put on a pair of gloves that were provided by Apollo. "I'll also use the drain where you tell me, hand you an ultrasound for finding fluid pockets and kyriaki. I'll also have the forceps ready and waiting for you to remove the spikes in the upper arm."

"I'm impressed," Apollo said, grinning. "What, did you learn all your medical knowledge from shows like Grey's Anatomy?"

"Sort of," Ezio said, looking the seal over. "I watch the show, but I've seen this on a live surgery program that was used by the World Health Organisation to raise awareness for specific illnesses. From what I can tell, the patient has received a severe blow to the upper triceps area of her left arm, as well as a viral agent that is causing a series to tumours to form on the lower end of the liver. Patients is a female aged from 14 to 15, I think a fourth year, possibly used to fuel the seal."

"You should become a diagnostician," Apollo said, looking amazed. "I can't use my teleportation powers while operating, so I need your assistance." A large crash blared outside, making everyone jump back. "Someone go and find out what that was, I can't operate when something large is tearing the place apart."

"It's a pair of Death Eaters," Nagato said, as a hologram appeared next to us. "They mean business."

"All except Ezio, go," Apollo said as he stepped forward. As he did that, the slime formed into the form of a young girl who was bleeding from her arm.

"P-Pancy?" Draco asked, looking down at the injured girl.

"We can handle this Draco," Ezio said, as he set the surgical tools out. "Your friend is safe with us. Now go and make sure we don't die while saving her life."

"Okay," Draco said as most of the group ran outside, leaving Ezio and Apollo left inside of the Slytherin Common Room.

"Let's begin the operation," Apollo said, as he looked her over. "The wound on the back of her arm is really bad. I'm going to need a pair of forceps."

"Here," Ezio said, handing the forceps to Apollo. "Here's the tray as well. Just be careful, it seems that the spikes have a really bad point that is bladed unlike the rest of the spike."

"Shadow Eyes?" Apollo asked, as Ezio nodded. "Okay, I've extracted the first spike and… what the…"

"Is something the matter?" Ezio asked.

"Yeah, two weeks before the Empire attacked my world another patient came in with the exact same spikes in his lower abdomen," Apollo said, curiously. "Can you collect a few of these as samples? I want to take a look at them."

"Is this related to her tumours?" Ezio asked, as Apollo kept extracting more spikes. "Wait… are these poisonous?"

"They're hollow," Apollo said as he took out the last spike. "These aren't from any creature; she received these wounds when she was attacked by Drophyds. The virus inside usually causes a similar condition to an Earth condition called Kaposi's Syndrome, except that they're concentrated at one area at a time. There should be a tell-tale bruise that looks like-"

"A claw," Ezio butted in. "A viral outbreak occurred in Portland, Maine, with similar symptoms to what you just described. Other symptoms include virus colonies developing around the body, haemorrhaging, vomiting blood, convulsions, cardiac arrest, unexplained soft tumour forming and, if it infects the central nervous system, hallucinations."

"It could be the same virus, but I'd have to check it with a sample that's already been collected here," Apollo said as he looked at the back of the arm. "Hand me the sutures, and have the antibiotic gel ready, along with the bandages."

"Here's the suture," Ezio said as Apollo took it and started sewing the wounds shut. "I've got the jar of gel opened and ready, with the bandages ready to go." Apollo the set down the sutures and tied the string closed, before taking the antibiotic gel and applied it to the wounds. Ezio was already vigilant and handed him the bandage, which Apollo then wrapped around the girls arm.

"The arm's been treated," Apollo said, as he teleported the girl's shirt off. "And look at this. The tell-tale bruises."

"Oh, f***," Ezio said in a panic. "You mean we're treating the Rosalia virus?"

"So, if it isn't the same disease, then it's a similar mutation," Apollo said, as Ezio hesitantly handed him a scalpel. "Making an incision… where is the liver on a human?"

"Oh," Ezio said, not realising that, while Apollo was a doctor in another galaxy and thus trained in xenobiology, didn't know everything about the human form. "It's just below the right lung. Right here," he said, pointing at his own chest. "Perhaps I should monitor the patient's vitals."

"Can you?" Apollo asked, before Ezio switched his second eye to purple and monitored the patient. "Can you also monitor viral spread, if possible?"

"The virus is currently focused to the liver, with it being stored in several soft tumours," Ezio said. "Patient's blood group is AB, so you can receive a transfusion from anyone if necessary."

"What about you?" Apollo asked.

"I'm blood type O, so I can give blood to anyone, but I need to receive it from another O donor," Ezio said. "Breathing is normal, but vitals are dangerously low, she has a heartbeat of 50 per minute."

"There's a small green bottle on my right," Apollo said. "It's a stimulant. Inject some of that into her through a vein on her right hand." Ezio then ran over as fast as he could to grab the bottle, before grabbing a syringe. However, the patient's sudden convulsion caused the two to begin to panic. "The patient just went into cardiac arrest!"

"Grab the defribulator and use it on the patient," Ezio barked. "The heart is located within the ribcage, protected by the lungs.

"I don't have a defribulator," Apollo said, before Ezio transformed into a Lombax.

"Then I'M a defribulator," Ezio said, grabbing some antibiotic gel. "Would this work as a conductive substance? We need to use it to make sure I don't kill the patient."

"No, use this instead," Apollo said, handing a small bottle to Ezio who emptied a small amount onto the patient's chest. Ezio then charged a small amount of raw electricity into his hands then slammed them onto her chest to deliver the current. "It seems that she's back in the land of the living. Continuing her condition, can you hand me the drain?"

"Here," Ezio said, before using the syringe like he was told to and turning back into a human. "Vitals are now at 85. Patient is stabilising, but completely unconscious. I don't like it. How is she completely unconscious without drugs?"

"I don't know," Apollo said, calmly. "I've finished draining the last of the soft tumours, is there anything else that we need to check?"

"No, not that I can find with my Shadow Eyes," Ezio said. "Close her up, then we can get her out of here. Here's the suture."

"Thanks," Apollo said as he grabbed it. "So, how come it's known as the Rosalia Virus?" Apollo asked, while sewing up the patient.

"I don't particularly know, but from what Liz said, it has to do with the first confirmed patient," Ezio said. "They wanted to call it the Cumberland Virus, after the first confirmed outbreak, but it was considered by some in bad taste. Yet, when its name was decided, someone who knew the patient in life went ballistic. I see you've finished the suturing, here's the gel and bandage."

"Thanks," Apollo said before applying the gel and then placing the tape over the wound to close it. "That's all I can do until we get them to Liz. How are her vitals?"

"99, EKG is stabilised and breathing is normal- she just went into cardiac arrest again!" Ezio then applied the gel another time and then sent another current through the patient. "Okay, now she's stabilised."

"Wow, you turned into a Lombax just as you realised there was a problem," Apollo said, grinning. "You should go into First Response, become a paramedic."

"…you think?" Ezio asked, confused, instinctively transforming back into a human before shaking his head. "I'll monitor the patient, you go and fight."

"Okay," Apollo said, before teleporting away. Ezio was then stuck in the middle of a large room, looking over a few statues that were formally students. Thinking about his current patient, he then walked over towards the nearby fireplace and then began poking the ashes away with the nearest poker then placed several sticks of wood onto the fireplace.

"…Hello?" a voice asked from behind. "Who's… who's there?"

"You shouldn't struggle," Ezio said, walking over to the patient. "You've just had to undergo an emergency medical procedure. Don't worry, you're going to be taken to a Healer as soon as it's safe to take you outside the Common Room."

"Who…" She began, scared and cold.

"My name is Ezio," he introduced himself. "I'm a mercenary, hired by Dumbledore to retake Hogwarts from the Death Eaters. Don't worry, you're safe. But if you don't rest, your condition is going to worsen, so just try and get some sleep."

"…you're not a Wizard, are you?" the girl asked.

"…No, I'm not," Ezio said. "I'm more of an anti-wizard. I can neutralise magic if I have to."

"…good," she said, smiling. "It's kind of nice to hear someone with authority that isn't overconfident in their abilities. Most of the Death Eaters went absolutely crazy after taking this red sand." Ezio then scowled. The situation was worse than he thought. "They said it amplified a pure-blood's natural powers, but something in the back of my head said otherwise."

"Red Sand gives a form of power called 'biotics' to anyone who takes it, be they Muggle or wizard, but certain people, like me, would die instantly," Ezio said. "Hell, that's how I got most of these scars. I owe that to Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Is she…"

"Yes," Ezio said, quickly. "She was killed this morning by Neville Longbottom." She just turned her head, looking at me with a look of disbelief. "No, I'm serious. He skewered her on a katana. And even Draco Malfoy's taken a level in badass, he's gone trigger-happy with an assault rifle. In fact, he's the one that let my group inside. He mentioned your first name, it's Pansy, right?"

"Yeah," she said, weakly. "Pansy Parkinson." There was a long wait, lasting over a minute. "How close was I to dying?"

"…" Ezio was reluctant to answer. He didn't want to scare this girl any more than she needed to be. "Very…"

Outside of the Common Room, at the beginning of the operation, the main strike team ran outside to the last room they were in before entering the dorm. "What the…" Colin said, confused. "There's no-one he-"

"Look out," Harry said, jumping straight at Colin and pushing him out of the way of a curse, which he took in the back. "Okay, who did that?"

"Well, you're already getting on the Dark Lord's nerves, Potter," Vincent Crabbe said while standing on top of a gargoyle in the wall. "We've been sent to take you-"

"I don't give a crap what the 'Dark Lord' wants," Harry said, stepping up painfully.

"Oh, come on," Gregory Goyle said as he said from behind us, on top of the doorway to the Slytherin Dorm. "You're just an arrogant idiot who needs the help of a filthy Mud-"

"Finish that sentence," Colin said, holding out his album, "and I'll show you the skills of a Mudblood." Goyle began to chuckle, before Colin grabbed a gun from Luna and fired it at Goyle's hand and breaking it in two.

"Vincent, Gregory, stop this," Draco said, stepping forward. "I've seen the Death Eaters from both sides. They're wrong. No matter how superior Voldemort says they are, Wizards can't survive without Muggles. We need them, or else Wizards will die out."

"We'll rule over them for all of eternity," Vincent said, before Draco sent a curse at them.

"IF WE DON'T WORK TOGETHER, THEN THERE WON'T BE ANYTHING TO RULE THE NEXT TIME THE ALIENS ATTACK!" Draco yelled out. "I want my family to survive. I want you to survive too… but if you attack us, we'll use any means necessary to take you out."

"And by the way," Akihiko said, grabbing his Evoker. "There's 5 of us, and 2 in back. That's enough of us to kick your asses twice."

"So, why don't let you try kicking one ass," they said in unison, before a bloody red miasma formed around them, which drew itself closer to themselves.

"What the hell's going on?" Luna asked, taking a step back. "That light… it feels… evil."

"Well, this is bad," Draco said, stepping closer to the group. "That's Malice. It's really dark magic that Voldemort was studying. And I have no idea what they're doing."

"Well, this is bad," Colin said while instinctively reaching for his camera, as a single, two faced monster appeared. Whipping the camera out, Colin then took a single photo as Akihiko sent out a thunderbolt at the demon to stun it. Luna then ran to the back of the room and behind a pillar, before sending status buffs to most of the group while Colin ran behind another column. "He's weak against fire and water magic. See if that helps."

"Did you say water?" Harry said, looking at a mole-skin pouch he carried, and took out a few water balloons. "Cover me, I need to fill these. Aguamenti."

"Are you freaking serious?" Draco said, before shooting at one of the demon's hands. "How the hell do WATER BALLOONS help us?"

"They were made by the Twins," Harry said, as Draco shrugged and then dodged another attack, before being struck by a fire spell, launching him into a wall. "Colin, you said he was weak against fire!"

"He is," Colin said, taking another look, before gasping. "Well, I have a name. Janus."

"What side used that spell?" Luna said, holding a fire spell out. "Janus in Roman mythology was the two-faced god, seeing in all directions but constantly arguing with himself.

"It was the right, the red side," Colon said, opening up his album. "The blue side is the one that uses water magic. Use water on the right side, fire on the left side. Just don't use the wrong spell, as it will heal the demon." Harry then readied the water balloon as Colin readied a fire spell. Harry then ran over and gave the water balloon to Akihiko, then took out a pair of guns.

"Okay, it's not attacking for some reason…" Harry began before trailing off. "Wait, is this an RPG fight?"

"Yeah," Akihiko said. "At least it's turn-based. Okay, should we use a combo chain? Attack in an order to maximize damage?"

"I'll start one," Harry said, readying his attack. "Akihiko, you go last after me and Draco. Then, Colin attacks the other half after Luna."

"I can use a Summon if Colin sends the spell after me," Luna said, as she readied the summon attack. "Just send that spell at me." As she said that, I ran up and attacked the red half of Janus and performed a few fast slashes at the blue half, before summoning Oberon to launch him into the air with garu and span upside down, firing a volley of bullets downward as he fired downward at the demon, before bringing his attack downward as two blades struck hard, before Draco ran up and grabbed Harry's assault rifle and slashed at Janus with the blade, before shoving it into him and then launching up for some Persona assisted kicks and then ending with a bufu attack, before Akihiko punched the rifle deeper in and then pulled the trigger, before throwing the charmed water balloon (Note from Tonks: I never thought I'd ever write that in a badass manner (-_-')) and then pulled the rifle out and threw it at Harry and ended with a volley of punches.

Luna then finished her charge, as she charmed her attack and Colin readied his follow-up. "Hellfire," Luna said, readying her attack at the other side, as Ifrit appeared to attack then charged his own fire attack. Colin then started sending out fire spells as Harry and Draco sent out spells with his own wand in order to make the attack stronger.

"Wait," Colin said, panicking. "If he attacks with that ranged move, it will heal the other side."

"Good point," Ifrit said, as he pulled the fire into his hands, then ran and sent out a volley of punches which devastated his opponent, before fading again, but not before sending out some fireballs to attack him. "Kick his ass," Ifrit said to us with a grin.

"We intent to," Harry said, before Apollo came down and struck Janus into a nearby wall. "Aren't you treating a patient?"

"I did all I could," Apollo said, as he his shoulders. "Besides, she's in capable hands until we get her to Pomphrey and Liz."

"Yeah, you left her with Ezio," Luna said, as she volleyed fire spells at the blue half of Janus. "You left her with the guy who's suffering from severe mutations."

"…" Apollo said nothing at these words. "Let's finish this, shall we?"

"Wait, something's wrong," Colin said, looking at the blue side of Janus. "It's… shrivelling up." The blue half of Janus went pale, before its hand receded into its body. "Each side has a separate life force. We can focus on the other side, just don't use ice or the red half will revive."

"Thanks for the tip," Liz said, walking over towards is while carrying a spear which she sprayed liquid nitrogen onto her blade. "I had a craving for cigarettes, who's been operating?" As the second half for Janus lunged at her, Liz thrust her spear forward and impaled the demon on her spear. The cold of the weapon caused the demon to scream in pain, as Liz pulled her weapon out and made a flurry of attacks at the demon, ending as she took out a scroll and unrolled it at the demon, touching her wand into the centre of the unwound scroll to send a burst of magic into it and cause it to wrap around the demon. "Okay, let's see how you like a full-blown attack from an Exorcist," Liz shouted, before making some bizarre hand gestures and grabbing the other end. "Holy banishment: Malice Bind!" A solid blue light flashed through the scroll, causing the demon to wince in pain as it morphed back into Crabbe and Goyle, who fell to the ground, unconscious. "And that's why you never mess with me."

"What in the f***!" Ezio said, as he came down the stairs. "How did you DO that! Is that some spell in a spell book? Did you learn it on the fly? That was awesome!"

"It's a long story," Liz said, as she rolled up the scroll and put it away, obviously embarrassed, as the room began to twist and contort around us as the Thieving Duo and Dante walked in, followed by Blanca. "But the malice was banished, right?"

"Yeah, it was," Kasumi said as she came in and looked at Goyle, who was unconscious. "They willingly absorbed some really dark magic into their bodies to try and kill you."

"There's just one problem," Keiji said as he walked over towards Liz. "Why were you carrying an ancient, holy seal that can't be copied?"

"Well…" Liz hesitated, not liking being caught on the spot. "I was given these by my mother," she said, before taking out a few scrolls. "They're mostly just for protection."

"…" Kasumi just crossed her arms and looked at the outer side of one scroll. "You're part of the Takinaba Clan, aren't you?"

"What?" Liz asked, shocked at what was just asked of her. "How did you know that?"

"My clan has performed diplomatic relations with them on behalf of our hometowns," Keiji said, as he hugged Kasumi. "That's how we met."

"Can I ask one question?" Kasumi asked, looking at Liz. "Is your mother Natsuki Takinaba?"

"Yeah," Liz said, hesitantly, before Kasumi grabbed her and started spinning in place.

"Oh my god," Kasumi said with a grin. "We're cousins!" Keiji, however, simply grabbed Ezio and pulled him aside.

"Have you asked her to marry you yet?" Keiji asked Ezio, who just shook his head in denial. "When you do, you'll probably be asked by some of the clan leader's men to meet with him. Go with it, no matter what, it's like a force of nature, it can't be stopped. Even if you say no, you'll just be kidnapped. Just go with it and you won't end up with a broken limb. Second, if you meet him and don't scream instantly, you have balls of steel, but scream just in case and don't mouth off at him and you'll live. Lastly, if you end up in the Forest of Death… he hates you and wants you to rot, but if you survive he might reconsider. Oh, and don't cheat on her or hit her. The guy cares deeply for every member of his clan and will epically destroy you if you hurt her. When he found out that Kasumi's sister was assaulted by her boyfriend… ever heard of 'Devil's Island'?" Ezio nodded his head, looking visibly horrified. "You can guess what happens when he's really pissed."

"Liz is more inclined to hit me, especially if she doesn't have time to grab a cigarette," Ezio said, calmly. "Besides, you should see what she did to her ex who cheated. Do the Takibanas regularly practice acupuncture as a form of torture?"

"Sorry, what's your name, Kasumi?" Draco said, smiling. "Can I borrow Liz so that she can heal my friend?" As Kasumi reluctantly let go, Liz rushed towards the stairs, as Apollo told her of the girl's condition.

"Liz," Ezio called out to her as she entered the doorway and the area was finished morphing into the Hogwarts Dungeon. "She has the Rosalia virus. Be careful." Liz was horrified to hear this, but it only made her rush off even faster. "Okay, let's grab these bozos, then."

"Not so fast," Crabbe said, as he stood up, before he coughed up a darker red liquid. "All I have to do is say one thing, and you're all dead."

"If it's 'Fiendpyre', forget it," Dante said, taking out a pair of gauntlets. "For one thing, it's too hard for a 14 year old to control, and second, we're protected by these Ifrit gauntlets."

"Oh really?" Crabbe said, before he raised his wand. "Fiend-" he began, only for Blanca to grab his arm and force him to drop his wand. "Aagh!" He was now bleeding heavily from his arm. "You stupid mutt!"

"I'm a wolf," Blanca said, scaring the crap out of most of the team that wasn't in the know. "And I sound more intelligent than you when I fart."

"So, you've been training a damn talking mutt?" Crabbe said. "You can't do much else, you blood traitorous-"

"Gale Crest," Blanca said, causing a magical seal to appear in the ground and launch Crabbe high up in the air. When he landed, surprisingly on his feet, he then collapsed, letting more blood flow out of his mouth.

"We should help him," Luna said, walking over to Crabbe.

"Yes, we should," Harry said as he joined her, before the two of them lifted him up and carried him down into the dorm.

"So, how has the Old Man been in the last few years?" Liz asked Kasumi, who was sitting down on a chair. "Has he been terrorising any more suitors for the ladies?"

"Yeah, he takes the 8 Simple Rules to heart," Kasumi answered. Liz was currently healing Pansy, as Draco walked into the room. "When he found out that my sister's boyfriend slapped her, he blew up the island they were living on, after taking her away, of course."

"Pansy," Draco said, running over, only to be stopped by Apollo. "Let me through."

"She's incredibly sick, so let Liz heal her," Apollo said. "When she's done-"

"You can see her now," Liz said, as she helped Pansy up and steadied her. "Just take it easy, before you collapse again."

"Are you okay?" Draco said, as he walked over. "Did they hurt you? What happened?"

"She fell sick after being attacked with a virus called Rosalia," Liz said, as she kept her powers surging over Pansy. "We're lucky that it didn't get any worse, and that Apollo was able to treat the worse effects."

"How?" Pansy asked, only for Apollo to point at a few threads on her stomach.

"Surgery," Apollo said, before sitting down. "So, can you treat the worst effects?"

"I think so, but not through my powers," Liz said, as she turned to Ezio. "Can you see if- Wait, there's something wrong."

"I'm not mutating again, am I?" Ezio asked, scared.

"No," Liz said, looking around. "Is there anything reflective, like a mirror or even a glass?"

"Under the chair," Pansy said, as Draco held her up. "There's a two-way mirror, but it isn't working." Colin ran over and found it, handing it to Ezio.

"What's the probl-" Ezio began, before dropping the mirror which was caught by Dante. "The f***? My eye isn't purple."

"Is that a bad thing?" Dante asked, putting the mirror down.

"It's due to nerve damage," Ezio said, before blinking and turning his eyes purple. "I never thought I'd have to resort to switching back and forth at will. Okay, what should I look for?"

"Can you see if you can see Pansy's chakra?" Liz asked. "It should be a blue fire near her navel."

"Wow, I didn't even think of focusing, this must be stronger now," Ezio said. "Sure, there's a blue fire, as well as some sort of passageway for it through her body. There are also some dots around the passageways, but some are bigger than the rest."

"Poke one," Liz said. As Ezio complied, Pansy let out a small gasp of pain. "Yeah, her tenketsu points are enflamed. Don't worry, Pansy, I know exactly how to treat this."

However, the rifles aimed at Apollo, and the entrance of Umbridge, dampened the mood. "Arrest him, now." Dolores ordered, before they hesitated. "Do it, now." However, the others grabbed their weapons, and just glared to say, 'If you try anything, we'll kick your ass in 15 different ways'. "What are you waiting for?"

"One problem," One of them said, stepping forward. "We have orders to assist them, straight from the Prime Minister." Ezio began to grin slightly. _Wow, we help the guy once and he pays us back. That was brilliant._ "Also, we can't charge him with anything."

"What do you mean!" Umbridge asked, dismayed. "He attacked Cornelius Fudge!"

"Yes, but we can't actually charge him since we don't have proof," the man said. Ezio went wide eyed when he heard the man speak. "If there is proof, we don't have it because the Aurors aren't co-operating with us." Umbridge just screamed in rage before storming off, as the soldiers lowered the weapons.

"You got some balls to do that, Conrad," Ezio said to the soldier. "Why are you here? You're not even a British soldier."

"Well, I have to admit something," Conrad said, as the others walked out. He signalled Ezio, Keiji and Kasumi over towards a nearby corner as some of the soldiers carried Pansy out on a stretcher. "My name is Conrad Verner, but I'm not a soldier. I work for a group called Section Two, of NERV Department of Security Intelligence."

"What does that mean?" Ezio asked, confused.

"He's a secret agent for the UN," Keiji said. "What is NERV interested in?"

"I was sent to investigate Cerberus, but then the Drophyd attack came and everything went to hell," Conrad said. "Look, the basic gist of it is, Cerberus is interested in recruiting you because of-"

"Project CHIMERA," Ezio said, interrupting Colin.

"Yeah," Conrad said. "But NERV want to recruit you as well, mainly to find out how to create Chimeras, stop them from breaking down." The look on Ezio's face said only one thing. _What the hell?_ "You found a list that said only 8 or 9 names, but if you analyse the file, you'll notice that several hundred names were deleted."

"What?" Ezio asked, horrified. "What do you mean 'several hundred'?"

"Quite a lot of Chimeras slipped through Cerberus's radar, and we're trying to clean up the mess," Conrad said. "Here's my boss's number. If you want to reconsider-"

"I already took an offer to join NEXUS," Ezio said, putting his hands up.

"NEXUS is another branch of NERV," Conrad said to Ezio. "So, if you join, you can help us find the other Chimeras."

"Hold on," Ezio said, hesitating. "I don't want people like me being forced to fight due to what was done to them. I don't care what way you justify it."

"We aren't forcing them to fight," Conrad said. "We want to make sure that they don't kill themselves when they discover their powers. And even if they did choose to join an army, it would be of their own free will like any other soldier."

"If I find out any were forcibly drafted by NERV," Ezio said, reaching for his katana. "…genital castration is the easiest surgery in the world. Got it?" Conrad winced, before nodding quickly, as Ezio left the dorm to see that people were already moving in and making the place secure. "Liz, how's Pansy?"

"We're busy performing acupuncture," she said, shoving a needle carefully into Pansy's arm. Ezio switched on his Shadow Eyes to see that most of the enflamed chakra points were quelled, but there were still a few that were still surrounded in chakra. "Did I miss any?"

"Yeah," Ezio said, looking over Pansy. "It's at the spot just above her second rib up."

"There shouldn't be a chakra point there," Kasumi said, before taking out a small scope from her bag. "Yeah, there's a large build-up of chakra there that must have leaked out when she was sick. Use a needle to release that chakra." As Liz did so, Ezio was taken aback when he saw a blue flame shoot out of Pansy, as Ezio looked over to see that Liz had thicker passageways of chakra, and a tattoo that seemed to be altering the flow.

"What's with the tattoo on your back?" Ezio asked, freaking out both Kasumi and Liz at the same time. "Family business? Well, it's suppressing your own chakra, which means it's also suppressing your magic."

"I know," Liz said, causing Ezio to jump. "Most of the women in the clan have these tattoos to suppress their power to channel lots of chakra at once in death-or-glory attacks."

"What about the guys?" Ezio asked. "Wait, what happens to Jon?"

"Pansy, you're all better now," Liz said to her, removing the last needle. "You should try and rest, but Draco is really worried about you." As Pansy stood up and walked towards Draco, Liz grabbed Ezio and pulled him to the side. "Ezio, this isn't something I can't discuss, no matter what."

"So, it can't leave the clan, and I can't find out until after I marry you?" Ezio asked, obviously confused. "It's not like every guy in your family is a werewolf, right?"

"We really can't discuss it," Kasumi said in a calm voice. "Just… if you're asked to speak to the head of the clan-"

"Keiji said all that," Ezio said, worried. "Anyway, I'm going to head on and see how Raph's doing, maybe chat with Miranda." As Ezio turned around, he looked over to see Draco talking to Pansy, before wrapping his arms around her. "Well, at least love can bloom on this battlefield."

"So, how do we kill these plants again?" Haruhi said, looking at some of the plant. "Just a little light?"

"Haruhi, we've been walking with flares to combat the darkness for the last 30 minutes," Kyon said, before wincing. "I'm okay."

"That's the second time you winced like that," Neville said. "Are you sure you don't want to go back?"

"Wait, that isn't the second time," Mikuru said, speaking up. "That's happened 15 times now." As she said that, Kyon grabbed his chest again as a small red light shot out. "We're getting you back, you need a medic."

"It's dangerous to go back," Kyon said, as he stood up and grabbed his katana. "Besides, we're almost there, right?" As he said that, he grabbed a flare gun and shot it forward, dispelling the darkness and causing the plants to wither, before running ahead of the group.

"Kyon, wait," Itsuki shouted, as the rest followed him into a large clearing, where an enormous plant was spouting from the ground.

"So, you honestly believe you can come into my dom-" the plant demon began before Kyon whipped out a gun and shot it.

"We don't have time for this," Kyon said, before gripping his katana.

"That face…" The demon said, before chuckling. "This isn't the first time I've seen a human with that face, or even the one of that tart in the sailor's outfit."

"What did you just say, bitch?" Haruhi said, gripping her cards. "Don't make me come over there and shove these metal cards up your ass!"

"Let's see who is the strongest," The demon said, as it sprouted two flowers that expelled dark spores. "Let's see what you're made of, when you can't see."

"Oh, this is rich," Itsuki said, dual-wielding flare guns, one aimed straight at the demon and the other aimed at a stalk that he felt moving towards Haruhi. Pulling the triggers sent out two magnesium lumps that oxidised in the air, giving off a bright light as it collided with the two targets. The searing heat of the metal caused the demon to scream, giving an opening to Kyon who drew his katana and made a series of slashes at its body, before shoving the blade inward as the demon let out a scream. Neville then charged forward next with his blade, shoving it inward before taking it out and slashing an even deeper wound into its main body, before sending out a debuff to freeze it in place.

"I hit it with a petrify curse," Neville said, spinning the blade over his head. "Mikuru, now!" As he ordered that, Mikuru grabbed a staff she was carrying and waved it around her, causing illusions of an hourglass to surround her and a clock to appear on the ground below her. As she did so, a clock appeared around the demon infested plant and flowed normally, before the clock appeared to freeze.

"I hit it with Stop, it can't move for a while, let alone the stone effect," Mikuru shouted. "Okay, now what?"

"I finis shuffling," Haruhi shouted, as several cards disappeared from her deck before 5 cards appeared before her and 5 before the demon. "Okay, I'll discard this, this and this," She said, pointing at the 2nd, 3rd and 5th cards in the deck. After a short while, a wound appeared on Haruhi's arm as a green light appeared between her and the demon. "Let's add to the pot," She said, as her wound became deeper, before the cards showe themselves. "You've got a pair," Haruhi said, looking at her opponent's cards. "I've got three of a kind." Haruhi grinned as the light was pulled back into her arm, healing the wound before the green mist disappeared into a pile of notes. "Damn, I expected him to have yen."

"What the-" Neville asked, disgusted. "Are you gambling your life for money!"

"Hey, it's a lot of money, I would have only lost 150HP," Haruhi said. "Besides, I have some potions that would easily heal the damage. And I got £250. That's around 40,000¥, right?"

"Goddammit," Kyon said, before Itsuki ran up and span his chakrams in his hands, causing the outer edge to become a ring of flames.

"Let's fire it up," Itsuki shouted, as he sent the burning fires towards his opponent to sear the plant, kicking and volleying the blades back and forth, before causing a huge pillar of fire to appear from the ground. "No-one messes with the SOS Brigade. Got it memorised?"

"You're not Axel," Kyon said, slapping his head as the clock for the demon appeared again and began flowing. "Now take this seriously or I'll beat you to death with a guitar." Itsuki opened his mouth, but Kyon just raised the blade at him. "If you say 'Sitar', I swear to whatever god may be up there, plus Haruhi, that I'll beat you to death with the blunt edge of this sword."

"Guys, we're fighting here," Mikuru gently reminded her friends. "What do we do?" However, before they could receive an answer, several shots rang out towards the local corrupted plant life, sending blaring flames to appear that dissolved the miasma in the air, causing significant damage to the Devil's Snare as the sunlight came down into the battlefield. "What the… Aren't you Victor?"

"I am Heavy Weapons guy," Victor Krum said, lifting up the heavy minigun that was modified to fire flares. "And this… is my weapon. It fires 50 flares every 12 seconds." However, what drew their attention was the glowing figure that was running through the plants, severing them with a knife and leaving behind glowing figures behind, causing the dark mist to disappear and leave the plant, which was cracking free from its petrified state to scream in pain. It lashed out at the glowing figure, which slipped through one of the tendrils as she cut it off. "Quit playing around, will you?" Krum asked, as he let the minigun stop firing. "Just head in and hit him." As he said that, the lights disappeared around Fleur as she gripped her knife and threw it at the main central body. Fleur then took out a cap as she slipped away, followed by a baseball bat.

"Oh, she isn't going to do that, is she?" Kyon asked, as Neville walked up to him.

"What?" Neville asked, before Fleur tapped the flower on its head, causing it to turn around to face her, as she was wearing a red shirt, tight cargo pants, a baseball cap and some sneakers, chewing gum as she sat on a nearby limb.

"Yo, what's up?" She asked the demon, in a fake, but really good, Boston accent. As she began moving her bat, Haruhi coughed as she watched the fight.

"Okay, listen," she began. "Grass grows, birds fly, sun shines and, brother, we hurt people," she said, looking directly at you. Yes, you. She's addressing you, the reader. ***BOINK*** "We're like a force of nature." ***BONK*** "If you were from where we were from, you'd be f***ing dead!" As she said that, Fleur ran up the side of the nearest stalk, then back flipped downward, bringing her bat down and knocking the demon over, breaking the stalk, before the darkness disappeared. "WHOA!"

"Well, how was that?" Fleur asked, before her clothes suddenly changed. "I can bend light, create illusions."

"Sort of like Harry," Itsuki said, before turning to the demon. "Okay, either you piss off or we kick you out of here."

"How…" The destroyed flower said, as a red light began to erupt from it, causing Kyon to keel over in pain. "How could mortals like you defeat me?"

"We've got the favour of god," Kyon said, standing up. "Now piss off, or die. Your choice."

"How about this…" The demon said, before the red mist intensified the field, causing Kyon to vomit blood. "Let's see you fight the full power of a demon!"

"Not so fast," Sparda said, jumping into the clearing and putting himself between himself and Kyon, who the demon immediately lunged for. "Get him back now. He's suffering from Malice poisoning."

"Is that bad?" Haruhi asked, worried.

"You saw what happened to Raphael, right?" Sparda said, giving a quick glance back as Kyon hesitantly stood up. "I never thought you'd have the guts to attack the human world again, Astaroth. Since a human kicked your ass twice."

"That was almost 100 years ago," Astaroth said, as he flew upward. "The Godslayer is dead."

"Wait…" Kyon said as he straightened up. "Godslayer… Do you mean Yuri Hyuga?" Itsuki and Haruhi began to snicker, as Astaroth glared at him.

"You seem to have the same attitude as him, but I'll do you favour of your choice," Astaroth said in a mockingly sweet tone."

"Then I'd wish you'd shove it," Kyon said, firmly, as Malice began to leak from his chest. "You know where."

…

…

…

…

…

…

"Oh shit, he had a kid," Astaroth said, before Kyon rushed forward, dodging his attacks and throwing his katana skyward, as he molded the Malice in his hands. He then ran up Astaroth's body before sending dark red balls downward, before it began to envelope him.

"How the hell is he doing that?" Neville asked, as Fleur swung her bat around, taking out a ball.

"I don't know," she said, looking onward, "but it's kind of awesome. What's the red light?"

"Pure human hate and suffering," Sparda said, as he charged forward. "If he gets scratched, he'll be dead in an instant… if he doesn't suffer, that is." There was a large explosion, before Astaroth fell down to the ground, bleeding Malice heavily. "Okay, what was that?" As Astaroth tried to say something, a large, dark skinned, winged humanoid came down and stomped him into the ground, causing an explosion of Malice to envelop the ground, before the demon standing there transformed back into Kyon, who collapsed onto the ground. "Get back to the castle, I'll handle Kyon."

"Wait, what just happened, to Kyon," Haruhi asked, completely worried, before she began to faint. "I don't… I don't feel so…" She then collapsed next to Kyon, to Sparda's shock.

"Damn…" Sparda said, looking at them. "Get Raphael's brother!" He ordered, as he turned back into a human. "We need someone to get into their heads and wake them up." As the others ran off, Sparda and Itsuki stayed behind and grabbed the others and carried them back.

"So, what did Kyon just do?" Itsuki asked, worried about his friend. "And what does it have to do with that… 'Malice'?"

"Kyon just fused his soul together with a demon," Sparda said, causing Itsuki to jump. "It's a naturally occurring power in certain individuals known as Harmonixers, and the most famous one was Yuri Hyuga, the Godslayer. But…"

"He died as a result of his powers?" Itsuki asked.

"No, that's what worries me," Sparda said. "He died, not as a result of his powers, but because of his powers, and the fact he was the only human to subdue Amon, the demon Kyon fused with." The walk up to the castle was long and quiet as they carried the two up, with one question being asked at the entrance.

"The Godslayer never had any kids, did he?" Itsuki asked, with only a brisk shaking from Sparda giving him an answer. "I can smell another human's aura. It allows me to check their current emotional state. Sweet means they're happy, sour means their upset, damp means they're really upset or crying, which is why I don't go to see sappy love films in the cinema, spicy means they're hostile… I've never smelt such heavy smoke from Kyon. And it isn't a natural emotion."

"No, it's Malice burning in his soul," Sparda said. "Tell me if it changes, or passes onto Haruhi. But let me ask you something…" Sparda then leant forward to prevent anyone else leaning forward. "I have the same power, but not as strongly as you. What do you get off of Oswald?"

"Mischief," Itsuki replied. "He's planning something, but mostly in good humour. I don't know what, but Umbridge seems to be part of it, but not as an accomplice. As for her, she's a revolting woman, as nice as she is beautiful. Harry went against the Ministry and she hates him with a passion. What do you think he's up to? Is it… sore no tame in kareha oni wo sa re desu ka (Is it due to him being a demon)?"

"No," Sparda said, quickly. "He's a trickster, but he's really good at politics and loves reading people. If he's planning something, it's because someone has angered him… or earned his respect." Itsuki took a moment to process these words, before rushing towards the potions labs at top speed, just before a large, green explosion erupted from the stairway. "I have to admit, Oswald, that was pretty impressive. Was it anger or impression?"

"Do you expect less from me oni-san?" The younger demon asked with a small grin. "And the twins managed to prank me. Of course, the real target was Umbridge, so I didn't see it coming. Of course, I went easy on them. No 'special tricks' at all." He then caught his brother's gaze, who was less than happy. "What?"

"You performing pranks is unacceptable as you somehow weaselled your way into a high position of power," Sparda said in a cold and serious voice. "And from the brief impression I got from Fred and George Weasley, you just started the most disastrous prank war in the world. If this gets out of hand, someone will get hurt. Now, I've got two unconscious teenagers here…" Sparda then grabbed the other demon and pulled him closer, "the boy may be a reincarnation of the Godslayer, and you're F***ING AROUND LIKE A SCHOOLBOY!"

"I've never seen my old man scream like that before," Dante said as he came down the stairs with Harry and Neville. "…WHY is there green goop all over the place?" As he said that, three people came out of the tunnel, with two walking over towards Oswald while the third sulked off after being told that it was safe to enter the Slytherin dorms. Dante was leaning against the wall as he began to snicker.

"You have made two powerful enemies today, Mr Blackfellow," Fred said as the two pulled the goop off of their faces.

"Very, very , powerful enemies," George said, as the two walked away, not realising the 'Kick me' signs on their backs. They then stopped, pulled the signs off their backs and then walked back, sticking them onto Oswald before walking away.

"Don't worry," Oswald said, smiling. "I'll go easy on them. If I wanted to hurt them, the explosion would be blue, not green. Why are you stepping away?" A large flash sent him flying backward, before he flew upward and then was consumed in a large fireball in the shape of a dragon, before falling to the ground. "How the hell did they do that?" He asked, both confused and excited.

"You still have that piece of paper we gave you, Harry?" George asked, which Harry answered with a nod. "Use it if you want to do that."

"Hey, where's Ezio?" Sparda asked, quickly. "Wasn't he with you?"

"Yeah, but he had to speak with Miranda about something," Harry said. "I don't know what, but he should also be looking for Raph."

Ezio was over by the Stone Circle, as he came over to see Miranda and Colin. Colin was looking at a few photos and tweaking his camera, while Miranda was pacing frantically. "Answer, dammit, come on," she muttered as Ezio walked over.

"Miranda, are you… okay?" He asked, as he walked over.

"No…" Miranda said weakly before putting her phone away. "I've been trying to get into contact with someone, another former Cerberus agent called Wilson. But…" She then sighed, as she slid down from the stone. "I adopted a kid, four years ago. He was staying with an old friend of mine, who he affectionately called her grandmother. When I called him, I found out he was hospitalised before the Drophyds attacked."

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you," Ezio said, walking forward. "Did Cerberus have any idea this was going to happen? There were hints that I figured out back in Ireland."

"I don't know, but they probably tried to stop it if possible," Miranda replied. "When you were in Belfast, did you save any kids?"

"Raph went brain dead after saving a busload of kids," Ezio said, calmly. "He was shot in the face by our dad."

"Why-" Miranda began, before a large thud sounded behind her.

"From what Ezio found out, Bellatrix drove him insane," Raph said as he straightened up. "Hey, what's up?"

"Wow, you're already… close to human," Ezio said, looking at his brother. He was around normal size, but he still had a few jagged edges around him, and his teeth were still sharp, but his horns and wings were more subdued and his bundle of tails was now limited to 2. "Can't you keep all the tails? That was awesome."

"The more tails, the more powerful I am," Raph said, as he pulled a tail inward as he became less demonic, before turning into a human. "If I use too much, then I could go berserk."

"Sort of like Shadow Hearts," Miranda said.

"You played it?" Ezio asked, shocked.

"Worse," Miranda said, as she looked at the younger male. "It's based off of fact, like Devil May Cry."

"Oh, shit," Ezio said, as he rested against the stones. "Well, there's another point to time travel almost destroying the universe. So, you mentioned your son, what was his name?"

"…Halley," Miranda said, weakly as Raph put his head to his hand and Ezio muttered a really long swig of insults. "What? Is he injured? Is he okay?"

"He's in New York, last I knew," Raph said as he walked over. "He's also a Conduit with controls over computers, and a super genius."

"He was already a high school student in the US," Miranda said relieved. "But… why is he in New York?"

"He thought you were there," Ezio said. "He went there with Cole, and is staying with two friends of mine. I can call them as soon as possible."

"Wait, Cole McGrath?" Miranda asked, shocked. "He was with the guy who fought that giant monster that destroyed Washington?"

"He didn't kill the President, did he?" Ezio asked.

"No."

"Good, I can't stand 4 more years with that NRA loving bullshit," Ezio said.

"This fic is politic neutral," Raph said, slapping his brother.

"Raph, how many times have you heard about someone getting shot at night in New York?" Ezio asked. "Anyway, how bad is it?"

"5 cities were levelled, heading downward," Miranda said. "New York was untouched, thank god."

"Hey, Ezio!" Neville shouted, running up. "We've got a serious problem. Sven needs you to see if you can wake them up."

"Is it bad?" Ezio asked as Neville nodded. "How bad is it?"

"Kyon suddenly turned into a demon and destroyed another one, before he collapsed," Neville said. "Haruhi fainted soon after."

"Oh, crap," Ezio said, before he ran off. "Where are they, Neville? Show me."

* * *

><p>'Okay, we've got good news and bad news. The good news is… We found res, and he's completely safe. The bad news… he was kidnapped and tortured by Rudolphus Lestrange and was injected with pure alcohol, so he'll be in the hospital for a while.'<p>

'Okay, we'll get him ready for starting another chapter as soon as possible, but it might be until June when that happens. If we can find more notes, we can get Tonks to write more chapters if needed. Also-'

*They let aliens into the church? That's strange…*

'Apollo, I'm busy.'

*Sorry. But I may need your help with something…*

'After, okay?'

*Help me or I… Whispers*

'Please excuse us. Liz? Can you do this?'

"What do you want me to do?"

'Sing. Here's the song.'

"Oh, bollocks."

"Angely i demony krujili nado mnoy  
>Rassekali ternii I mlechnye puti<br>Ne znaet schast'ya tol'ko tot  
>Kto ego zova ponyat' ne smog…<p>

Mana du vortes,  
>mana du vortes<br>aeria gloris,  
>aeria gloris<br>Mana du vortes,  
>mana du vortes<br>aeria gloris,  
>aeria gloris<p>

I am calling, calling out!  
>Spirits I am calling!<br>Soboy ostat'sya dol'she…  
>Calling, calling, in the depths of longing!<br>Soboy ostat'sya dol'she…

Mana du vortes,  
>mana du vortes<br>aeria gloris,  
>aeria gloris<br>Mana du vortes,  
>mana du vortes<br>aeria gloris,  
>aeria gloris<p>

Stand alone…  
>Where was life when it had a meaning…<br>Stand alone…  
>Nothing's real any more and…<br>…Beskonechnyj beg…

Poka zhiva ya mogu starat'sya na letu ne upast',  
>Ne razuchit'sya menchat'…<br>lyubit'…  
>…Beskonechnyj beg…<p>

Calling, Calling out!  
>For the Place of Knowing!<br>There's more than what can be linked!  
>Calling, Calling,<br>Never will I look away!  
>For what life has left for me.<p>

Yearning, Yearning, for what's left of loving!  
>Soboy ostat'sya dol'she…<br>Calling, Calling now,  
>Spirits I am calling!<br>Soboy ostat'sya dol'she…  
>Calling, Calling,<br>In the depths of longing!  
>Soboy ostat'sya dol'she…<p>

Mana du vortes,  
>mana du vortes<br>aeria gloris,  
>aeria gloris<br>Mana du vortes,  
>mana du vortes<br>aeria gloris,  
>aeria gloris!"<p>

*By the way, what's the singer's name? I don't know who she is.*

'That's Liz, you idiot.'

*No, the original singer.*


	30. Chapter 30

Rammu, didn't hear you come in. Greetings and welcome to 'Ask that Guy with the Glasses'.

**Wait, where's Operation: Hogwarts 20?**

I was recently kidnapped, tortured, poisoned with pure alcohol and I think a Feel Boss was involved. So, basically, I'm broken. Also, I've been busy, alright! Cut me some slack! Also, I'll be busier since I have to not only finish all my coursework in 3 weeks, but I have to beat Devil May Cry HD!

**Jesus, are you okay?**

Oh, perfectly. Now ask those questions before I get ß over here.

**Should we get different people to answer this?**

Yeah, sure.

**Okay… What killed the dinosaurs?**

res: Isn't it obvious? It wasn't a meteor as everyone thought, but the single most destructive force in the universe. Even more powerful than Chuck Norris, actually. That force is… Amerikrogan. Oh, yes, there's a krogan that was born in the US that is now serving the military as the real world version of Captain America. In fact, he's more powerful than Captain America, and much smarter. In fact, Captain America is his son. Now I know what you're thinking. 'How did Amerikrogan have a human son even though he doesn't have DNA that's compatible with human DNA?' Well, remember before the genophage, there's the whole 'krogan have a thousand kids' thing? He had sex with a woman and gave birth to the strongest human imaginable, his DNA is that strong. As is he. He's also able to bench press 100 tonnes, run indefinitely and as fast as a bullet train for a light jog, didn't take part in a civil war for frivolous reasons, slaughter everyone in the galaxy if he wanted to… wow, I got side-tracked. Anyway, he fell to earth during the last Reaper attack and was trapped in diamond until he was found by his adopted father. And who was that? The first president of the USA, George Washington.

Yes.

Ezio: Knowing the bizarre shit that res thinks of, I wouldn't doubt it if it was Sparda going through puberty. "HEY!" Oh, don't argue, you know it would be true. "Yeah, I suppose."

Liz: My grandfather, probably.

Apollo: Wait, there were dinosaurs on Earth? They're going to love Sargasso.

Raph: It was a meteor. Right?

Harry: Uwe Boll's draft for the Passion of the Christ.

Ron: I don't know.

Hermione: I agree with Raph.

ß: Why am I being asked? I agree with Hermione though… wait… I agree with Raph.

Luna: Orvus' first day of being in charge of the Great Clock. His father was apparently furious. For a Zoni. It's worse than you think. He got a pretty mild scolding.

**How much chuck could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?**

res: I don't know, ask the specialist, Amerikrogan. He was the last person to shag one.

Ezio: 42.

Liz: 50 metres.

Apollo: What's a woodchuck?

Raph: I don't know, I think it's a demon. Ask Sparda.

Harry: Ask Hagrid.

Ron: 2 tonnes.

Hermione: It's directly proportional to the weight of the woodchuck as well as the species. A Japanese woodchuck, for reference, can chuck their 1.35 x [Body weight]2. The European wood chuck, however, can chuck 2.98 x [Body weight]2, but is significantly smaller.

Luna: If the woodchuck's name is Maurice, then it can chuck all the wood he wants to. However, if its name is Frank, it can't chuck wood at all.

ß: Let me ask _you_ something. I am in a lot of pain and have to take 50ml of painkillers every Earth day so that I am not _crippled_ by pain. I was grabbed by one of your men and taken here with little to no information as to why I'm being asked stupid questions. So let me ask, when I was brought here, did you see a sign outside my cell that said, 'Information centre'?

**If a tree falls in the-**

ß: Did you see a sign that said, 'Information centre'?

**Well, no.**

ß: Do you know why it isn't there?

…**Why…?**

ß: Because it ain't f***ing there, that's why!

**If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?**

res: …How did you know where I live?

Ezio: Yes, it does. It cries, because… it's lonely… and nobody likes him.

Liz: I don't know, but I think the woodchuck screams in pain.

Apollo: I think you should ask someone who knows physics.

Raph: I don't know, let's find out. ***Devil Trigger, then walk away***

Harry: …

Ron: Piss off Ginny and find out for yourself.

Hermione: Well, it depends on what your definition of 'no-one' is. If you mean 'No people', then no, it doesn't make a sound. However, there is a whole menagerie of potential listeners, the birds, the badgers, the insects… and even then, sound is in fact just energy travelling through air, the energy coming from tree hitting the ground causing this reaction. So, in answer to your question… **OF COURSE IT MAKES A SOUND, DIPSHIT**!

ß: Didn't I tell you to f*** off? Do I have to use my powers?

Luna: Let me ask the Zoni. *Leaves* … … … *Returns* Well, in answer to your question, *Faints*

**Can you tell me how to get back on the freeway?**

res: With your car, dumbass.

Ezio: Take a left, then follow the road. If you see Belfast zoo, you're heading up to Derry, but if you see the Titanic quarter you went too far.

Liz: Google it.

Apollo: Sure, for a Klondike bar.

Raph: I can throw you if you want.

Harry: Sure, get on my broom.

Ron: Don't ask me, I hardly use the highway.

Hermione: Well, it depends on what road you're on, what the nearest town is, what country you live in, but I'd recommend asking a local person, or using GPS.

ß: I can teleport you there if you want.

Luna: Just hold out your left foot and you will be carried to the highway by the nargles.

**What would you do for a Klondike bar?**

res: I'd ask Amerikrogan's daughter out on a date then keep her out past curfew. Did I mention Captain America was actually a woman? By the way, I hate Klondike bars. That, or let someone pick Ezio's next species and power. First come, first serve.

Ezio: Admit that I'm a brony. ... ... ... ... ... SHIT! "Hey, Ezio?" What! "What's a Klondike bar!" It's like a flat, square choc ice that comes in flavours! *Hit with a Klondike bar.* Wait, what did res just say?

Liz: I'd kill myself for a Klondike bar. Hey, I can actually do it. It's expected. Hey, Ezio! "What!" What's a Klondike bar! "It's like a flat, square choc ice!" Ooh…

Apollo: Play God Hand in one sitting while running on a treadmill, without dying once.

Raph: Courtney Love.

Harry: Umbridge.

Ron: Feel Boss.

Hermione: I'd buy it.

ß: You have one, don't you? Well, now the question becomes… what I will do to you to get the Klondike bar, that YOU'VE BEEN TAUNTING ME WITH!

Luna: Things that are frowned upon by modern society.

**Do you have any aliases?**

res: residentidiot, res20stupid, [**Redacted**], but call me that and I go Saint Patrick on your ass. Oh, and while I use res20stupid for PSN, you're not allowed to add me unless I agree to it, okay? (^_^)

Ezio: I share a SEN account with res, so… res20stupid.

Liz: Cock juggling thunderc***, mainly by my ex-boyfriend, Liz, my full name, Elizabeth, Sweet Flower by my grandfather, Fox-Tail in the World.

Ezio: Sweet Flower? ***SMACK*** (O_o)

Apollo: Cheshire, Apollo Azimuth but that's mainly by the Boss, Furry by my step-dad, and one more that… I don't like. :(

Raph: Raph, that's about it.

Harry: I have a book series, right? I could take my aliases from the wiki.

Ron: Weasel, but mostly antagonistically, as well as Cal by Naoto for some reason.

Hermione: Insufferable Know-It-All by Snape, Mafalda Hopkirk and Harry Potter while under the effects of PolyJuice potion, Penelope Clearwater, Bellatrix Lestrange, again, Polyjuice potion, as well as something… vulgar.

ß: Laguna, Zidane, Shadow, Cloud, Tallulah as part of a bet as well as Alister Azimuth. It was awkward meeting him after that.

Luna: Loony Lovegood, madwoman and, while under the effects of a Polyjuice potion, Hung Lo. Yes. *Does that weird eye thing that gives me nightmares*

**Soup or Salad?**

res: Prawn Cocktail.

Ezio: I have to see what the soup of the day is, and if they serve Caesar salad, with chicken and bits of bacon…

Liz: Salad.

Apollo: I have to choose? I always take what I can get. … *SWIPE*

Raph: Chowder. Have you ever had good fish chowder with mussels from Dundrum bay, fresh fish…? Delicious… You could use the local ingredients to make a similar recipe.

Harry: Soup.

Ron: Soup or salad? I don't know… Soup, but only if it's really thick! With wheaten bread!

Hermione: Salad, with slices of wheaten with a nice low fat spread as a side.

ß: Do not taunt me! GIVE ME THE F***ING FOOD! I'M STARVING!

Luna: Did you say Super Salad? I love that superhero, he's one of my favourites. 'v'

**Where do you get your information from?**

res: Well, isn't it obvious? I'm pulling so many ass-pulls, so I must be getting my information from my ass. And that's where I do get my information. From my ass. In fact, let's see what wonderful thing I can pull from my asshole today. *Pop* A Hummel figurine. How delightful. Oh, and TV tropes and various wikis if I haven't seen, read or played a particular series.

Ezio: The internet, various files and information brokers. I also speak to my relatives on my mother's side if possible. That, and telepathy.

Liz: Scrolls, but if I need information from a particular person who's un-cooperative… I speak with my uncle.

Apollo: I use Azimuth's contacts.

Raph: I let Ezio handle that, but mostly Google.

Harry: Hermione.

Ron: Hermione.

Hermione: The library.

ß: I can just read their mind, but if they're a biotic, I can still force my powers and torture them as a last resort.

Luna: I just confuse the information out of them.

**Is this a hot picture?**

res: What is?

*Naked picture of Miranda Lawson shown*

res, Ezio, Apollo, Raph, Ginny, Harry, Ron and ß: WHOA!

Liz, Hermione and Luna: Men.

**When is your birthday?**

res: 10th of May… wait, that's today! ***HAPPY BIRTHDAY***

Ezio: 16th of April.

Liz: 13th of November.

Apollo: … 25th of December…

Ezio: Merry Christmas!

Apollo: Shut. It.

Raph: 24th of August.

Harry: 31st of August.

Ron: 1st of March.

Hermione: 19th of September.

ß: I share it with my kid, believe it or not.

Luna: Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne. For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne. We'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne. … Wait, who are you, anyway?

**Help! Ninjas are at my front lawn! What should I do?**

res: Isn't it obvious? Call the police! Better yet, call Jack Sparrow to act as a distraction.

?: Captain Jack Sparrow.

res: _JOHNNY DEPP!_

Ezio: That's a very good question. Have you thought about inviting them in? I mean, not all ninjas want to go out of their way to kill you. Most ninjas are very friendly, and sexually active as well. They probably want to break in and have sex with you. But don't worry, because it turns out that the majority of ninjas are women. I know they appear to look like men but they're really not. It's all part of the ninja mystic, making you believe that they are actually something else. But the population of ninjas is 90% women, 5% men, 5%... you don't want to know. So just pray to God that they're female ninjas. Or even male ninjas. BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE THIRD ONE IS! And if it is the third one… let's just say your crotch will never be the same colour again.

Liz: Oh, god… EZIO!

Apollo: Don't worry, I'll be there in a second. *Teleports out*

Raph: Hide under the bed. It's so cliché that they never look down there.

Harry: What's a ninja?

Ron: Just stand under an invisibility cloak, they'll never notice.

Hermione: It depends on who your ninja is, so let's find out using the 5 W's. **Who** is the ninja that is outside your house, **what** are they doing there, **when** did they get there, **where** is he or she from, and **why** are ninjas chasing after you! Seriously, why? Did you piss off a ninja clan? Did someone hire them to silence you? Or are they there to make love with you? Do you know how high the numbers of rapes committed by ninjas are? It was especially high when Iwa-nin were involved before they started losing clients. Hell, two people they were supposed to **protect** left for god knows where because they were so disgusted at their comrades' behaviour to non-Shinobi. Cheeky bastard of a Tsuchikage actually said he was glad they were gone, can you believe it? I do NOT endorse Iwagakure, and neither should you. Instead, if you need a ninja, go to Kohonagakure, their ninjas are more professional. And hot. I've seen Kakashi without the mask, it is gorgeous indeed. Oh, and ask them if they can negotiate to spare you for all the money and possessions you own. Hey, your insurance will pay out, right?

ß: Just say this name… *Scribbles something down* …and they will run screaming. Trust me.

Luna: Shoot them. They're not even real ninjas if you can see them, so grab a gun and shoot. They'll run off, scared.

**Are you gay?**

res: No. I'm Irish. *Pop* A cookie? The darndest things… *nom nom*

Ezio: No.

Liz: No. But I kissed a girl and I liked it. The taste of her sweet cherry chopstick… Believe it or not, it was actually Katy Perry.

Apollo: I'm bisexual, but I don't like to flaunt it.

Raph: I'm bisexual, but I don't like to flaunt it. … Ouch, déjà vu.

Harry: I hope not. I don't want my uncle and aunt to find out, at least.

Ron: No.

Hermione: Nope.

ß: You've been speaking to my first ex, haven't you? Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I NEVER agreed to go to that nightclub, it was my brother's idea, and that Agorian overstepped his boundaries. When he tried to hit on me after I got my powers… it wasn't pretty. I'm deeply ashamed that I lashed out like that, but I was delirious since it was the first time I broke out after my imprisonment.

Luna: No, but that doesn't stop me from doing things for a Klondike bar.

This is res20stupid saying, thank you to everyone who supported this story, and there's no such thing as a stupid question, until YOU ask it. ('-')O*

*'By the way, that means he's offering you a cookie. I swear I bought these, he didn't pull these out of his ass! Wait, who the hell asked those questions, anyway?'


	31. Operation Hogwarts 20: Soul

[Sorry that this is so late, I've been swamped by coursework]

I'M OUT OF THE HOSPITAL!

'In case you didn't get the message, res was put in the hospital recently by Rudolph Lestrange. What we did to him in retaliation was… unspeakable, and Rudolph won't be appearing in this story.'

Isn't it Rudolph**us**?

'Like I care.'

What did you do, anyway?

'We… set ß on him…'

O_o … Oh, sweet Jesus… Anyway, apologies if the omake was unexpected because I posted chapter 28 on April Fool's Day and didn't realise it so I used my birthday instead. And I also want to thank Tonks for writing the last chapter for me.

First, can you spot a much hidden piece of trivia in the next story about the sixth Potter story? It's pretty black and offensive, so I apologise in advance. Also, I spotted the stupidest mistake while reading over my story. I accidentally gave Liz 2 surnames, Richards and Matthews, and I'll fix it ASAP. Oh, and I've started posting this story on deviantART, making some minor edits and linking to songs that play for that scene. For example, there's now a scene in Chapter 5 where Liz and Raphael are watching USTV and deciphering the actual dialog compared to what the anchor is saying. However, you need a deviantART account with an age of at least 17 to view it due to mature themes. Although… I have to ask…

'Yes?'

**WHO** ATE ALL MY CHOCOLATE! **WHERE'S** MY PEPSI! AND **WHYYY** IS THERE AN EMPTY **ABSINTHE BOTTLE** IN MY **F***ING** TRASH CAN! DO YOU **KNOW** HOW EXPENSIVE THIS crap IS!

'Oh, just right the bloody chapter.'

* * *

><p>"You know, I've only had my powers for a month, and you have me in the unconscious mind of a demon-possessed kid?" Ezio asked Sparda, telepathically as he looked around in Kyon's soul. "Seriously, if I die, I'm haunting your ass."<p>

"This isn't his mind," Sparda said as his voice echoed through Ezio's head. "This is his soul's landscape, a foundation that is formed by the memories of the human mind. When a human dies, their soul leaves the body and wanders around here for the rest of eternity, with the memories that the soul lives through being based around whether they are sent to Heaven or Hell, with angels and demons being born from those memories and off-shooting into a separate consciousness."

"What memory were you born from?" Ezio asked, as he looked at his hand and jumped back a bit.

"Angels and Demons are closer to their birth memory when they are younger," Sparda said, calmly. "I hardly remember what memory I was born from. Is something the matter?"

"My skin keeps changing," Ezio said, calmly. "And you said that I shouldn't be able to feel anything since this isn't my 'landscape', but I feel a small breeze in here."

"Something's seriously wrong," Sparda said, quickly. "Just… find Kyon and find out what memory is anchoring him here. When you find it, it will take the form of a demon, especially since malice is informed. Defeat if and then Kyon should begin to wake up."

Ezio jumped at a distant scream in the distance, and without thinking, ran outward from the building he was in. Jumping down the staircase and looking at a nearby gate, he saw the origin of the scream. "Haruhi!" He called out, as he ran forward, instinctively reaching for a katana that wasn't there. Cursing, he ran up a nearby wall and jumped over it, getting in the way of the attack and kicking the demon away. "Are you okay? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I don't know," Haruhi said, gripping a book she was holding. "The last thing I knew before waking up here, I was standing before a demon that we killed but… I found myself in our clubroom… how did I get back home?"

"This is Kyon's soul," Ezio said, as the demons began to wonder around us. "He passed out and I came in to wake him up. I'm more concerned why you're here." Ezio then winced as he held his stomach. "They got a hit on me. Got any ideas?"

"Hold on," Haruhi said as she opened her book and began to read it. As she did so, she held her hands out and held them in position with her index and middle fingers on each hand while holding her left hand up higher and wrapped her ring, pinky finger and thumb to wrap around the index and middle on the other hand, while using her other fingers to wrap around her left wrist. She them quickly muttered something before holding her hand to Ezio's body, causing the wound to heal. "How does that make you feel?"

"Good," Ezio said as he began to flex. "Okay, what other tricks does that book have?" As he said that, a demon lunged at him before Ezio kicked him out of the air with a stomp to the face, causing it to change into a red mist and fly off. "Sven, where did it go?"

"It doesn't matter, just fight the demons and defeat them," Sparda said, as Ezio assumed a battle stance. Without thinking, Ezio used telekinesis to lift one demon up and slam in into the ground, head first as Haruhi struck the demon with the book she had, causing a bright flash to form with each strike as Ezio took on the last of the demons. He was momentarily stunned by a strike to the stomach, and he was taken aback when he felt himself transform into a different form.

"Wait, Ezio-"

"Not a good time," Ezio said, before Haruhi did that strange hand gesture again and used another effect, this time causing a light to form around the demon and launch it back as Ezio got his bearings and realised he was turned into a Lombax. Taking a minute, long enough for the demon to stand up, Ezio extended his hand and sent lightning forward at the demon, defeating it. Taking a minute, Ezio then turned back into a human as he looked around. "So, this… is your school?"

"That's not the most important thing right now," Haruhi shouted.

"OF COURSE it's the most important thing right now," Ezio shouted back at her. "Sven said that Kyon's on the brink of death at the minute because he's the reincarnation of the guy who the first two Shadow Hearts games are based off. However, he also reincarnated with all of the demons that Yuri Hyuga killed and sealed inside of him. When you IDIOTS ran off and fought a demon without telling anyone else and he got scratched and poisoned with pure demonic energy, a powerful god of destruction called Amon tried to get out. Now, since that Malice wasn't part of a demon, it's wondering around here and has latched onto a bad memory and is turning it into a demon. If we don't destroy that memory, it will tear him apart from the inside. Now hurry up and help me find Kyon and keep him safe before anymore demons attack him. Now, we need to know of some positive memories, so please tell me what we can use to find him."

"How did you transform like that?" Haruhi asked.

"HARUHI!"

"You can fight in different forms," Haruhi said. "And you have different powers. I can't use Lady Luck in here, but I can use this book."

"… That's a bible," Ezio said.

"A holy text that doubles as a bible and a guide to basic white magic," Haruhi said, holding the book open. "I can focus on exorcising the demons while you fight them up-close with your powers. Although, why is your skin constantly changing?"

"Yeah, I noticed," Ezio said, as he poked his right arm at a metal carapace and transformed into a turian without thinking. "Well, unless I get a gun, this form is useless, but the ability to see pressure points is useful. Got an idea of where to go?"

"Sure," Haruhi said, pointing at a nearby miasma. "That was never here before, and it could lead to Kyon."

"Don't you think it's a bad idea to walk into a random warp hole?" Ezio asked. "It could lead anywhere, remember?"

"It leads to a graveyard," Haruhi said as she walked through. "There are cherry blossoms blooming. It's gorgeous." She ran onward as Ezio muttered a curse and ran after her. "So, where do we go?"

"How about away from that demon?" Ezio said, as it lunged at Haruhi and kicked her into an open grave, before she disappeared in a flash of blue light. "Haruhi!" The demon then struck Ezio and sent him flying, leaving him gasping for breath as he began to lose consciousness. However, he felt something send the demon away before he closed his eyes as he sat up in the bed, holding an injury that wasn't there as Sparda helped him stand up. "Well, that went badly." _No crap, Sherlock._ Ezio just opened his eyes in shock at the sudden, unexplained voice in his head.

"You shouldn't run on while exploring a soul," Sparda said with a smile. "You do know that, don't you?"

"Don't blame me, Haruhi ran off ahead, not me," Ezio said as he began to stand up, before the pain began to subside. "crap, she ran straight into a boss fight and we got curb-stomped." Ezio, however, began to look around as he saw Haruhi beginning to wake up, as she clutched her stomach in agony before coughing heavily. "You deserve it, baka."

"When you want to head back in, let me know," Sparda said. "You need to rest, especially since it could have damaged your psyche."

"… How?" Ezio asked, worried.

"Voices, sightings, mood swings, the usual," Sparda said. "Although, you seem to be of quite sound mind, so I doubt it would cause any lasting damage." _Don't worry, it didn't._

"I'm hearing voices already," Ezio stated as Miranda walked into the classroom they were held up. "But oddly enough, I don't recognize it."

"That… shouldn't normally happen," Sparda said, obviously worried. "Don't worry. I have a root hear that can calm the mind." As Sparda said that, he went and grabbed a nearby plant, Ezio gave a quick glimpse to Miranda and subliminally gave a look that said, 'Do you know anything about this?' However, the quick shrug from Miranda only worried Ezio as Sparda returned. "Didn't you try and use a weapon?"

"I didn't have my katana on me," Ezio replied. "It didn't show up in there when the demons attacked us."

"I didn't have my cards either," Haruhi said. "Luckily, I found- Aagh!"

"What?" Ezio asked quickly as Haruhi held up the book. "Wait, how did you take it out of there?"

"I don't know," Haruhi said as Sparda took a look at it. "I was still holding it when that demon attacked us, so it must have come out of Kyon's soul."

"Ooh," Ezio said, looking over the unconscious Kyon. "What other goodies do you have in the confines of your soul, Kyousuke?" _What the f***?_ 'Okay, who the hell is that?' _Oh, you don't know? I'm the guy who ripped that wizard's arm off at Saint Mungo's. _'WHAT!'

"Are you okay?" Sparda asked, as Ezio collapsed back onto the table. "Do you need to rest?"

"I need 3 cans of Guinness, 5 shots of absinthe and a Pepsi," Ezio said, quickly. _Don't overdo it._

"How many voices?" Miranda asked. Ezio held up one finger.

"I think it's another telepath, though, I'm not certain." Ezio said, with a sigh. "I'll head back in in a while, but how do I use my weapon?"

"I don't know," Sparda said. "You should be able to use a weapon in there, but if the demons inside are manipulating any internal 'rules', so to say, than they could try and make any exorcists defenceless. However, if you had any holy artefacts, like that bible, or any Devil Arms, then you should be fine."

"Devil Arms," Ezio repeated with a mischievous look in his eye. "Thank you for your professional insight and observation into this situation. Now I'm going to find Raphael and convince him to act as my Devil Arm."

"Wait, you know that, if you don't overpower him, you have to sell your soul to him, right?" Sparda said. "That means your soul ceases to exist."

"This is going to go badly," Haruhi said, calmly, toward Miranda. "Let's go watch!"

"You're grounded," Miranda said coolly, before walking out.

* * *

><p>"Well, at least you got another part of the castle safe, as well as some more students," Madame Pomphrey said as she poured a potion into Finn's wounds while using hot water to stop it from freezing. "How did you get stabbed through the arm, again?"<p>

"Ma…" Finn said, shell-shocked. "Ma… Ma…"

"What happened to him?" Madame Pomphrey asked Liz, who was healing a wound on Harry's leg. "You were inside with them, right?"

"What do you know about Hindu mythology?" Liz asked, as she was equally horrified. "We got into a boss fight with Crabbe and Goyle, Sr. We had to kill them because they were too corrupt. But, like their sons, they turned into a demon. Unfortunately… what do you know of Shiva and Pavrati?"

"… They didn't," Pomphrey said, dismayed.

"Finn was hit with a curse called Marin Karin by one half," Liz said. "In terms of a Japanese Role Playing Game, it induces the charm status effect. And he was cured at the **worst** possible time."

"I can remove the memory for him," Madame Pomphrey said, taking out her wand.

"Don't bother," Liz said as she finished her job. "Harry, take a break for a while, let someone else head in."

"Fine," Harry said as he walked away and Neville sat down.

"Conduits are naturally immune to four spells, the three unforgivable curses and the memory charm," Liz explained. "I could get Ezio to wipe his memories, if possible. Maybe order him to forget."

"Liz, can I speak to you?" Ezio asked, walking over. "When you're free, that is."

"Can you do a favour and wipe a memory of Finn's?" Liz asked. "You'll find out in a minute." Ezio stood forward and carefully looked at Finn, before walking off and boking into a nearby bush as Finn became more orientated. "I know, it's bad."

"What is?" Finn asked, confused.

"I just sealed off a memory that left you catatonic," Ezio said. "You'd better be grateful. Anyway, are you ready?" Miranda closely followed as Ezio pulled Liz, and eventually Raphael (Who was talking to Dante about something) and pulled them into a nearby classroom.

"So, what was that about another telepath's voice in your head?" Miranda asked, as soon as we had the door closed. "Did something happen when you tried to wake Kyon up?" _Damn, that's a fine ass_. 'Please, don't ogle the social worker.' _SHE'S a social worker? Are the others so hit?_ 'If you don't tell me who you are, then shut it.'

"Wait, what?" Raph asked me. "How long has he been in your head?" _A while._

"He won't elaborate," Ezio said, quickly. "Listen, jackass, why are you in my head?" _What, I can't find out who angered my old pal, Percy?_

"What the hell?" Miranda asked, shocked. "But… biotics are immune to Conduit Powers." _Not if they're powerful enough._

"What the f***?" Ezio asked, horrified. "You're… Subject ß?" _One and the same, kid. So, need a warning about what Percy plans to do next, or would you just like to hear a joke?_

"I saw Pulp Fiction, too," Liz said, mildly annoyed. "Don't bother with the Ketchup joke." _Alright, ruin my fun, it's not like I can hurt you or anything._ "Are you threatening us! Because I can easily shove this spear right up your-" _No, not at all…_

"What info do you have?" Raph asked, quickly. _You got Tachyon so upset that he actually started using tetramite poison for torturing dissidents._ "Anything we can use would be nice." _Oh. The next Tower Boss uses powerful fire and ice skills, and is weak to thunder spells. As for what Tachyon plans, there's a second wave coming to Earth. There's a secret over in Alaska that you can use to protect yourself. Oh, and the Cerberus woman..._

"Not anymore," Miranda said, quickly. _Why haven't you told the other girl that her father was an agent as well?_ "How did you…"

"What?" Liz asked, mortified. "My dad is part of Cerberus? Since when?"

"… He joined 25 years ago," Miranda said. "He was assigned to observe Ezio."

"The guy who was assigned to make sure I didn't do anything extremely stupid or died from my powers is the same guy that tried to kill me?" Ezio asked. "Wait, is this why he kept trying to get you off on someone else?"

"That son of a bitch!" Liz shouted. "Miranda, is he dead or alive, and if he's alive, where is he?"

"What do you plan on doing?" Raph asked, worried. _She has… connections…_ "Yakuza ties? Because we have Mafia ties." _Worse._

"Hey, what can you tell me about Liz's grandfather?" Ezio asked, worried. _Hahahaha… you're so… so… screwed…_ "Aw, crap…" _Don't worry, he's not going to kill you. Just hurt you, very badly._ "You're not helping." _Got to go, Percy wants to question me again. Name a movie for a reference._ "The Rocky Horror Picture Show!" _Good one._

"I have no idea where he is," Miranda said. "After we let him get arrested, we got another agent in place."

"Who?" Raph asked, turning into a demon in the process.

"I… don't know, I wasn't informed," Miranda said, backing off, before the door barged open as Kasumi and Keiji rushed in, not noticing us.

"Where is it?" Kasumi asked, holding Keiji to the wall.

"Oh, come on," Keiji complained as he looked at her. "You can't put me on the spot like this, can you?"

"Do you want back in these?" Kasumi said, pointing at the lower end of her torso, before they turned over towards us. "How long… have you been there?"

"I think it was slightly too long," Ezio said. "What are you talking about?"

"The Room of Requirement," Kasumi said. "I want to know where it is, but he wants me to find it myself. Now, where. Is. It?"

"I can't just tell you," Keiji said, sheepishly. "As a thief, you have to figure it out your-" he tried to say, before red claw struck the wall, causing him to wince in fear. "SEVENTH FLOOR! ACROSS FROM THE PICTURE OF THE BALLET DANCING TROLLS! DON'T HURT ME!"

"I am not becoming your whipping boy, no matter how strong your punches are," Ezio said, deadpan. "Wait, can you even do that?"

"Learning how to control it is a rite of passage for the Takibanas," Liz said. "And by the way, only if you cheat on me, unless there's a really good reason." Kasumi then pulled a whimpering Keiji out of the room as Liz began to walk out, followed by Miranda then Raph.

"Hold on, I need to talk to you, Raph," Ezio said, as his brother closed the door. "I need a specific type of weapon in order to fight inside Kyon's soul, and-"

"You want me to act as a Devil Arm?" Raph asked, before Ezio could finish, which caused Ezio to nod enthusiastically. "I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why not?" Ezio complained.

"Because if I do so willingly, it's a demonic contract and I eat your soul afterword," Raph said. "And there's no way I'd turn into your Devil Arm by being- Ooph!" Ezio jumped Raphael, as he began to punch his brother repeatedly. "What are you doing!"

"What does it look like?" Ezio said, as he punched Raph in the face. "I'm getting a Devil Arm."

"Jesus Christ," Raph said, as he grabbed Ezio's fist in his hand. "THIS IS RIDICULOUS!"

"I WANT A DEVIL ARM!" Ezio bellowed in his face, as he began to knee Raphael in the balls. "SUBMIT!"

"NO!" Raph said, before Ezio kept kicking, causing a serious amount of pain.

"**SUBMIT!**"

"**ALRIGHT!**" Raph bellowed, before he disappeared, leaving a large broadsword behind. Ezio, grinning wildly, picked up the blade and swung it around. It was as long as Ezio's body, with a long, straight blade that had a single jagged point at the end, with a design along the middle of the blade in the basic form of Raphael's demon tails in a design that also appeared on the hilt and handle. The hilt, oddly enough, also formed a ring that extended to the end of the handle as a hand guard, while the handle was wrapped in leather. The handle also had horned skulls on either side.

"It's lighter than I thought, albeit quite slow," Ezio said to himself, before holding a chair in the air and slashing the weapon across it, before dropping the sword and balancing on his foot, then kicking it into the air with the intention to catch it, if it hadn't disappeared in the middle of the toss. "What?"

The sudden impact Ezio felt from behind sent Ezio flying towards a nearby wall. Flying outside of the castle, he landed in a clearing at the back of the castle before he lifted himself up and clenched his aching back. "I'll act as your Devil Arm, but I'll kick your ass if you do that again!" Raph shouted as he landed next to his brother. "Do I make myself clear!"

"I... think you shattered my back," Ezio said, weakly. "I… I can't breathe."

"You're lucky that you're dating Liz," Raph said as he lifted Ezio up and carried him over to the medical area.

* * *

><p>"So, this is the third dorm," Kasumi said, as she readied her wand and her gun. "We have Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Now all we need to do is defeat whatever is on this floor and crack the puzzle. Although I must say, I hope it isn't as bad as the last boss fight."<p>

"Let's just see what we have to fight," Tonks said, taking out her wand, while Miranda equipped her gun, Cho fanned herself with her blade and Fleur flicked some blood off of her knife. "Okay, Chick Brigade, let's go!"

"I can't believe you said that," Miranda said as the four ladies ran into the next room and then stopped in front of a Death Eater, an old man who was dressed in a full uniform. "Who might you be?"

"The name's Yaxley," The Death Eater said, as Malice immediately pulled into his body. "Leave now and let the Dark Lord finish his ritual, or be destroyed by ultimate magic."

"Ultimate magic?" Tonks snickered. "The last two guys turned into a deformed hermaphrodite, and that's ultimate power? Thank god it killed them."

"You dare mock the teachings of the Dark Lord?" Yaxley asked, angrily.

"No," Cho said as she stood forward, with her fan folded. "I'm mocking you for following such stupid advice," She said, flicking her fan out and holding it up above her head as she held her free hand outward, while holding her wand. "Stand down before we kick your ass."

"So, those idiots attempted fusion?" Yaxley said with a slight sadistic grin on his face. "Well, let's see you fight a foe that isn't insane." As he said that, the Malice was released as he began to mutate into a large creature, a double headed monster that was covered by flames and ice on each head. "Let's see how you do against me, then." It then lunged at Cho who caught one of the monster's claws with her fan, before sending a stunner into the monster's chest as Kasumi kicked off of Cho's back and fired two stunners into Yaxley's faces as Fleur slipped through Cho's legs and shot a stunner into Yaxley's crotch, while Tonks sent four stunners into its shoulders and thighs, causing them to lock up, then Miranda took out another pistol and shot the monster in the chest to force it to back off and fall over, as it didn't have complete control over its form. "What the… hell…"

"Don't f*** with the Angels," Miranda said as the women posed before moving into position to keep attacking. They then ran around the demon and began to beat it senseless and attacking him with stun-guns, before it dissolved into an incredibly bruised human. "I didn't think it was that hard, actually, when the others described their fight."

"The other bosses combined to attack the other teams, didn't they?" Cho asked as she used a body-bind on Yaxley and then turned to the door. "They combined their strength to make themselves stronger, but that caused a serious issue as they went insane. Okay, let's see what the riddle is."

"What has 4 legs, 2 legs then 3 legs?" The eagle-shaped statue at the top of the door asked?

"Man," All of the women said before the door opened and the crew ran inside. As they got in, Cho began to faintly glow before she fazed away and returned.

"So, that's your power in work?" Miranda asked as Cho began to blush. "We solve the puzzle here and we can let you help the other Ravenclaw students."

"Cho?" a voice said as they entered the Common Room and ran over to them.

"Terry, are you okay?" she asked, before Terry grabbed her and held her in a tight hug. "I guess not."

"We were all scared," Terry said as he let go. "Professor Flitwick trapped a few of us in here, but they eventually petrified. I'm… I'm the only one left. But… how did you get out? Is there help? Why is Fleur Delacour here? Who are the others?"

"Oh, I should introduce us," Tonks said as she stepped forward. "I'm Tonks, I'm an Auror and a member of the Order of the Phoenix, a small team of specialists lead by ?Dumbledore. You know Fleur and Cho, the others are Miranda Lawson, a Muggle special agent from Australia and Kasumi Goto, an ICW Auror. I guess we should bring you up to speed as to what happened outside of Hogwarts. The students were evacuated here due to an alien invasion, the Death Eaters are single-handedly responsible for destroying the Statute of Secrecy all over the world after several high-profile attacks, people called Conduits are appearing who have strange powers and can focus to neutralise magic and have immunity to the Unforgivable Curses."

"Fleur and I are Conduits," Cho butted in, as she let Fleur walk through a chair which freaked Terry out enough to make him fall into another chair. "I can create pocket dimensions and speak to the dead. Harry Potter is also a Conduit, and he was almost murdered by corrupt Ministry of Magic officials."

"Not only that," Kasumi butted in, "Cornelius Fudge was murdered by a demon worshipper working for Voldemort while trying to summon the demon he worshipped, who joined our cause because he turned against his demonic brethren years ago-"

"I think…" Terry said as he held his hands up to cause the girls to stay quiet. "That this is so crazy that I have to see it to believe it." He then turned to a large metallic slab as he touched it. "This is some sort of seal. There's one in each dorm that causes the castle to turn into a giant tower when enough magic is gathered for the purpose of a ritual that… Have you ever heard of a Japanese monster called an Orochi?"

"It's a Japanese monster, considered an Eastern version of the Hydra, that grows up to 8 heads, a soft spot for pretty human girls and a taste for Sake," Kasumi said quickly. "They're officially classified as 5-X Beasts, but are quite intelligent and easy to reason with as they can speak the human tongue, but have trouble speaking anything other than Japanese."

"Wait, what was that about a 'soft spot for pretty human girls'?" Fleur asked as Miranda looked at the table.

"They don't do anything like THAT, Fleur," Kasumi said with a comforting smile. "They see human girls and develop soft crushes for them, and act like little dogs when they fawn over them. When girls reject them, they can be seen in specific places, completely crushed. But they're 5-X for a reason, because when someone angers them the results are not pretty."

"So, that's what Voldemort plans on doing?" Cho asked. "How do you… kill an Orichi?"

"Get its heads drunk then decapitate them, followed by blowing up the torso," Kasumi said as she took out a scroll. "Or, use one of these to bind the heads of a wizard who turned themselves into an Orochi in order to separate the magic and make it easier to kill them. Luckily, my clan's exorcism skills are perfect for this, as well as bindings."

"You're from a Japanese Pure-Blood family?" Terry asked, looking at her.

"No, I'm a Mudblood in a Japanese Shinobi family," Kasumi said to Terry's confusion. "I'm from a long line of ninja. Oddly enough, my cousin is a witch as well."

"Guys, it's another episode of Grey's Anatomy," Miranda said as she took out a mobile and sent a few texts. "Cho, go to the bottom of the castle and get Healer Pomphrey, Dr Gandor and Nurse Richards. They have to operate on this individual." As she finished, Cho disappeared in an instant in a cloud of blue butterflies.

"One, is Apollo really a doctor?" Tonks asked, confused. "Two, how did you know he was a doctor? And three, how do you know this requires surgery?"

"He has deep wounds on her torso and stomach, indicating stabbing and assault, as well as deep bruising that indicates that the patient is suffering from internal haemorrhaging," Miranda said. "As for how I know that Apollo is a doctor… I heard that he operated on Pansy Parkinson. What can you tell me about this boy, Terry?"

"His name is Marcus Belby," Cho said, looking at her sleeping classmate. "We share a few classes, joined in the same year. His uncle invented some sort of miracle potion, I don't know what."

"Damocles Belby invented the Wolfsbane potion," Terry interrupted as he stood up. "It's given to werewolves all over the world to stop them from going berserk when they transform."

"Well, that's nice to know," Miranda said with a smile. "How fast do you think it will take Cho to find them?"

"Not long," Fleur said as she carefully used her powers to remove Marcus' clothes. "Dumbledore asked her to pass messages around the camp throughout the day. She'll find them quickly."

"I can't believe that he did that," Liz's voice said before she appeared in the room next to Terry along with Apollo and Madame Pomphrey, causing Terry to stutter uncontrollably. "What a little jackass! When he's done with Kyon, I'm kicking Ezio's ass, healing him between beatings!"

"What did he do?" Miranda asked in an annoyed voice.

"He couldn't wield a weapon against the demons possessing Kyon, but then Sparda had the GENIUS idea to tell him that he could wield Devil Arms against them," Liz shouted, annoyed. "He then beat the crap out of Raphael by kicking him repeatedly in the nuts to force him to submit to his will."

"…" Miranda was speechless. "…If he turns into a large, bipedal, turtle-like creature with a hump on his back and starts picking fights, let me know immediately. You have my number."

"Can you put that aside and help me?" Apollo asked, annoyed as he teleported the tools next to the table. "Liz, I'm going to need your help to keep the patient alive. Poppy, what can you do?"

"I can use some magic to find the most crucial areas that need to be treated, while also using a potion to repair bones in an instant," Pomphrey said, calmly. "However, I wouldn't use the potion until he's awake. Cho, get some medics ready at the entrance to the maze to carry Marcus out of here, and take Terry with you, and anyone who has to leave."

"I've already taken Yaxley down and handed him to Shacklebolt and Moody," Cho said, seriously. "Ready to go?"

"Wait, Cho," Terry said as he stood up and walked over to her. "What about Professor Flitwick? Is he okay?"

"Don't worry," Cho said as Tonks and Fleur walked over and butterflies appeared around the group. "He's safe and resting." As she said that, the group disappeared with the butterflies as Apollo put a face-mask on and stood over the patient.

"Why haven't you left?" Apollo asked Kasumi and Miranda. "I can't have any distractions."

"I have a medical degree, and this is a-" Miranda tried to say.

"Fascinectomy?" Apollo asked, annoyed. "I'll be quick. Don't annoy me, please."

"I won't bother you," Miranda said as she took out a small defribulator. "Just in case, right?" As she was about to ask Kasumi, she was already sitting down, having somehow put a mechanical arm with a light at the end as well as several cameras which were connected to several screens.

"I really want to see," Kasumi said with a grin.

"Jesus," Apollo said, annoyed before he was handed a scalpel by Liz. "I'm beginning the operation." Apollo was distracted by the sudden blare of a stereo from behind him as Kasumi had the bright idea to have a soundtrack. "Seriously?"

"I thought the song would be appropriate," Kasumi said as she stopped the music. "In case you're wondering, the song is called 'Code Blue', by the way."

"Dammit," Apollo said as he made an incision. "I have to repair some cuts to his vital organs but he's bleeding too quickly. Hand me-"

"Drain, here you go," Miranda said while handing the small suction device to Apollo. "I'll prepare the artificial membrane and sutures for you. But… will this work on a human?"

"It uses a form of nanite technology to change the artificial DNA to match that of the patient," Apollo said, calmly. "It should apply easily, but I also need so keep it in place using medigel."

"I can close most of the wounds to heal him, but you have to stabilise his condition for me," Liz said as she walked over and started healing Marcus. "However, something is stopping me from completely healing him, so you have to… Is that a cookie?"

"I only have to apply two membranes, both on the same wounds," Apollo said as he removed the broken cookie and threw it away. "I've sutured the wound, applying artificial membrane. Medigel, please?" Madame Pomphrey handed him a jar of clear gel, which he then applied as Kasumi held out one hand with an Omnitool to scan the patient. "Membrane applied and secured, where's the rest of the damage?"

"I believe it's on the top of the liver," Madame Pomphrey said as Liz held her hands out.

"I think I can heal it, but it will take some- Aagh!"

"Liz, what's wrong?" Kasumi asked, walking over. "Are you okay?"

"I felt a sudden pain in my hands as I tried to heal him," Liz said as she looked at Marcus. "Wait, that bruising…"

"Ah, crap," Apollo said as he adjusted Marcus's clothing. "He's a Rosalia patient."

"What?" Madame Pomphrey asked.

"He's suffering from a virus that was bio-engineered in another galaxy," Apollo said, as he grabbed a syringe and injected it into a bruise. "I think this may take a while, hand me those sutures…"

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sparda asked as Ezio, Haruhi, Raph (In Devil Arm form next to Ezio), Vivi and Draco lied down on some tables, ready to enter Kyon's soul again. "It is dangerous… if you want me to go in instead-"<p>

"I'd rather get it over with," Ezio said, as he leant up. "But… why can't I take Itsuki or Nagato in? Wouldn't it be better off if they came two?"

"You need Haruhi's white magic as demons are weakest to it as well as healing, Raphael to fight the demons as they may be able to stop you using your conduit powers, Vivi and Draco to use magic and you have to act as a link between everyone else," Sparda said, counting the reasons on his fingers. "Unfortunately, Dante is busy helping Hagrid bury a large spider."

"Don't tell Ron, then," Ezio said, before lying down. "I've never tried pulling several people into my own mind, by the way. Sure, I've seen into someone's head using a fragment of their soul, but that's it…"

"A Horcrux?" Sparda asked, concerned. "Just stay calm and focus."

"Okay…" Ezio said, calmly, before everyone closed their eyes as Ezio focused. "Okay, did it work? … Oh, dammit…" Ezio got up quickly and looked around, not recognising the room. "Wait, where the hell am I?"

"I don't know," a voice said from behind. "From what I can see, this is a graveyard, a withered oak tree, some gravestones… hey, brass knuckles."

"ß?" Ezio asked, looking at a bizarre blur of white mist sitting on a grave. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Saving you," he said, as he jumped down. "The main demon in control here, trapping Kyon's soul… he expected you. When you came in, they immediately trapped you and your friends in here. Hell, you've been comatose for… how many hours are there in an Earth day?"

"24?" Ezio asked, hesitantly. "What about the others? Where are they?"

"I managed to awaken you only one room from Haruhi, but you have to kill the demon yourself, no Devil Arm, no powers, since you're using your telekinesis to stay here," ß explained. "But, I think I can help, even though I can't stay for much longer. Oh, and it was 30 minutes."

"Well, are you using your powers to hide your form from me?" Ezio asked. "You can drop it. I know you're a Lombax."

"What makes you so-"

"You were imprisoned and tortured for years as a 'Freedom Fighter', even though most oppressive dictators would just execute you publicly, he's taking out most of your hatred on one person because he can't kill the rest," Ezio explained. "Also, from hearing a chance conversation between a Polaris vendor who set up shop here, Lombaxes are the only race in that galaxy with 5 fingers," he said, pointing at his hand, before pointing at something else. "And, if you're going to invade someone's mind, just to let you know… you need to hide your tail, it's too obvious."

'ß' caught on instantly, looking at the mirage he was projecting, before the mirage began to fade. "Well… crap," he said, as he took on a form that Ezio guessed was his own body. "I guess you'd want to know my real name?"

"Let me guess," Ezio said, looking at the Lombax before him. He was quite short, when compared to Apollo who was taller than Ezio, who himself was 5'6, possibly under 5 foot. He was blonde, with brown stripes over his body as well as deep gashes and scars, as well as some bare skin. "Toby?"

"Why the hell did you come up with that?" ß asked as Ezio leant against a tombstone.

"An old neighbour's cat," Ezio said, smiling. "Evil little f***er, to tell you that. I swear it hated me. He probably had rabies, I don't know. He was killed when her drunken nephew messed around with a gun."

"Come on," ß said, as he suddenly appeared in front of Ezio with a soft smile. "I like you. But for that, I'm not telling you my real name. Call me Uzumat." He then walked over, tapping on the door at the other end. "You've got two options, kid, find your allies, wake them up then beat up most of the demons that are keeing Kyon's consciousness under. Or…"

"Skip the puzzles, go straight to the boss?" Ezio asked, grinning.

"Kyon is a reincarnation, and the person he's reincarnated from sealed most of the demons here," Uzumat said. "What I found out by reading minds of reincarnies is that the original consciousness is still in here. Find him, wake him up, and Kyon gets all of his skills and experience. Of course, he may act as a second personality, but that has to be seen later."

"So, wake Kyon up by giving him a split personality in order to wake him up?" Ezio asked, worried. "Won't that have, I don't know, side effects?"

"Actually, no," Uzumat said as he walked around. "Kyon's sanity is extremely resilient. In terms of the Shadow Hearts game, he has 99 sanity points at level 12. Anyway, find the one who is causing this and kick his ass." As he walked closer to Ezio, Ezio couldn't help but noticing something.

"Your eyes," Ezio said, quietly. "Your iris is green, but the pupil is a cat's eye, and the short part of the iris that is touching the pupil is-"

"Purple," he replied, before his eyes quickly flashed between purple and green. "I have Shadow Eyes, as well. Of course, if you have the power and you receive an injury to your eye, you can't completely turn off the power. Have I mentioned that being tortured left me nearly completely blind? I can't see colours and can only make out rough shapes."

"So, that's why it turned off after a while," Ezio said, feeling under his own eye. "So, how do I find the last incarnation?"

"There's a door on the opposite side that leads to Haruhi's door, but you should get her help," Uzumat said, before the image he was projecting began to fade. "Damn, someone's trying to wake me up. I'll try and contact you again, kid." His project image then disappeared, leaving Ezio in the graveyard by himself as he walked towards a nearby room.

"Hello?" Ezio said, sticking his head into the room to see a large spider and Haruhi, standing blank eyed in a magical seal. "Jesus, this is like Shadow Hearts… now, what enemy is that?" Ezio then took out a small phone and looked at it, flicking through a document he had saved on it. "Thank you, Jimmy… Let's see, Venomous Spider, a monster with 10 HP… that shouldn't be too hard. _Without a sound, the giant spider, its entire body covered with long, soft hair, approaches its enemy on legs thicker than a person's body. It injects a powerful, corrosive poison into the anus of its prey, and devours the meat once it has softened._ Well, that is disgusting." The demon then lunged at Ezio before he rolled out of the way as the demon tried to lunge a stinger forward, before Ezio punched the demon in the face several times, causing the demon to disappear as Haruhi began to move. "Are you awake?"

"I… what happened?" Haruhi asked.

"It was a trap," Ezio said. "Come on, we've got to find the others, and I don't have a weapon." As she re-oriented herself, she looked around. "The demon keeping you here is dead… or, dead-er… You were lucky that it didn't try and kill you, seeing how it eats its prey," he said, holding up his phone. "Come on, we should look for the others."

"Wait, what about that door?" Haruhi said, looking at a nearby door. "Should we try it?"

"Heading deeper and deeper into the dungeon," Ezio said as he walked towards the door. "Standard JRPG fare, actually." As Ezio and Haruhi walked through, Haruhi took out her bible and looked into it carefully, ready to read a spell to attack any demon that would attack, before suddenly looking into the centre of the room. "Kyon?"

"Wait, that was lucky, wasn't it?" Haruhi asked, looking at her friend, who was currently being held up by several thick branches, that appeared to keep him from moving. "Kyon, are you okay?"

"…How come I end up constantly feeling like crap…?" Kyon said weakly, as he managed to give a small smile. "So, where are we?"

"If you think that you're feeling like crap, you've obviously hadn't had some ass wipe try and throw you out of a hospital in the middle of eye surgery," Ezio said, smiling back at Kyon. "You were somehow trapped in your own soul, we're trying to wake you up."

"Then why are there so many damn demons around here?" Kyon asked, as he tried to move.

"Ever played Shadow Hearts 1 or 2?" Haruhi asked, as Kyon managed a slow nod. "You may be the reincarnation of the main character, Yuri Hyuga."

"Well, that explains it," Kyon said as Haruhi tried to break a branch off. "Wait, don't do it!"

"Why?" Haruhi asked, as she pulled a branch off. "We're trying to save you, right?" As she watched, the branch she just broke off began to wither into dust in her hand and reappear on the tree, only more jagged and digging into Kyon's side. "Well, that's bad… why the hell is this happening?"

"I don't think it's the Mistletoe curse, it applied to the body, not the soul," Ezio said, before he was unnerved by the sudden, evil laugh that filled the chamber. "What the hell…?"

"Whoever you are, let my friend go or I'll kick your ass!" Haruhi said, as she held her book up in an awesome manner. "I'll spank you with this book when I'll find you!"

"You are nothing more than a traitor to Nippon," the voice said as Haruhi began to barge towards it. "I shall punish all that get in my way!"

"You're Garan, right?" Ezio asked as he grabbed Haruhi. "You should know how reincarnation works. You're punishing an innocent kid for something he didn't do. Now, there's a saying, 'Sins of out fathers'. About how someone is punished for a sin committed by a forefather. But I think that idea is a load of bullcrap. So let Kyon go, or I'll trap you down in the deepest bowels of hell, no matter which demon you're contracted with."

"You think a mere mortal can defeat me?" the voice said, as he began to chuckle. "Well, I'll grant you one request, so I say to use it wisely." Ezio then quickly looked over at Haruhi, and then nodded, as Haruhi stepped forward, taking out a pen and held it to her arm.

"Where did you get that pillow?" Haruhi asked, in a calm and mocking voice. "I mean, did you get it at a store like Ikea or is it custom made?"

"I… will…"

"Yeah, yeah, say something useful or shut up, we don't have time for this," Ezio said, as he forcibly expelled the voice from the current room as it began to protest. "We're going to find out why you're trapped here, save our rescue squad and then kick his ass. Don't worry, Kyon, we'll get you out of here."

"Can you give me something to read?" Kyon asked, as Ezio took out a small book. "What's this?"

"Devil May Cry volume 4," Ezio said, as he opened up the book and put into one of Kyon's hands so that he could see it. "I've been reading it in my spare time, but it belongs to Kasumi so don't damage it."

"I really should buy this when I get back," Haruhi said, as she began to read it too, before Ezio grabbed her shirt and pulled her away. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

"I need a healer, Haruhi," Ezio said, leading her into another room. "Is she always this forceful?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Kyon said as the two walked through the door, leaving Kyon to his own devices.

* * *

><p>"That's the last time I help at a funeral," Dante said as he sat down at a table inside the Great Hall and looked up to the ceiling. "Hey… Hermione, wasn't it? How does that ceiling do that?"<p>

"Do what?" Hermione asked, as she continued to read a book she had.

"Change," Dante said, looking at the ceiling. "It just started changing there, right now."

"It's changing again?" Hermione said, as she closed her book and looked up. "That means that the magic that Voldemort pulled together is coming loose."

"You didn't answer my question," Dante said. "How does it change?"

"Magic," Hermione said.

"Not good enough," Dante replied. "Tell me how to do it."

"It's bewitched to look like the sky outside, but on certain occasions, the ceiling may be changed to match a particular theme," Hermione said, holding a book out to Dante. "Luckily, it doesn't rain inside. Although… it shouldn't show the sky at all, since it only works at night, while it's only noon. Why do you ask?"

"I have a few bars that I own and manage in the US, and I thought it would be an interesting trick, you know?" Dante said, taking a pair of binoculars and looking up at the ceiling. "And it is quite amazing, so I think I could enthral some customers in the bar. Of course, I guess that they wouldn't realise it at the time, since they would be drunk off their asses."

"I doubt it, since it requires a lot of magic to operate, so seeing this spell in effect is a sign that a particular area is a good indication that there is some sort of significance, or that the wizard behind it is very powerful," Hermione said. "So, unless you know a powerful wizard, or… Oh, wait, I forgot… Anyway, I don't know how to cast the spell, but I can look it up for you."

"Can you?" Dante asked, as Hermione let a screen appear in front of her. "Find it?"

"Here," Hermione said, as she turned the screen around. "It's a powerful ritual, so copy it down somewhere."

"I've got a camera phone," Dante said, as he took it out and took a picture, before reading over it on his phone. "Damn, it needs a wand… what are these symbols here?"

"Those are astrological symbols," Hermione said. "The circle with a cross facing downward is Venus, Earth is the circle with a cross in the middle, and Uranus is the circle with the arrow facing upward and the dot in the middle." Dante began to snicker when she heard that, to Hermione's confusion. "What's so funny? Why are you laughing?"

"Someone will tell you when you're older," Dante said, as he looked to his side. "Damn, here comes Umbitch and her lackey." As he said that, Hermione cancelled her screen and Dante leant up as Dolores Umbridge came in, followed by Percival Weasley. "Madame Umbridge, how can I help you?"

"There isn't anything that I can really ask you to do, other than help me locate Mr Blackfellow," Umbridge said, as she looked around. "Have you seen him?"

"I think he was buying potions off of the insane twins down stairs," Dante said, as he looked around. "But I'd be careful down there, since they kicked Snape out of his own lab and created, like, 5 explosions…"

"What?" Umbridge asked, before the angry potions master came over to the table, before grabbing a goblet that was on the table and drinking most of the contents. "Professor Snape, are you alright?"

"Those…" Snape muttered, as he downed another glass. "Ginger-haired, offensive, rude…" he paused, before taking another goblet. "Degenerate, disgusting, perverted, f***ing, impatient, mischievous little bastards!"

Everyone was shocked by this, as Snape began to storm off, before heading back down to the dungeon, muttering swears along the hall and passed Oswald who was carrying a few small bottles that he placed into several pockets over his outfit. "Well, on the plus side, it's much brighter down there," Oswald said, as he came over. "Sorry, those twins can make good potions. I got some really good ones for a bargain!"

"Sir, you mean that we have been looking for you in a dangerous environment, and you have been… buying potions from two children who may or may not have caused an explosion?" Percy asked, as he just stared on at the older man (as he had not yet realised that Oswald Blackfellow is a demon). "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"I'm a skilled duellist, and I'm only an Interim Minister of Magic," Oswald corrected him. "Also, they're your brothers, so you should know they're legally adults in both Muggle and Wizarding law. Also, where else would I get some highly potent potions for curing any injuries I receive from gardening?" Dante just snickered as he looked up at the ceiling. "You've obviously never tried to weed around a Fanged Geranium, have you?"

"No, not real-" Dante said, before taking out a pair of binoculars and looking at the ceiling. "Oh my god, I can see the International Space Station from here!"

"…The what?" Umbridge asked.

"It's an artificial, habitable satellite that orbits the Earth," Hermione said, as she grabbed the binoculars and looked upward. "I wonder if there are any people up there."

"They're probably dead," Dante said, with a shrug. "Although…"

"[Oh, Stalin's Ghost! There are aliens attacking Earth! Whatever shall we do, Boris!]"

"[I have no idea, Comrade! But we must do our best for Mother Russia!]"

"[Where is the vodka! We must preserve it as a historical artefact!]"

"[NO! Not the vodka!]"

"[We must, Boris! For the Glory of Mother Russ- Yuri…? Where's the vodka?]"

"[…I may have accidentally launched it into space…]"

"[Give me a knife! I must reclaim my honour like the Japanese!]

"A seppuku joke?" Hermione berated him. "A suicide joke!"

"You speak Russian as well?" Oswald asked, enthralled by the young women. "What's your name, again?"

"Hermione Granger," she said, with a smile. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I'm looking for an assistant," Oswald said, "and someone who can speak several languages is useful. How did you learn both Japanese and Russian at the same time?"

"Actually…" Hermione said, as she began to flinch. "It's actually a Conduit power. I can speak any language needed to speak to anyone or read a piece of text, as well as being able to search through documents to find a specific form of information. Besides, I can also find any item that someone is searching for. By the way, your watch is in Hogsmeade, you left it in the Hog's Head by the bar."

"…Is that where I left it?" He asked, before Apparating away and back again, this time holding a large, golden watch. "Wow, I had no idea I dropped it there. Thanks." He then nodded towards Umbridge and Percy, before Apparating away, before Umbridge turned to Hermione.

"So, are you able to find out anything, Miss Granger?" Umbridge asked.

"Well, I need to know what someone is searching for, and it takes some time if it's a large collection of records," Hermione asked. "Is there anything you need me to find?"

"Can you verify links between Muggleborns and the magical community?" She asked, obviously trying to perform a stealth insult.

"Of course," Hermione said, with a smile. "Perhaps I can also verify that you're purebred, such as the Queen's corgis." Percy started to snicker when he heard this. I guess he got the inbreed joke.

"Would you?" She asked, before she nodded to Percy, and Apparated away. When she was gone, Dante began to snicker, before it became a full-blown laugh.

"Oh god, that was so funny," he said, as he leant back down and looked back up at the ceiling. "I can't believe you gave her an insult after she insulted you, and she didn't catch it! I can't believe it!"

"I wanted her to notice," Hermione said, dejected. "But not to say anything… what the hell am I saying? She's so high on her horse that she would try and retaliate, and claim blood purity to get away with it."

"Nice inbreed joke! But… why did she insult you?"

"I'm a Muggleborn," Hermione said, as she sat down and opened her book again. "My parents don't have the ability to use magic, so I'm looked down on by purebloods, such as Dolores Umbridge or other pureblood families. In fact, the Death Eaters are made up mostly of people who believe themselves better than Muggles and anyone descended from them, as well as anyone that isn't completely descended from a human…" Hermione then hesitated, before carefully looking around, then leant closer to Dante. "Don't let her know that you're a half-breed, she'll try and destroy you politically. She hates half-breeds more than Muggleborns."

"Thanks for the tip," Dante said, as he continued to look upward. "Hey… there's a large ship flying past the ISS."

"Why is that important?" Hermione asked.

"It knocked the ISS out of orbit," Dante said, pointing upward. "It's a good thing that the escape pods were used, though. Where do you think they'll land?"

"Well, hopefully not near here," Hermione said. "They wouldn't appreciate meeting Dennis' girlfriend."

"Dennis?"

"Colin's brother," Hermione said, pointing at the smaller kid that just entered the room. "Colin's heading into fourth year, Dennis is second year, and his girlfriend is the giant squid."

"Hermione," Colin said to the older girl, obviously as respect to her, "We've secured Ravenclaw, and Harry wants your help, along with Miranda, Seamus and Finn."

"When does he need me?" Hermione asked, before a loud noise came from outside, followed by a gigantic splash. "What was that?" A soldier then came running in, speaking to his commander and Dumbledore, before being dismissed. "Why are they even here, anyway?"

"The Death Eaters stole a large amount of military grade hardware from bases all over the country, and even stole a railgun on loan from the US Navy," Dante replied. "It's too bad that the Royal Army don't have training against this kind of emergency. At least the US army has an exercise where they have to fend off zombies."

"Why would they need that?" Colin asked, confused. "And… why zombies…?"

"Zombies, dinosaurs, demons – in fact, my old friend actually led that exercise for them – cosmic horrors, mass hypnosis and golems," Dante explained. "Obviously, you've never been to Raccoon City."

"Actually..." Hermione spoke up before closing her mouth again.

"Hey, guys," Cho said, as she appeared in the Great Hall. "You won't believe this! Astronauts from the International Space Station just crashed in the lake, completely drunk, and are being man-handled by the Giant Squid!"

"I really should've made a bet about that," Dante said, sighing.

* * *

><p>"Well, we found them," Haruhi said, as the two of them entered another room and looked onward to see Draco and Vivi standing still in the room, as a demon stood in the middle of the room. "For some reason, I don't believe that the demon is going to attack us."<p>

"This story follows RPG rules in this arc," Ezio said, looking at the creature. "This arc is turn based, so the demon won't attack until we run into it, you know, like Chrono Trigger?"

"Oh," Haruhi said, as she looked at it. "It's pretty big, what kind of skills should we use?"

"Perhaps you can use me," a voice said, as Ezio ran over and picked up a sword.

"Raph, I am so glad to see you," Ezio said, picking up the broadsword. "Wait, if you're conscious, why didn't you try and save Draco and Vivi?"

"I can't turn into my human or demon forms here," he said, as he began to glow in Ezio's hands before transforming into a dual edged katana in one hand, and a large metallic arm guard and clawed glove in Ezio's other hand. "But perhaps it would be better if you just kicked some ass. Be careful though, that thing kicked Draco's ass instantly when he tried to fight him off. He's resistant to ice, by the way."

"Why didn't you turn into a katana earlier?" Ezio asked, confused. "I mean, a broadsword is cool, but-"

"Default Devil Arm form, probably," Raph said, through a skull on the hilt of the blade. "But I thought a katana would be better. I mean, can you even use a broadsword?"

"Yeah, good point," Ezio said as he stepped forward, drawing the demon's attention. "Haruhi, focus on healing when you're not attacking. Now, what do we do about him?"

"Simple," Haruhi said, before running over to Ezio and standing next to him with her bible, as a blue glow covered them. "When you're done with your attack, I'll go after you and deal extra damage."

"A combo attack," Ezio said, looking at her, "nice one."

"By the way, my limit gauge is filled, so should I activate my limit break as part of my combo?"

"Sure," Ezio said, before running forward and delivered two powerful slashes with his katana, before grabbing the demon with his clawed hand, which left a series of deep gashes, and throwing into the air. "Go!" Haruhi then began to glow red, before opening her bible and muttering some words before a large column of electricity shot upward, sending the demon higher up, before it slammed into the ground. "Hey, that did extra damage, so it must be an Earth Elemental."

"Oh yeah, lightning equals Wind in Shadow Hearts, and Earth and Wind are opposites," Ezio said, before looking confused. "Wouldn't lightning be a Light Element?"

"I don't know," Haruhi said, before the demon let out its counter attack of a magical attack that caused a pillar of Earth to launch Ezio into the air, but he was able to spin in the air and avoid hurting himself from the landing. "You must have an auto-ability to cancel damage from launch damage." Haruhi then cast a healing spell on Ezio, who ran forward and slashed the demon with his blade, before delivering a punch to the demon's face with the gauntlet, which had spikes on the fist. And were now covered in blood. "Ouch… poor bastard." The demon then used another earth spell, which Ezio easily dodged and countered, as he got into position again.

"Okay, do you know any air-based spells, or possibly Zio?" Ezio asked Haruhi.

"No, mostly light and healing spells," Haruhi said, looking through her book. "I'll set myself for another combo attack, though." As she got into position, Ezio thought about what to do, before looking at her. "I'm going to turn into a Lombax, since it gives me different powers. But it may mean I get more damage from his attacks, so you really have to focus on healing." With a quick nod from Haruhi, Ezio then transformed, as he felt the blade and gauntlet shift in his hand. He then looked down, to his confusion, as he was now holding two small blades and had armour plating, which was less thicker than the old gauntlet, with the two arm guards connected with armour plating. "Did you change to suit my form?"

"It was an automatic response," Raph said, before Ezio shrugged and channelled electricity through the blades as he landed a quick and devastating 5-hit combo that paralyzed the demon, before Haruhi started casting a spell that caused a white light to strike the demon, causing it to vanish. "Hey, they're waking up."

Ezio then turned back into a human as Draco and Vivi started moving again. "Where the hell am I?" Draco asked, looking around. "Is that a sakura tree outside? And a swimming pool? What the hell happened?"

"This is Kyon's soul," Haruhi said, "and this is our classroom."

"Demons were expecting us," Ezio said as Vivi walked over to Ezio and grabbed his leg, as Ezio put his hand on Vivi's head. "We know what we have to do. Kick Garan's ass!"

"Who's Garan?" Vivi asked, confused.

"It's… better if you see him," Ezio said, as he led the group out of the room.

* * *

><p>"Okay, is it just me or does it seem easier to fight the demons?" Miranda asked, raising her gun upward to make sure more demons and Shadows didn't appear around them.<p>

"That's level grinding, Miranda," Hermione said. "All of us share an EXP gauge, so if one of us gets the necessary EXP to level up, so does the entire team. We're here!"

"I'll open the door," Harry said, before running forward, only to be stopped by a large creature coming down from the ceiling outside the door. "Oh, come on!" He then jumped out of the way of a swipe from the demon that appeared to have a whip for an arm and a claw for another, with no mouth or eyes, just a nose and a pair of gigantic ears.

"Firing cryogenic shot," Miranda shouted, shooting off three bullets into the demon, causing it to freeze in place. "Seamus!"

"Let's have some fireworks!" He shouted, before taking out some grenades and throwing them at the demon. "I think it's weak to ice, but we should try everything."

"It is weak to ice," Nagato said as a screen appeared to the team. "Grenades use bash damage, so they don't activate the demon's healing powers. Focus on defeating it before it sets itself on fire and starts regenerating." It was then that the grenades all went off, launching the demon high into the air, as Harry took out his rifle and fired it at the demon, juggling him in the air.

"Finn," Hermione shouted, as she began to summon her Eidolon, before he caused a white mist to form around him and formed it into spikes which shot outward at the demon and caused it to go limp on the floor, but it wasn't exactly defeated. "I still need more time, keep distracting it!"

"That isn't a foreseeable option," Finn said as the demon stood up and sent two fireballs to the back of its body, as they began to envelop him. "What the hell is this thing!"

"The Balrog," Hermione said, as the glyphs were almost finished. "I need someone to cover me, I still need time." The Balrog then lunged at Miranda, who dodged the attack but still had some of her hair burned off.

"This hairdo was part of my last assignment," Miranda said, deflated. "It cost £2,000! You'll die for that, bitch!" She then took out her gun then went over near Harry. "Get it into position for me to kick its ass!"

"I want to be part of the combo!" Seamus shouted as he also ran over, followed by Finn. "Hey, Finn, can you charm my grenades?"

"Where did you get those?" he asked, worried.

"Stole them from a soldier," he said, as Finn charmed the grenades. "Come on Harry, we can't attack until you've had your turn!"

"Why can't we get the older ones in the party," Harry said, before taking out his SMGs and slashing the Balrog with them, before firing bullets into his body, as Miranda fired off more cryo shots to stun it, as Seamus threw out his grenades and Finn, screaming a line from a specific movie that shall go unrepeated [^YOU SHALL NOT PASS!^] … f*** you, Uzumat, then caused a block of ice to form around the demon as the grenades went off, causing the Balrog's flames to die down and caused it to go limp on the floor. "Seriously, why is he weaker than the other bosses?"

"They're all the same level," Miranda said. "They're not getting weaker, we're getting stronger."

"I'll kill it now," Hermione shouted, before summoning her Eidolon as Lamperough came down on the Balrog, causing ice spikes to skewer the demon as his fist connected with the Balrog's body, and the demon dissolved into nothingness as everyone watched the ice giant fade away, before Harry and Seamus run towards the door and tried to open it. As for Hermione… "You spent £2,000 on a goddamn hairdo?"

"The hairdo was part of my cover to get close to an arms dealer who tried to steal a highly advanced weapon from the US Navy and use it to rebuild the Soviet Union," Miranda said. "The weapon was destroyed, but at least it's out of the hands of a pure madman."

"We're in," Seamus said, as everyone ran inside. "Well, the only thing that's different is… all the floating jewels and a light beam…"

"I think I know what kind of puzzle this is," Seamus said, as he grabbed a random gem and moved it, discovering a fixed axis. "There's a statue over there with another crystal inside it… if we shine the light into it, we solve the puzzle." He then moved the first crystal that the light was protruding from, as he looked around the room. "Give me 15 minutes, and I'll have this puzzle solved…"

"I'll help," Hermione said, as she looked around and started playing with the gems. "This will take a while, so just stay around here."

"So… what do we do?" Finn asked, as Harry started to walk away. "Just sit here?"

"This is the dorm that Hermione, Seamus and I use," Harry said from the staircase. "I find all the statues unsettling, but I really want to find my bed and get some sleep."

* * *

><p>"Well, we can't find Garan," Draco said as the group entered the Tree Room. "In fact, what does this 'Garan' look like, anyway?"<p>

"A really ugly baby in a furisode, riding on a floating pillow," Haruhi said, as she walked up to Kyon, who was still trapped in the tree. "Are you okay, Kyon?"

"Yeah, I think I know where Garan is, though," Kyon said, as he gestured over towards a tear in space. "I think he's in there, but the demons are much stronger."

"Thanks for the instructions," Ezio asked, as the team walked over towards it. "Okay, first rule, we stick together from now on."

"Okay!" Everyone said, as we passed through.

"Okay," Haruhi said, looking around. "Where is this?"

"I think this is Domremy," Ezio said, looking at his phone. "Listen, if you get attacked by toys, a simple combo should kill them, as they have low HP." And then, they were attacked by 12 rolling duck toys. "Okay, let's handle this quickly."

"Fire," Vivi shouted, sending out a fireball at one toy, which exploded and set two other dolls on fire. Draco, however, put his fists to good use and punched a few dolls away, destroying them instantly, while Haruhi batted others away, destroying two of them as Ezio took his katana and slashed four of the dolls as they jumped at Vivi and him, protecting Vivi who sent out more fireballs. Draco kicked one into a nearby wall as Haruhi sent out an orb of light, striking and destroying 3 dolls. Finally, Draco kicked another doll and destroyed it, as Vivi summoned more the rest with a large fireball.

"Is everyone alright?" Draco asked, looking around.

"I have a minor bruise, so I'll live," Ezio said. "Vivi, what about you?"

"I hurt my knee," Vivi said, close to crying. Haruhi, however, simply walked over and healed his knee, kissing it better. "Thank you."

"I love this kid," Ezio said to Draco. "He can turn from a sweet kid in one minute and then devastatingly offensive the next. Okay, we should try and head to the church for now, then we'll scope the entire town and the nearby woods. Everyone, stay close, all the monsters here are at most level 5, but we may run into a boss if we're not careful."

"What is this nonsense about levels!" Draco asked. "Is this a Muggle thing? And why the church?"

"We're following the rules of a Muggle video game genre called a Role Playing Game," Haruhi said. "When referring to levels, we mean a specific amount of skill that a character or monster has, which is used to determine how strong that monster is. For example, a level 2 monster is stronger than a level 1 monster because it has slightly more HP and attack power and skills, meaning that they're more dangerous. However, as a benefit of fighting them, the enemies give out more bonuses such as more money or items that could be used at a later time."

"Okay, but-"

"See that large tree growing out of that building?" Ezio asked as he pointed at a ruined building. "It's the same as the one that's keeping Kyon tied up."

"So, what kind of monster do you expect us to fight there?"

"Ugly baby," Haruhi said, before we headed out. "Crap, more toys… is that a… a dog? With… a human leg…?"

"Yeah," Ezio said, gripping his katana. "Draco, grab these knuckle-busters and use them to fight. And… You don't what to know what that actually is…"

* * *

><p>"Harry?" Seamus said, as he came into the room. "Are you asleep?"<p>

"No… just thinking," Harry said. "What's up?"

"Well, I've been thinking…" Seamus said, looking around. "Everything's going to change, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Aliens attacking all over the planet, people with superpowers are all over the world, and specifically because of the Death Eaters going on rampages around London as well as the internet, everyone on the planet knows about us."

"Wizards as a whole or the Order of the Phoenix?"

"You have a Facebook page for fans that reaches Japan, Harry," Seamus said, throwing over a phone at Harry. "The stories about how you survived Voldemort trying to kill you as a child as well as helping around town to fight off the Death Eaters. Someone actually uploaded your picture, and a lot of fan pictures are uploaded."

"What's that forward-slash mean?" Harry asked, slightly worried.

"…You really want to know?" Seamus asked, as Harry just shrugged his shoulders. "Slash means a fan-preferred couple, often… doing things…"

"…Hermione?" Harry asked, gobsmacked. "Is that… Ron? Draco! Snape!"

"Yeah, I should mention you've become a Yaoi icon."

"DUMBLEDORE!"

"I uploaded a comment saying that you wouldn't appreciate it, and I also made an account for you," Seamus said. "It's signed on, you can post a message if you want."

"Hey," Finn said as he came up and opened the dorm's door. "The puzzle is as good as solved, so the room and surrounding area should shift back to normal… Harry, are you… okay?"

"What's wrong, mate?" Seamus asked, leaning at the post of my bed to read the screen. "Oh, sweet…" _Wow, his whole fist?__ Pixie… Please be quiet. __Yeah, but Hagrid is_

"I said SHUT UP!"

"That damn Pixie again?" Seamus asked, before a white light enveloped the room and the statue had transformed into Dean, who collapsed to the floor. "You alright, Dean?"

"Okay, first off, why did Harry jump from the tower grabbing a flag, what the hell's going on around here, why does he have a Facebook page and WHY do you have voices in your head!" Dean asked, obviously confused.

"By the way, thanks for sending me that bag of Darkness powder," Seamus said, as he helped his friend up. "Where'd you get it, anyway?"

"Answer the bloody question!"

"Okay, here's the jist of it," Harry said, throwing the phone on the table. "I jumped from the top of the tower, using a flag as a makeshift parachute for the purpose of easily travelling around the school and avoiding monsters. Voldemort attacked the school and several towns to kill off Muggles while aliens attack looking for a device that would make them more powerful. Also, several people called Conduits, Muggles and Wizards alike, and also Hedwig, have developed superpowers since so many have died, with Seamus being able to create infinite objects such as bullets and potions, Ron having an inherent luck enhancement that makes it hard to beat him at poker, Hermione's a living database and search engine and I can turn invisible. Also, the Death Eaters are singlehandedly responsible for exposing the entire magical community to the world, so I've become infamous. As for the voices in my head, I'm a living portal to hell and can summon demons after making contracts with them. Did I mention my Animagus form is a dragon?"

"...What!"

"I jest, I'm not an Animagus."

* * *

><p>"So, there's the other tree," Ezio said as he walked into the church. "Let's start searching for clues."<p>

"Hey, there's ofuda and shide all over this tree," Haruhi said. "We should remove it, see if that does anything."

"Wait, I have a problem with that," Draco said as he looked the tree over. "There's a face here, but it isn't a human trapped in the tree, more like a demon, and what are ofuda and shide?"

"Yeah, there's a human face here, so he might be trapped with a demon," Vivi said. "I don't know what that paper stuff is for, either. What is it?"

"'Ofuda' is a Japanese word used to denote talismans used for exorcism or purification, or as wards," Haruhi explained. "To Westerners, the closest equivalent is a crucifix nailed to a wall, or some rosary beads. As for 'Shide' or the zigzag paper tassel, they are often hung from ropes between trees or boulders, used to denote a boundary between the sacred and profane. However, two shide attached to a pole, known as a gohei, are commonly used by Shinto priests and mikos for purification."

"So, we burn down the talismans, and that would free Kyon?" Draco asked, confused, as Ezio walked over to Haruhi.

"Isn't that the equivalent of throwing away a cross, as in blasphemy, for Buddhists?" Ezio asked, concerned.

"Technically, they're called Sutras when Buddha is involved, but yeah, it is," Haruhi said, calmly.

"Hey, aren't you a Christian?" Draco said, leaning over, balancing on a rope. "In fact, why don't you tie a witch to the tree as a sacrifice to God?"

"I hope you're being sarcastic, Draco, I really do," Ezio said, angry. "First off, while I was raised a Christian, specifically Catholic, I don't usually practice my own faith except on specific occasions, including funerals, Easter or Christmas mass. Second, organised religious suppression by the Roman Catholic Church died out hundreds of years ago after the Vatican lost a large amount of political clout, and those who actually do so are dissidents who deserve to go to jail or ignorant Evangelists. And even then, I despise anyone who ignorantly violates the traditions of others. Also, if you just burn the talismans, then it could set the tree on fire, or worse, make it impossible to save Kyon."

"You could just remove the talismans, can't you?" Haruhi asked, as she began to remove the paper and lay them neatly on the ground. "Should we keep these?"

"Yeah, they're great for killing Dementors!" Vivi said, grinning.

"Wait, what!" Draco asked, confused.

"Oh, right, you weren't in Belfast," Ezio said, grinning. "Dementors attacked me and Ron there, as well as Harry and I at the Burrow. Ron slapped an ofuda on them, and then we were able to kill them."

"…You killed Dementors?" Draco asked, scared. "They're undead, how did you do that?"

"Talismans, supercharging a Patronus, and a musical number," Ezio said with a smile. "Sing Billie Jean, and they run in fear."

"What's 'Billie Jean'?" Draco asked. "Is it a song?"

"Are you – You mean they don't play Michael Jackson songs in the Wizarding world!" Ezio reacted, horrified.

"No," Draco replied, coldly.

"Never mind, get ready in case we have to fight something again."

"I removed most of the tags, but…" Haruhi began as she looked over the tree. "Did I miss any talismans?" However, sudden flashes around the group only drew their attention downward. "Hey, my gun!"

"My rifle," Draco said as he held it up. "So, we got our weapons back, now what?" Ezio, checking his belt, took out his beam katana and got into a stance, using the beam in his armoured hand and the Devil Arm in his free arm. "Oh, something's going to attack us, isn't it?"

"Yes," Vivi said as he caused a fireball to appear in his hand.

"…" Draco was silent as he closed his eyes while beginning to wince. "There's a demon behind me, isn't there?"

"Yeah…" Ezio said, before Draco held his gun over his shoulder, managing to take out the demon with relative ease. "Nice one, but I think there's more." Several demons jumped through the window and lunged at the group, before Haruhi took out a deck of cards and held them in the air as a shield. Draco just shot at a demon to juggle it in the air as Vivi sent down thunderbolts to slam them into the ground. Skewering one demon on his Devil Arm, before whipping out his other katana to finish it off, he got near to Haruhi and Vivi to keep them safe. "Got an idea?"

"Hey, Ezio," Raph said as he blocked a strike from a larger demon, "Tense up and then strike the demon with the blunt end." As Ezio did that, he got ready to block the next attack that was launched at him. He just barely caught the attack with the blunt end and caused the attacking demon to stagger.

Ezio's katana Devil Arm disappeared from his hand, with the entirety of his armour, as chains surrounded the staggered demon and held it up. "What the hell?" The dark portal underneath the demon, however, revealed Raphael's demonic form as he grabbed the demon with one hand then started beating it with his other. When he was finished, his tails coiled deeper around the demon before tearing it apart and causing the Devil Arm to appear on Ezio's hand again. "A torture attack? Cool…"

"Hey, can I take this?" Vivi said as he grabbed the beam katana. "Thunderslash!" He swung the blade over his head and brought it down in the direction of another demon, causing a large electric slash to appear and cut it in half. Haruhi slapped several cards at another demon and then shot it with a gun, causing several different spells to kill the demon. Draco, however, slid up to another demon on his knees and fired into it with his rifle and defeated it.

"Well, now what?" Haruhi asked.

"Hey, there are people out here," Draco said. "Who are they?"

"They're the subconscious, mate," Raph said. "They're like white blood cells, you change too much in here, and they become aggressive and try and kick you out. Just… don't alter the laws of physics here and we're safe."

"I have no idea what you just said," Draco complained.

"That's Inception, man," Ezio said. "We're out of the demon invested monstrosity, into the dream. We can change things now… but don't or we're in… Haruhi! What are you doing?"

"Asking for directions," Haruhi said. "The demon that we have to kill, the one being controlled by Garan, it's some place called Nameton Monastery." Haruhi then walked over to a nearby mirror and tapped it, causing an image to appear in the form of Kyon's tree room. She then punched the mirror and passed through.

"Haruhi, that's going to cause trouble," Ezio complained. "Seriously, you can't just… where's that?"

"I… I know that place," Kyon said, as his tree began to rot away. "Nameton Monastery… it's in Wales!"

"Good going, Haruhi, you may have caused him to develop Dissociative Personality Disorder," Ezio complained. "If he goes insane, I'm blaming you."

"So, I can help get this Garan asshole out, right?" Kyon asked. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

><p>"So, let me get this straight," Dean asked, confused, as he and several other students sat down in a free classroom. "After Harry ran off to Ireland to kill himself, Hermione and Ron went there to stop him, and while there, aliens attacked."<p>

"Yep," Harry said.

"Seamus was already in the city you met up in while visiting relatives, who were killed in the chaos."

"Right again," Seamus said.

"And while the aliens attacked, people started developing… superpowers, including Potter, Weasley, Granger and Finnegan," Pansy spoke up. "And you were forced to tell everyone there about your powers after a Death Eater tried to kill Finnegan."

"Again, right," Hermione said.

"So, you four, as well as three 'Conduits'…" Padma began.

"…flew here on alien technology?" Pavrati finished.

"Actually, no, we flew to Wales, where we met up with Neville and Luna," Ron said. "As well as Vivi, the… we don't actually know what the hell he is…"

"So, after you met up, you travelled to London, despite a ward being set up to keep the city safe?" Dennis Creevey asked.

"We took a detour," Luna said. "We can't explain how."

"After that, we met with the Order of the Phoenix, a resurrected version of the group that Dumbledore led when he first fought Lord Voldemort," Neville explained, "and we had to deal with several problems around London to help several people, including the fallout of the Death Eaters exposing the whole magic community when they tried to kill the Prime Minister. Hell, three of the Muggles we met with killed a troll while stopping a riot."

"So, after helping around London, you then came here to help us, using the Hogwarts Express to get here," Lavender Brown said. "As well as Cho, who informed the Order what happened, and Draco Malfoy, who defected from the Death Eaters, several Muggles, the Army and… an alien?"

"Yep," Apollo spoke up, grinning.

"Crabbe and Goyle joined the Death Eaters, though, so they're being taken to a jail in London," Draco said. "They have the Dark Marks on their arms and, from what I overheard Dumbledore say, they're very likely to be sent to Azkaban, but they're guaranteed to be expelled."

"Why didn't you join them?" Blaize Zabini asked.

"Unlike them, I didn't jump straight into the deep end."

"Look, I have to say this…" Miranda spoke up.

"Who are you?" Pansy asked.

"I'm Miranda Lawson, specialist intelligence analyst," Miranda said, "former head of several corporate practices, intelligence teams and assassination squads. I'll say this now. Everyone is going through hard times due to the Tachyon Empire attacks, Wizards and Muggles alike. It's bad enough that not only did the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, wind up murdered by Death Eaters," she said, to everyone's shock, "causing chaos among the Ministry, but his antics beforehand has weakened both the Muggle and Wizarding forces. He was faced with a serious issue and he was asked to lend some Aurors to the Metropolitan Police, and then he focused all his efforts to call Harry a lying idiot who did that for attention. So he set up a Kangaroo court that was easily destroyed and due to Kasumi and Keiji, our ICW Aurors," she introduced them, "he was publically humiliated AND disproved as evidence of Cedric Diggory's murder and Voldemort's revival was shown in the Atrium. Now, I know that all of you are better than that, so if you are ever given the chance to save a Muggle or save yourself, I hope that you save the Muggle and help humanity in the long run."

"So… who killed him?" Pansy asked. "Cedric, I mean."

"Peter Pettigrew," Ron said, to everyone's shock. "Yeah, you're shocked, I was shocked when I learned he was hiding as MY PET RAT!"

"Wait, what!" Liz asked. "How did you not know?"

"Animagus."

"Ron, I have no clue what that is."

"He could turn into an animal at will," Marcus Belby said. "So, you have to save the teachers?"

"Where are they?" Harry asked?

"They're bound and gagged in the Headmaster's office," a random Prefect said. "I overheard one of the Death Eaters say they changed the password to 'Avada Kedavra'."

"Typical," Miranda said. "Well, we have only the last few floors to clear, let's get ready to get up there."

"Sure thing, Miss Lawson," Harry said as he got ready to head up. "Wait, what was that about an assassin squad?"

"Harry, perhaps I should lead this squad," Miranda said. "In fact, you've done well leading everyone through the tower and-"

"This is something I have to do," Harry said. "Voldemort has been haunting me since my parent's death, he's behind a lot of misery around my life and, ever since I discovered I was a Wizard, he's tried to kill me, or his actions have put me in danger, every f***ing summer."

"Okay, is there anything else we need to do?" Miranda asked. "Is there anyone we need to help? Anything we forgot?"

"No, not that I can…" Harry said,, before he trailed off. "OH MY GOD! We trapped Skeeter in the train!"

"**POTTER!**" Rita screamed as she ran up to the hill. "How could you trap me inside that compartment!"

"That was Ezio and Mad Eye Moody, wasn't it?" Harry asked. "Mad Eye took the captured Death Eaters to London, and Ezio's working, so blame him after he's done."

"Well, there is one thing I have to ask," Rita said. "The interview…"

"You can speak to Draco Malfoy about arranging a date, he's my publicist."

"Well, do you know where I can find Victor Krum?" She asked. "I heard that he was teaching Muggles the basics about Quidditch, and I was wondering about doing a piece about improving Muggle and Wizarding relations."

"I have… no idea, actually," Harry said, as Ginny grabbed his arm. "Hey, what the…?"

"We really need to talk," Ginny said, as she pulled Harry into Gryffindor Tower. Everyone was recuperating, talking to any soldiers along the way. As they finally entered the tower, Harry was pulled into his dorm as Fred and George were talking to Lee and Dean, trying to make a deal.

"So, you'll sell me potions for… how much?" Dean asked.

"Well, we're willing to accept Galleons, Sterling, Euro or credit cards," Fred said.

"Keep the payment flexible, really," George said.

"Allow for different forms of trading."

"We're even setting up shop in Diagon Alley."

"And online."

"But certain things can only be bought in stores."

"Like Fanged Frisbees!"

"Not exactly legal..."

"You need me to run the tills when we graduate?" Lee asked.

"We don't care if we graduate, but if you want to…" George began.

"Then you have to pull a prank of epic proportions!" Fred finished. "So, get going."

"Sure," he said, as he ran off.

"So, any pranks you're willing to sell?" Dean asked.

"It depends…" Fred said, as he held out a pastille with a grin. "How much would we pay YOU to test this for us?"

"Fred, that's still being tested," George said. "Harry, Ginny, what are you doing here?"

"I want to talk to Harry," Ginny said. "Can… we have some privacy?"

"Sure," Dean said, as he led the twins out.

"Harry…" Ginny said, softly as she sat down on a spare bed. "I… don't know what to say about… What my Shadow said…"

"I went through the same thing, Ginny," Harry said, as he comforted her. "Hell, my Shadow actually tried to strangle me. So, I know how you feel."

"That's not what I meant," Ginny said. "… I would never admit that about myself, under normal circumstances… I don't know whether to tell my parents or not…"

"You don't have to tell them," Harry said, quietly. "Well, not until you're ready."

"Yeah, but…" Ginny said, as she trailed off. "I've hidden this for over a year. Most people aren't convinced of their sexuality at that age, and… being bi just makes it more confusing."

"I'll keep it a secret as much as I can," I said. "If you need to talk to me… just ask."

"…Thanks," Ginny said as she walked over and hugged me. "I'm getting used to using my Persona… Ishtar… Did you know that Ishtar is a Babylonian goddess? She governs Love, War, Fertility and Sex. Her ancient symbol was the Lion."

"Strange, Ron's Persona takes the image of a lion as well," Harry said.

"According to this book in the Library, one of her most famous stories was descending into the underworld," Ginny explained. "The other was her mentioning in the Epic of Gilgamesh, where she asked Gilgamesh to marry her, but he refused, due to the fact that her previous lovers all died. She was spoilt in this story, demanding a dangerous creature from her father, the high god Anu, to help kill Gilgamesh, but the Bull of Heaven was slain and Gilgamesh's friend, Enkidu, insulted Ishtar by slapping her in the face with the bull's left thigh." Harry just snickered when he heard that. "'All's fair in love and war,' apparently. Well, we have to fight Voldemort. If you need me, just let me know."

***SMASH*** _Thou art I, and I am thou,_ the voice said as a card appeared. It showed a heart over a tree, with a man on the left side of the tree, surrounded in blue, and a woman on the right side, surrounded by pink. _Thou art blessed when creating Personae of the Lovers Arcana._ As the card disappeared,I suddenly felt quite guilty. I've known Ginny for 3 years… but I've never known her at all. She was always Ron's little sister to me… "Tell you what…when this is over, why don't we hang out around Hogsmeade with the others?"

"…Sure… that sounds good," Ginny said, smiling. "Although… some of the Slytherins mentioned a cavern appearing in the dungeons…"

* * *

><p>"There he is," Haruhi said as we ran into a room in the Monastery and saw Garan over a red light. "Wow, he really is ugly."<p>

"So, you've come," Garan said, as he glared down to us. "You will all be sent to hell for your ignorance."

"How is he floating like that?" Draco asked, looking at the others. "Is he using magic, or under his own volition?"

"Honestly, we think it's the pillow," Ezio said, shrugging his shoulders. "But whatever is doing that, I want one."

"I think he has the pillow charmed," Haruhi said. "That's the only explanation I can come up with."

"It's obviously the cotton," Vivi said, speaking up. "It's lighter than air."

"Yuri Hyuga was the one who caused the fall of the great Empire of Nippon by weakening the military might and assaulting the Foreign Minister Kantaro Ishimura, who was the only one who could carry the weight of the Empire, before Yuri's attack on him caused his health to fail. He shall be punished through you."

"What the heck is he talking about?" Vivi asked. "Hey, do I have to take that pillow?"

"Do it, then we'll see how special it is," Haruhi said.

"You are all a disgrace to the names of your famili-" Garan tried to say, before he was punted from the pillow by Ezio.

"Shut your stinking mouth, bitch!" Ezio shouted at Garan, holding his katana at Garan's throat. "I know my family, and I've never disgraced any of them!"

"Go ahead," Raph said, as the skull on the gaunllet shifted. "Say it again, and watch as I **RIP OUT YOUR THROAT!**" Garan, however, disappeared as the red light formed into a monster. "Looks like it's go time. Hey, Ezio, try fighting in a different form, I want to try something." As he said that, the demon lunged at Ezio, who dropped to his knees and held his sword upward, as Kyon ran over and kicked the demon upward. Haruhi and Vivi started casting spells to protect the team while finding weaknesses, while Draco hit the demon with a spell to cause it to float in the air.

As for the demon, it was a large mech-based demon, oozing ignited fuel from over its body, with large limbs that could easily crush someone.

"Thanks," Ezio said as Kyon helped him up. "Kyousuke, I have to ask… since the malice linked to a memory of yours to transform into a demon… were you in a car accident when you were younger?"

"Yeah," Kyon said. "With my grandfather. We were blindsided and… we went down a cliff… I was 9. In fact, that's the reason Luna and her dad give for being able to see Thestrals."

"What are Thestrals?" I asked.

"They look like demonic Pegasi, actually," Kyon said. "Look, I'm not one to dwell on the past, let's just kill this demon, okay?" As the demon dropped to the floor, Draco kicked it over towards Ezio and Kyon, with Kyon kicking it in the face as Ezio transformed. "Okay, let's kick… what the hell are you?"

"I think I'm a raptor," Ezio said, as he looked at the new form of the Devil Arm. "Gauntlets and greaves?"

"Let's see what you've got," Raph said as Ezio dashed forward and unleashed a series of devastating punches and kicks at the demon, before uppercutting the demon and-

"Oh my god, these have crossbows in them," Ezio shouted in excitement. "Thank you, Raphael!"

"It's your form that changed it," Raph said as the demon got back up. "Just keep it down for the others."

"It's weak to water," Vivi said as he stunned it. "Is this the part where we go and beat them up?"

"Hell yeah!" Haruhi shouted as we dog-piled the demon.

"Take this!"

"See you down there!"

"You're not getting away!"

"Blasphemy!"

"Stay down!"

As the dust settled, the demon was beginning to crack, but there was no way for Ezio and Kyon to get back near it. "Crap, it created a ring of fire. I can't beat on it again."

"Hey, it's not moving," Draco said. "Ezio, what did you do?"

"Oh, I just struck it in nerve endings to paralyze it," Ezio said. "Hold on… Kyon, I'm going to create an opening for you. Haruhi, heal when necessary. Vivi, use water magic to dowse the flames. Draco, keep shooting."

"You're lucky we have infinite ammo here," Draco said as he pelted the demon. Ezio then transformed into a Lombax and pushed a hole in the wall of flames which Kyon jumped through and started slashing at the demon. However, when his sword turned into a hose or water when he thrust the sword inward.

"What the hell?" Kyon said, as he pulled the sword back to see runes over the blade. _So, you're Kyon?_ "Who the hell are you?" _The guy that Garan wants to kill. Name's Yuri Hyuga. So, you're Kyon?_ As he said that, Kyon blocked several attacks from the demon. "Look, I would really like to talk, but can we kill this thing before it destroys our soul?" _Cut your hand on your sword._ "What?" _I can channel through blood to switch with you, but I can't do it here. You cut your hand on your blade earlier, so I was able to push a water fusion through that. If you cut yourself, I'll be able to make the fight easier._ As Kyon hesitated, he dodged an attack and rolled behind the demon as he grabbed the bladed end of his sword.

"You'd better be right about this!" As the blood ran down the blade, the runes became more pronounced, the blade and hilt both turned blue and a light blue aura surrounded the sword. As Kyon made another swipe at the demon, the blade left behind magic that formed a puddle under the fire monster then splashed upward, knocking it over and causing the fire to go out.

"Kyousuke, what just happened?" Haruhi asked.

"I think I just used soul fusion," Kyon said he swung the sword over his head, sending streams of water around him. "Come on, we have to go all-out!"

"Sure thing, Kyon," Draco said as he ran over and started whacking the demon with the butt of his gun, before a huge dust cloud erupted around them. As it settled, the area around the demon was completely enveloped by flames, as we all pulled away. "Great, now what?"

"Guys, there's a central core under the armour," Vivi said. "I don't think it's immune to its own fire."

"So, what do we do?" Haruhi asked, as she sent water spells out using her cards.

"No, it's 'what do I do?'," Ezio said as he transformed into a salarian.

"Ezio, why are you an anorexic frog?" Kyon asked.

"I can transform into different aliens," Ezio said. "Okay, let's see… Raph, what did you turn into?" he asked, confused.

"I think I'm a dart holder," Raph said as the group got ready to fight. "The darts are hollow, however, and can be filled through a hole."

"Great," Ezio said as he drooled into his Devil Arm. "Someone get me some height."

"Hold on," Haruhi said as she sent her cards out under Ezio, before they all rose upward, sending a screaming Ezio up higher while screaming. As he regained his posture, he threw darts downward at the demon. The darts exploded before they could land, but the demon let out screams of pain as the liquid corroded its armour away. The flames disappeared as the demon lied on the ground, panting. "Wait, can you drool ACID!"

"Yup," Ezio said as he grabbed Kyon's sword. He then took the tip up to his mouth and licked the blade, making sure that half the sword was covered in his spit, before handing it back to Kyon. "To make the final blow easier," he said.

"…Thanks," Kyon said, as he took a solid grip of the blade as he ran forward. Water came out from the sword as Ezio's acid mixed with it, diluting the acid but covering the demon in the still potent substance, before Kyon slashed at the demon upward, bisecting it and turning it into Malice, which disappeared into some sort of sword. "Hey, a katana."

"You should keep it," Ezio said as he turned back into a human. "Listen, we destroyed the Malice, we have to get you to wake up."

"What about Garan?" Vivi asked. "We still need to find out about that pillow."

"Look, the world is fading, right?" Draco said. "We could experiment in here, but I don't feel easy about that. All this time and I haven't been able to summon my Persona…"

"Don't worry, you'll get a chance," Haruhi said, as she began to fade away. "You're a really good shot, by the way…"

"Thanks, Suzumiya," Draco said, with a smile, as he himself faded. "Perhaps we should be careful about entering dreams, then…"

"Can we tried this again later?" Vivi asked with a smile, as he disappeared with the others.

"Perhaps we can help Kyon handle his power better," Raph said, as he disappeared as well.

"Aren't you going?" Kyon asked, as Ezio himself began to fade away.

"What do you think?" Ezio smiled, before he disappeared. Kyon was now alone, in his own soul, as it shifted to a grey fog-filled area.

"Guess it's time for me to wake up, then," Kyon said to himself.

"Not yet," Yuri said as he appeared. "Since it's my fault that Garan attacked you, I guess I should apologise."

"What was that about a Foreign Minister?" Kyon asked. "Did you really kill him?"

"Perhaps as collateral damage," Yuri replied. "I lost it when I learnt that the asshole's political machinations was the cause of my parents' death at the hands of-"

"Dehuai," Kyon said. "Your life was turned into a series of videogames."

"I have no idea that 'videogame' means, but how did someone find out about me?" Yuri complained.

"Perhaps someone studying the occult discovered something about you and went, 'You know what? That would make an awesome story'," Kyon explained. "There's an earlier game based around Halley's mother called 'Koudelka', and the sequel to Shadow Hearts 2, the one where you fought Sapientes Gladio, which was set in America, and was only a sequel due to time travel paradox."

"I don't understand," Yuri said.

"Well…" Kyon said. "You got the bad ending in Shadow Hearts 1 first, where Alice died, the good ending in Covenant, the sequel, where you kill yourself to go back in time to prevent her death, are prepared for the events of the second game and... they never do explain what happened next…"

"I'm going to keep you guessing," Yuri said. "So… what else happened?"

"Well, some guy called Voldemort may have the Emigré manuscript, someone managed to succeed in resurrecting the dead, and somehow, Karin is your mother."

"…What!"

"I really can't explain it, you'll need a specialist to say it," Kyon said as he nursed a headache.

"Okay, I'll make this quick," Yuri replied. "If you try normal soul fusion, it will kill you. Use your sword and your blood as a medium for my spirit, like in… what's it called…"

"Shaman King?" Kyon replied.

"That's the one," Yuri replied. "I'll fuse with a demon that I think is appropriate, then allow you to kick ass. However, I'll go insane the longer I'm fused, so you have to be quick." With a nod from both, Yuri faded away into nothingness as Kyon was left alone.

Kyon's left hand began to fad, as he felt a voice speaking to him. "Kyon? Kyon, are you okay?"

"Haruhi?" Kyon asked, as he had completely faded from the soul realm, leaving it as a place of memories, for both Yuri's past and Kyon's future.

* * *

><p>I get the feeling that, since I added songs to the end of my other chapters, I should add another one.<p>

'Why?'

I… don't know. Do you know any appropriate songs for this chapter?

'No, not actually… What, are you going to add a song about souls?'

How about Soul by Ox?

'I've never heard of it.'

You saw me play MadWorld, right? It's the ending credits song.

'The one with the commentators?'

After that…

**Soul** by **Ox**

Performed by **Draco Malfoy**

Lord help me save my soul.  
>I'm trying not to lose control.<br>I'm trying not to lose control.  
>But I might have to let go…<br>So, Lord help me save my soul.  
>I'm trying not to lose control.<br>I'm trying not to lose control.  
>But I might have to let go…<p>

Yeah, with open eyes, I define my direction.  
>To cast my light in time, the shine's my protection.<br>I shed blood just to rhyme in perfection.  
>To move at God speed no time for reflection.<br>It's evident in the movement that he steps with,  
>A monster has arrived the kid's on some next shit.<br>Benevolent with the flow. Beyond weapons  
>To style. Beyond rippin' the heart where rhymes kept in.<br>So he can't fade out.  
>It's too much ground at stake to let the beat play out.<br>Its like time stops. What will he say now?  
>How can you move when they try to put what he say down?<br>See that's the discipline. I push mute on these actors,  
>And go hard so these little disputes ain't a factor.<br>I gotta get my name up in the rafters.  
>And make it so only real shit is coming right after.<p>

Lord help me save my soul.  
>I'm trying not to lose control.<br>I'm trying not to lose control.  
>But I might have to let go…<br>So, Lord help me save my soul.  
>I'm trying not to lose control.<br>I'm trying not to lose control.  
>But I might have to let go…<p>

I'm trying to find my position in time,  
>And get it popping before I'm outta my mind.<br>See, I be out on the grind for a week at a time.  
>Like I'll be dead when I close my eyes.<br>So I be sleeping one eye open, vision on my hopes and dreams.  
>With a desire that'll burn 'til it's smoking.<br>I'm on fire. Ain't no need for provoking.  
>My soul is providing the fuel that will keep me open.<br>By any means they still trying to control him,  
>And take away the light that he holds so they can close him.<br>But never that there's no force to hold him down  
>When he grabs that mic and then goes in.<br>I'm so far above what y'all dealing with.  
>I'm so close to the edge, I'm unlimited.<br>I'm so diligent. To the end I'm killing it.  
>And my last breath, I exhale, spilling this.<p>

Lord help me save my soul.  
>I'm trying not to lose control.<br>I'm trying not to lose control.  
>But I might have to let go…<br>So, Lord help me save my soul.  
>I'm trying not to lose control.<br>I'm trying not to lose control.  
>But I might have to let go…<p> 


	32. Operation Hogwarts 21: Climax

I am so f***ing sorry this is late, god I hate writer's block. But something also came up, so finishing this was much harder than it was supposed to be. But hey, 70 pages in Word 2010, that's good.

However, I have to say some sad news. It seems that one of my regulars wasn't able to comment because… well, his/her (which are you?) friend died between the last chapter and before that, so Alex, this is for you.

Anyway, I've had a shitty summer, so here's more literature!

* * *

><p>"So, is this the end of the cavern?" Miranda asked. She was leading a team with Luna, Ginny, Neville and Mikuru under Hogwarts. "How far will it go?"<p>

"Well, we should be at the bottom soon, right?" Ginny said, as they found a door at the end of a long spiralling passageway. "What the…? A door?"

"This must be the bottom of the passageway," Neville said. "Are you sure you want to go in?"

"Well, you only live once," Ginny said.

"Well, since Kyon is apparently a reincarnation, I think that doesn't actually work," Mikuru said.

"So, you only live twice?" Ginny asked.

"Yay for movie references…" Luna said as she walked into the room. "Oh my god… An obsidian eye?"

"Luna, what is this?" Ginny asked.

"Do you know how I mention these spirits called 'Zoni'?" Luna asked.

"Wait, they're real?" Miranda butted in. "And… how CAN you see them, exactly?"

"I'm not exactly sure why, I can just see and hear them, as well as connect to the hive-mind," Luna said. "I may be able to use it to find out more about the aliens that are attacking."

"Wait, do you mean those spirits floating around here?" Mikuru said as she looked upward. "How can I see them?"

"Maybe it's your time control," Luna said, as she stepped forward onto a light blue stone. Immediately, a light formed under her. The stone floor was now shining brightly beneath her, as everyone stood forward to have a look. "Stand back, now!" Luna shouted. As everyone cleared out of the way, a strong blue light shot through the cavern, blinding everyone there, as Luna was held up in the air. Bizarre text flowed around her, as the light began to dim down and Luna dropped to the ground, breathing heavily. "Something is wrong."

"What exactly?" Neville asked, before looking ahead. "Look out!"

As Luna rolled out of the way of a large orb of lightning aimed at her, Miranda aimed several shots at a large creature. "Oh, great," Miranda said as she aimed at the monster that was attacking. "A giant snake… and it's luckily NOT undead…"

"Neville," Luna shouted.

"Already on it," Neville said as he sent out curses at the demon to weaken it, as Mikuru sent out slow spells and haste buff to the team to increase their chances. "Okay, what the hell is that thing?"

"It's a Basilisk Leviathan," Luna replied. "Alien from the Polaris Galaxy but… what's it doing here?"

"Perhaps it snuck onto a ship then came here with the Drophyds," Ginny said. "Okay, let's go Ishtar!" As Ginny said that, a card appeared before her, which Ginny then smashed around her. "Persona!" As her whip struck the card, a woman appeared, holding a spear, which she then thrust into the alien. The Leviathan screamed in pain as it let out orbs of electricity which most of the group succeeded in dodging, except for Luna who took a serious hit. "Luna, stay down," Ginny said as she created a shield around Luna. "Summon Ifrit, now."

Runes formed on the ground as Luna hesitantly stood up, while Ginny formed some armour around everyone present. The Leviathan's electricity still hurt, as it exploded in arcs of lightning. "Anyone got any ideas?" Neville asked.

"…" Mikuru was silent, as several lights formed around her. "Temporal Chaos!" she shouted as a portal appeared under the Leviathan and sent a large torrent of flames upward. "Oh my… I didn't think I could actually do that…"

"What the hell was that?!" Miranda asked, amazed.

"Well, I…" Mikuru began, before jumping out of the way of the Leviathan charging her and then retaliating with a shot to the tip of its tail. "I grabbed a stray essence of time thanks to the Zoni and opened a small portal to a random event in the time-stream, such as a volcano erupting…"

"Nice," Neville said. "Hey, Ginny, summon your Persona again."

"Sure," Ginny said, as the card appeared in her hand. "Marin Karin!" As she cast the spell, it bounced off the leviathan with little impact or effect. "Damn, charming him doesn't work."

"You're trying to get it to romance you?" Luna said, as the seal was half-way finished. "Try grounding the lightning… There's two more!"

"Neville, stick your sword into some nearby rock," Miranda ordered as she shot the first Leviathan down before another grabbed her in its jaws. Miranda struggled as Ginny called forth her Persona to stab it in the stomach, causing Miranda to awkwardly fall to the ground before she stood back up. As the remaining Leviathans fired off more electricity, they were all pulled to Neville's sword, before they stopped while floating in the air.

"Luna, how much longer?" Mikuru asked. "I can only hold them for so long."

"Stand back," Luna said as the seal finished before she faded away for Ifrit to appear, as he jumped up and crashed down on the Leviathans, knocking them to the ground. "Okay, let's take them out."

"Okay!" Neville said as he grabbed his sword again and helped Miranda up, while Ginny, Mikuru and Luna started beating the two Leviathans (badly in Mikuru's case), before they all faded away and left behind three glowing orbs that flew over towards Miranda. "What are those?"

"Leviathan souls," Luna said as she grabbed one. "I hear you can sell them to certain people for some bolts."

"You mean that currency used by GrummelNet vendors?" Miranda asked. "Well, I might as well hold on to these. See if they're useful. So, Luna, you said that something was wrong?"

"None of the Zoni are at the Great Clock," Luna said, concerned. "The only one there is Sigmund, the caretaker… and if they're not at the Great Clock, and lost around the Universe like the ones here…"

"A Chrono Break?" Mikuru replied. "This is only theoretical, but… it would explain why I'm physically in the past… and not just a projection…"

"Wait, projection?" Ginny asked. "Why do you need a projection?"

"You can't change time, so you can't actually time-travel," Mikuru said, weakly. "But, if my projection was trapped in the past then… I've become a separate entity from the real Mikuru."

"So, just because you're a separate entity-" Neville began, before Mikuru stopped him.

"Doesn't mean I'm not me?" Mikuru asked. "I'm not upset about it, just wondering what my future incarnation is thinking, how I'll change the past…"

"Don't try and do anything TOO noticeable, then," Miranda said, smiling. "So, what IS a Chrono Break?"

"…Several universes have fused together," Mikuru said, grimly. "If we don't fix the Great Clock, then the entirety of existence will be destroyed."

* * *

><p>"All of the remaining injured were been transferred to the Hospital Wing," Madame Pomphrey said as Liz and Apollo treated an injured soldier. "How did he get injured?"<p>

"He and his squad were attacked by demons on the way up from Hogsmeade, but they were able to clear the area," Liz said, as she saw Ezio and Raph walking into the wing. "Should I kick your ass now? Or-"

"Not now, Liz," Ezio said as the two rushed over. "Did you tell Apollo?"

"About how ß contacted you?" Apollo asked. "Yeah, she told me about that. But… why would he contact you?"

"I don't know, but a few things are for certain…" Ezio said, grimly. "He's powerful, blind, a Lombax and he knows the lyrics to Sweet Transvestite."

"What?" Apollo asked.

"Have you ever heard of an Earth movie called 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'?" Raphael explained. "There's a musical number called 'Sweet Transvestite' performed by Tim Curry."

"I doubt I'll actually watch it," Apollo said.

"Come on, it's an unofficial tradition that every teenager watches that film at least once," Liz explained. "But… how did you know he was a Lombax? Or that he was blind?"

"It's hard to explain," Ezio said, scratching a scar on his arm. "When Raph and I tried to help Kyon, we were trapped by the demons possessing him and… ß, or Uzumat as he calls himself," Ezio said as Apollo snorted, "pulled me out of the hallucination, and explained that Shadow Eyes are stronger the more damaged an eye is… and his eyes were slightly purple when I pushed through his disguise. So, what's so funny about 'Uzumat'?"

"…In the Lombax language… It's the equivalent of the Earth word…" Apollo said, before leaning forward and whispered into my ear a really rude word. "Look, I've done treating most of the patients here, but if Ne- ß really contacted you… what was his fur colour?"

"It's the same as mine, but I could tell that it was brittle and dull, so it must have been a darker colour, like orange or something," Ezio explained. "His eyes were green, but had some distortion in the shape that pushed it to nearly the shape of a cat's eye, and the inner part of the iris was purple, causing central heterochromia, causing two eye colours."

"Orange is rare among Lombaxes, only 1 in 1000 have it," Apollo explained. "Yeah, I'll have to tell this to my boss, in person." _You mean Azimuth?_ "Yeah, that guy." As Apollo teleported out, Akihiko and Itsuki came over to us.

"Hey, you didn't tell me that Harry was a Persona user," Akihiko spoke up. "Or Ron, or Draco. And you could have told us that Ginny was attacked by her Shadow."

"Ezio, I spoke to Kyon and Haruhi, thanks for helping them," Itsuki said. "When we helped Dante clear out a few demons over by the boathouse, however, he used this skill called 'Sword Fusion', sending a spirit into his katana… I guess he actually is the reincarnation of Yuri Hyuga."

"Except now, Blanka, the dog, won't stop following Kyon and talks to Yuri whenever he can," Akihiko replied. "Hey, where's Apollo?"

"He had to check something," Raphael said, as he leant against the bed. "Okay, I'm heading in next squad, no questions asked."

"Fine," Ezio said as he leant against the wall. "I could use the rest." Apollo then teleported back, slightly dazed. "So, that bad?"

"Azimuth wants to speak to you, as soon as possible," Apollo said, nervous.

"Does he have knives?" Ezio said, worried.

"Well…"

"Hell no," Ezio said as he began to walk away. "I can't guarantee my safety with him."

"I'm sorry, but it isn't negotiable," Apollo said as Ezio began running. "Hey, get back here!" As Ezio turned a corner, Apollo quickly slid on the ground to keep up with him, before stopping suddenly. "He's… he's gone!"

"Sorry," Raphael said as he walked over to Apollo. "But if I can't guarantee that Azimuth won't hurt him-"

"He won't," Apollo said. "If he tries something, I'll teleport Ezio straight out, okay?"

"Make an unbreakable vow," Raphael said, boldly.

"Oh yeah, I heard about that from Hermione," Liz said, taking out her wand. "Are you willing to put your life on the line?"

"Because you don't have a choice," Raphael said while grabbing his hand. "Use the spell-" Raph tried to say, before Apollo punched him in the chest and sent him flying out of the Hospital wing.

"And that's why I don't have many friends," Apollo said. "But that's not all I need to talk to him about. I got another message from Deepthroat… do you know where that Lawson is? She needs to hear this as well."

"I'm right here," Miranda said as she walked over. "You would never believe what we found under the castle."

"Listen, I have to say this," Apollo said as he handed Miranda a note. "Cerberus are sending a guy called Kai Leng after stray Chimeras, although I doubt that he'll go after Ezio though, since he'll be busy looking for a dead guy."

"Angelo Ikari is dead?" Miranda asked. "How?"

"Killed in a shuttle accident," Apollo said. "I can't believe that, of all the people, my first ever friend…"

"Wait, Umbridge is with Cerberus?" Liz said, taking the paper. "It's good that she's gone, then."

"We should take her out as soon as we can," Apollo said.

"No, then Cerberus will be on to us if one of their active agents," Miranda replied. "Besides, it's not like the Illusive Man is going to come after Ezio, is he?"

"He's an asset to Cerberus, so it's likely," Raphael said. "Look, Apollo, try not to force Ezio to meet that 'Azimuth' guy, okay?"

"Azimuth?" Miranda asked. "Who's that?"

"He's a freedom fighter in Polaris," Apollo said. "Sorry, I have to speak to Ezio again."

"Hey, wait a-" Raphael tried to say before Apollo was gone, before Ezio came over to the group.

"I really have to thank Harry for lending me his invisibility cloak," Ezio said with a grin. "So, one more dead Chimera… guess that means one more death in my incredibly weird extended family…"

"You're not actually related to them, Ezio," Raphael said, worried.

"Yeah, but…" Ezio said, looking at the ground. "It's just that… we're all related… so I want to find out more about the other Chimeras… how they cope with their nature, how it's affecting Conduits, how others are treating them… I want to help them."

"You're 'related' to one of the most infamous and bloodthirsty fighters on Earth," Liz said, shaking her head. "Do you really want to be related to Killbane?"

"…Yeah, I should really think that over," Ezio said. "But I still want to help them."

"Just like your father," Miranda said, smiling. "Always wanting to help as many people as possible. As for Raph, he takes after his mother."

"…You knew our mother?" Raphael asked. "Was she part of Cerberus as well?"

"Mostly in contact with each squad head, making sure that they followed their objective and didn't go rogue," Miranda said. "While I know Cerberus isn't exactly moral, they were the best years of my life. When I met your parents, they were operating on a Chimera. That was 18 years ago…"

"Me?" Ezio asked, before Miranda nodded in approval. "How are Chimeras created, anyway?"

"We use genetic engineering to create eggs that have no genetic material stored inside and some bone-marrow from one of a number of donors, in your case, your father…" Miranda explained. "While that means you're only half-brothers, you are brothers. Then, we extract specific shorter parts of the DNA structure then carefully attach the DNA from different species, using more DNA from different species, thus Chimera DNA is more like a tree of helixes held together at various points, compared to a normal human's double helix. However, there is still a straight double helix of human DNA, acting as the foundations of Ezio's default, human form. Then, we take specific DNA strands from a second human donor who, in your case, was your mother to alter specific details to make the various DNA more compatible with each other."

"Then how are they only HALF-brothers?" Liz asked, confused.

"Because we didn't add that much DNA from his mother, so they wouldn't be genetically matched," Miranda said.

"So… that's why, as a clone of my father…" Ezio said.

"You're not exactly a clone," Miranda said. "More like… genetically close. You only have half of your father's DNA."

"You mentioned that Cerberus can… go rogue," Raphael asked. "How? Doesn't Cerberus keep close tabs on their branches?"

"There are three branches of Cerberus, which are then divided into individual cells," Miranda said. "Each is independent and has no knowledge of the other cells, in order to make sure that if one is discovered that the others aren't compromised as well. That's why we have specific agents to review them. It's structured, loosely, in a similar way to several different military organisations. There are 150 operatives who maintain several cells, with only a handful of cells active at a time. All cells are also monitored by the Ilusive Man, the head of Cerberus."

"Yeah, you've mentioned him," Ezio said. "What are the three branches?"

"Political, Financing and Research," Miranda said. "However, the cells are given plenty of freeway when it comes to completing specific tasks. That can lead to problems, such as the Pragia incident. Cerberus discovered biotic potential, and the research team involved were tasked with finding ways to enhance that natural potential."

"Implants and amps?" Liz asked.

"No, actually," Miranda said, weakly. "Red Sand, training… torture…"

"Exactly how bad was this?" Ezio asked.

"…They bought and kidnapped hundreds of human children who were discovered to have biotic potential and experimented on them, all to determine how to enhance biotic ability. I only recently found out, and that's why I quit."

"What happened to the assholes responsible?" Raphael asked.

"The facility was overrun in a riot," Miranda began. "Most of the guards and scientists were killed, along with the test subjects, during the riot. What kids did survive were taken from the facility and had their memories wiped and written over before going into foster care, the cover story that they were child slaves that were rescued by the Red Cross. As for the surviving faculty… if they managed to get out, they were hunted down and killed."

"Okay, look…" Ezio said, looking around. "I want to find out more about Cerberus, but we should really help out around here."

"By the way, Ezio, I tried calling your friend, Jimmy, but he didn't answer," Miranda said.

"What?" Ezio asked, confused. "But… you still have my phone, right?" Miranda then handed his phone back. Pressing several buttons quickly, Ezio looked at the phone, before putting it into his pocket. "Jimmy's… not online… this is bad… really, really bad…"

"As in… 'he's probably dead' or 'he's in trouble' bad?" Miranda asked.

"Technically, it's both," Raphael said. "Either he's signed on at his home computer, or his work computer, or his cell phone if he's travelling. If he's offline, then something serious has happened."

"How do we get back into contact with him?" Liz asked. _…Raph, do the Gandors operate in just Chicago, or do they reach New York as well?_ _I doubt they reach that far… but the Martillos do._

"Give me a minute…" Raph said, as he got his phone out. "Hey, Uncle Luck, it's Raphael. … Yeah, we're good, Mum and Dad are dead though. Listen, we need a really big favour, okay? Ezio has friends in New York, Jimmy Bradshaw, and his brother, Lamar. They're taking care of a 9-year old called Halley. They live near Central Park, can you pull connections and get back to us with information about them? Yeah, I know it's a big request, that's why I'm asking you, not Ezio. What? Okay… Ezio, did you use that alias to threaten a guy back in London?"

"I did and I'm proud," Ezio said with a grin. "If it helps, it was Harry's abusive uncle."

"Okay, talk to you soon." Raphael hung up before putting his phone back in his pocket. "We owe him big time for this. He's contacting a guy he knows in New York, 'Prochainezo' I think. He's also checking the Daily Daze, see if they have any leads."

"The newspaper?" Miranda asked. "Look, if they get information on him, let me know, immediately, okay?"

"Okay," Ezio said, firmly.

* * *

><p>"So, how many floors are there until we get to the headmaster's office?" Itsuki asked, as he, Raphael, Liz, Ezio, Dante (Wielding Sparda as a Devil Arm), Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Cho, Akihiko, Naoto, Keiji, Kasumi and Draco were led by Harry and Miranda up the tower. "In fact, why are there so many people heading up?"<p>

"Most of the students were petrified, but not the teachers," Draco said. "The Death Eaters may use them as active hostages. Don't worry, this is floor 24, there's only that last staircase to go. Alright, Ezio? You seem a but short-si-"

"Oh, shut up!" Ezio said, as he took off his Shadow Eyes and headed onward as the group ran upstairs. "Okay, the last floor and…" The group stopped in the last room, the only room of floor 25. There was nothing in the room except for large pillars and, when the last of the group was finished climbing the staircase, the room was completely sealed off. "Great, looks like a trap to me."

"No kidding," Dante said as he rolled out of the way from a large spear striking the ground as several creatures jumped about on the walls. "What the hell? Are those…"

"Great," Sparda said as Dante grabbed his handle and the everyone got ready for battle. "Somehow, Voldemort has gotten control over angels."

"Good thing I got a new Persona," Harry said as he switched Tarot Cards. "Lilim!" As Harry shattered the card, a black-haired woman with leathery bad wings appeared and sent out a black orb at one of the angels, which collided and turned into a cursed seal which banished the angel, leaving a black gem behind. "What should we do with the gems?"

"Leave them behind," Sparda warned. "They'll put you under Voldemort's control." As a demon clashed with Dante, everyone was swamped by both angels and demons.

"Kasumi and I can exorcise most of the demons, but you'll have to handle the demons," Liz said. "Is it really a good thing to kill these things?"

"Killing angels or demons on the human plane of reality will just banish them back, unless killed by another of their reality, so no, you don't actually kill them," Sparda said, before everyone started unleashing hell, figuratively.

"Holy Banishment: Malice Bind!" Liz and Kasumi shouted in unison, before several scrolls shot out and wrapped around all of the demons, dissolving them into Malice before Naoto called forth her Persona and sent out a powerful light spell to kill most of the demons.

"Wow, nice job, Naoto," Akihiko said as he looked around. "But, that's all of the enemies. And why would Voldemort be in control of angels?"

"And why are they so ugly?" Ron blurted out. "Well, there's the gargoyle… what's the password again?" Harry then walked forward, and held his hand out to the Gargoyle. "Avada Kedavra." As the gargoyle moved, we all gathered around the staircase to regroup. "Hold on, shouldn't a Death Eater attack and turn into a demon or something?"

"Ron's right," Harry said, as he looked up into the passage. "Hey, shouldn't there be stairs rising with the statue?"

"So, why aren't there stairs?" Ezio asked, as he walked over to the passage. "Hey, should there be a bright light forming at the top… It's a trap!" The three all ran back from the passageway as the gargoyle's pillar came crashing down, sending a blinding light into the room.

* * *

><p>"What the hell was that?" Dumbledore asked, as a large light erupted from the tower. "Miss Nagato, is everyone alright?"<p>

"I have no idea," Nagato said, as displays moved back and forth around her. "They must have walked into a trap, when they entered the last floor and tried to head up the staircase, something triggered… I've found them."

"You go, Nagato!" Haruhi said, pumping her hand in the air. "So, where are they?"

"Paradiso," Nagato replied. "They've somehow been trapped in Heaven."

"That…" Kyon began. "Is the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"You obviously have never played the original Shin Megami Tensei," Itsuki said, grinning. "Okay, looks like a rescue squad is needed. Who'll lead?"

"I'll go," Dumbledore said. "I've had enough of co-ordinating the troops when the younger ones are putting their lives in danger fighting the Death Eaters…"

"To be fair, most of the students in the Order are Conduits, so they have a very major advantage," Itsuki said. "I'm more concerned about you going in… if they start throwing Killing Curses, then you're very likely to get hit. And, you're also an old man…"

"That doesn't mean I don't have any tricks up my sleeve," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Koizumi, Kyon, Haruhi and Mikuru, anyone else we should bring?"

"I'm taking Blanca," Kyon said as he petted the dog, as Kyon scratched his head. "I'd also recommend taking Seamus, specifically so that we can unload without causing too many problems…"

"Okay, but… what about Fleur and Bill?" Mikuru asked. "Or Charlie? Maybe Jack and Finn?"

"I'm contacting them now," Nagato said, as everyone ran over to the last entrance to Tartarus. "Please, be careful…"

* * *

><p>"Shit…" Liz said as she stood up, grabbing her spear to hold herself up. "Great, where the hell am… oh, crap…" The area she was standing in was a large town area, the back streets of London, Diagon Alley. However, the bright yellow 'sky' above, the falling feathers everywhere and Victoria square floating above betrayed all notions that this was the world she was used to. "O-okay, I've seen this in a game that Ezio played once… Bayonetta… this is… Paradiso… Heaven… Oh, god… I'm… we're dead?"<p>

"Not yet," a voice said from behind her. A blue light was floating in the air, facing her, as r came over to her.

"Mr O'Malley?" Liz asked the orb. "You're… well, you're actually dead, but I didn't expect to run into you. Come to think about it, how did I get to heaven?"

"You activated a trap laid by Voldemort," Gerard said. "Why else would he **let** one of his Death Eaters blab what the password is and not punish him?"

"Okay… then what **is** the actual password?"

"Chocolate Frogs," Gerard explained. "Since my powers don't always work here… I only have a passing knowledge of what happened on Earth. So… I expect you to have some questions."

"Yeah," Liz said, slightly annoyed. "Miranda Lawson gave us a report showing that you were headhunted by Umbrella, the company whose research caused the complete destruction of 3 different towns, killing 50 million people, Ultor, who almost took over an entire town AND created a zombie virus, and Weyland-Yutani were recently convicted and dissolved for attacking their competitors' research facilities with car-bombs and blaming them on Al-Qaeda, let alone what Tri-Cell did."

"Who do you think told the BSAA about that?" Gerard said. "I'm actually quite surprised that Miranda got into contact. So…"

"Ezio's already started showing his Chimera powers," Liz said. "I would REALLY like to hear you try and explain that to Ezio. 'Don't worry, son, the human body is quite strange, but yours is much stranger because _you're a genetically engineered Frankenstein's Monster_'. Did you even THINK it through when he was created and born?"

"Yes," he said, nonchalantly. "Does he happen to know you're descended from-"

"Don't you dare tell him," Liz said, angrily. "In fact, where is he?"

"Look up above," Gerard said. As Liz complied, she saw several statues up above her on another floating island. "They were petrified, all except you and two others. You have to undo the curse before you can get back to Earth…" he said before a large dark mist slithered past the two. "As well as expel the darkness. That mist is Voldemort's escence… he's been trying to take over both Paradiso and Inferno… and reshape the world in his image."

"Oh, Christ," Liz said, as she grabbed her spear. "Well, when I find the last two remaining people, it shouldn't be that hard, right? Wait, that's 'tempting fate'…" As she finished, several angels, emitting more dark mist, appeared in front of her. Flicking her wrist to draw a Combustor, Liz twirled the spear over her head as an angel lunged at her. Throwing the spear straight up, she aimed the Combustor at the angel's head and shot straight at a gem imbedded into its head, causing an explosion of darkness as the angel was stunned. "Sorry, gents… I have a fiancé…"

"Ezio proposed?" Gerard asked, stunned as Liz's spear came crashing down in front of an angel, before it had time to react. As it stood on the blade, it shot back upward, striking the angel in the face, causing it to let out an annoying growl. "Also, give my thanks to Sparda for helping Raphael overcome his new nature."

"Sure," Liz said as she shot more angels in the face to remove their gems before she heard a clicking sound. "Do you have any ammo for alien weapons?"

"You have a shotgun," Gerard said as he crashed into an angel to cause it to step on Liz's spear again, causing it to shoot upward, striking the angel in the face, causing it to let out an annoying growl.

"Yeah, but I'm not going to hell for killing a divine messenger," Liz responded as she kicked an angel in the face before punching another angel, turning annoyingly towards Gerard. "In fact, why the f*** aren't you in Hell? Didn't you kill your wife AND yourself?"

"Whilst under the effects of the Imperius Curse, so I didn't do it of my own volition," Gerard said, crashing into an angel, yet again, causing it to shoot upward, striking the angel in the face, causing it to let out an annoying growl. Liz jump-kicked another angel, causing its gem to explode, before grabbing her spear and tying a green scroll around her staff, just below the blade. She made several hand-signs before the scroll around her stick began to glow and she span her spear around. "Light of God: Holy Extraction!" She shouted, before she jumped up into the air, aiming her blade into the ground, before crashing down and sending a shockwave of light out around her and pushing the gems out of the angels' heads, before Liz took out a red scroll and made several hand signs, before shouting, "Holy Banishment: Malice Bind!" which destroyed all of the gems. "I guess that's that. Now, how do we find that mist?"

"Ask the angels," Gerard explained. "Don't worry, they speak English."

"They're uglier than I expected, actually," Liz commented, before turning around to see several angels glaring at her. "Oh… Well, actually… What I meant was-"

"You see?" One angel said, putting its head in its hand. "This is why we don't communicate with humans anymore."

"Because of people who insult you?" Liz asked, annoyed.

"No, because humans deliberately misinterpret our teachings to fit their own selfish needs," the angel said. "We teach about love, they teach about gay-bashing. We say 'love thy neighbour', they say 'they're different so they must be gassed to death'. We were sick of it after one final nut-job, but after that one priest… ever wondered what ACTUALLY happens to all those fanatics who persecute others in the 'Name of God'? There's a very special hell for them."

"Okay, I know that you're angry, but I have to save my friends and you apparently know how to get around," Liz explained. "As soon as I get everyone out and remove the darkness that's causing problems, you won't hear from us until we're dead. Okay?"

"Fine," the angel said, before turning to its comrades and telling them to find the others and aid them. "I have to make sure that the corruption hasn't spread to any other spheres, as well as this section. If you excuse me…" With that, the angel flew away as a nearby gate opened up, as Liz ran through, followed by Gerard.

"So, why did you actually join Cerberus?" Liz asked as she looked around. "What was the recruiter like?"

"If you'd actually believe it, it was when a batarian ship crashed into the ocean back in 1985," Gerard said. "My plane came crashing down as their dreadnaught crashed, and I was forced to help a Cerberus operative to survive."

"What about the batarians?"

"They were killed when we blew up their ship."

"Hold on… if the batarians keep coming, how come the Charon relay only just broke out of the ice moon last year?" Liz asked, confused. "Or did Cerberus cover that up?"

"No, the moon never should have disintegrated," Gerard said, confused. "Perhaps the Drophyds set charges on the moon…" As Liz entered a crossroad in the town, she saw a nearby pole stuck into the centre of the road. "You have to try and spin that pole around to find the path ahead."

"Oh, god," Liz said as she looked at the pole. "For the epitome of holiness, there sure are a few stripper poles around here."

"There's a fold-out handle," Gerard said, as he bumped into the pole. "Paradiso isn't as straight-forward as Earth. A human trying to get home is a puzzle you have to solve…"

"So, where do **you** live around here?" Liz asked, before shaking her head and sticking her pole arm into the grounded pole and began pushing.

"Actually, I was pulled here when you lot came in," he said. "Although… I do have to ask you one favour…"

"Okay, shoot," Liz said, as the pole in the ground locked into place and the path ahead appeared, before dark mist shot around ahead.

"I left a will for Raphael and Ezio, but I don't think they know about it," Gerard said. "There's a key for a Swiss safety deposit box hidden in the left foot post if the master bed in one of Cerberus's safehouses in London, 15 Grimmauld Street."

"Grimmauld Street?" Liz asked, dismayed.

"Ask Miranda for the key, then take the key to the bank written on the key," Gerard explained. "The solicitor listed is the executor. But wait to contact the solicitor until AFTER you go to New Marais, or the Deckers will empty the account in an instant."

"We're not going to New Marais," Liz said. "We're staying around London when this is over."

"Perhaps that counts as a spoiler, then," Gerard said. "Also, do. Not. Let. Ezio even think about going after Killbane."

"…Do I want to know?" Liz asked.

"Ezio will die, full stop," Gerard explained. "Also, Killbane is completely sadistic, as well as insane."

"Thanks for the heads up."

* * *

><p>"Okay, so…" Harry said as he walked around with Draco, looking around the area they found themselves in. "This… is heaven… Draco, if it turns out we're actually dead, I want you to know… before the summer… I would have gladly shoved a stick of dynamite in your throat and lit it."<p>

"The feeling's mutual," Draco said, grinning. "Hey, I found Luna's statue."

"How do we un-petrify her?" Harry asked, before touching the statue, which caused Luna to turn back to normal. "Welcome to Heaven, Luna. It's a shithole."

"What the hell?" Draco said, as he was looking upward. Several small blue lights came down towards the three of them and floated around Luna. "Luna, why aren't you panicking?"

"They're friends," she said as she touched one of the lights, before they all turned into identical creatures. They had large, turquoise eyes on their equally large heads that took up most of their bodies, as well as two antennae on the top, small hands and feet on their two respective arms and legs and two 'buttons' on their torsos. Their bodies were vaguely mechanical, painted black except for their fingers and the very top of their 'caps' except for their faces which were light-purple, and there was only one difference between them, where one member of the group had a lower green light in the middle of their lower ring, which was black for most members. "So, I assume you guys can see these creatures, as well?"

"Yeah," the two spoke, in unison.

"Luna," Harry spoke up, "what the hell are these things?"

"These," Luna said as one of them flew over to her, as she scratched the top of its head, "are Zoni, the spirits who govern time."

"So, you aren't completely crazy?" Draco asked, before Luna and all of the Zoni glared at him, causing him to flinch. "Okay, I'm sorry! How do they all think alike?"

"They're a hive-mind," Luna said as one of them flew over to Harry and looked at him while messing up his already messy hair. "They're quite simple, really. Zoni only really think in complex manners when they're around other Zoni, so a simple Zoni would only be able to understand simple words, but 50 of them would be able to perform complex instructions as well as operate highly complex machinery, such as factory robots. They also need a few Zoni together to communicate with people, but since there are only 7 Zoni here, they can say simple words, but they can't actually understand the human language. They're only seen by those that they allow to, or those who can see energy-beings, like me."

"Luna, how are we able to see them?" Harry asked.

"It must be because of this dimension forcing others to perceive them," Luna said, before she sat down. "Or they must like you. Hold on, I'll ask them." Luna then stared at the Zoni, before her eyes became completely blank as the Zoni span around her before her eyes returned to normal. "It's this dimension, but the Zoni do want you to see them. There are several more Zoni at Hogwarts- Oh, that's right." Luna's eyes changed again, before she then stood up. "By the way, something caused the flow of time to fluctuate, which is causing problems in the Zoni's home dimension and their base of operations in this dimension, the Great Clock. There aren't enough Zoni for them to actually remember what happened… but they are looking for the higher ranked ones to follow."

"Higher ranked?" Draco asked. "Wait, you mean like the one with the green light?"

"The green light on that Zoni shows that it is rank 2, while the others are rank 1," Luna explained. "There are a few Zoni around Hogwarts, actually."

"What ranks are there?" Draco asked.

"There are five ranks, with only being one Zoni of Rank 5, followed by several rank 4 who ordered around the rank 3s then the rank 2, here, who is the leader of the rank 1s," Luna said. "Apparently, I was made a rank 2, as well."

"How were you able to see them before?" Draco asked, confused. "In fact, I don't think I want to know…"

"I was able to see them since I was nine," Luna said. "It was the day that my mother died."

"I'm… sorry to hear that," Harry said, nervously as a Zoni sat on his head.

"It's quite alright," Luna said. "She was a talented witch, but she liked to experiment. One of her spells went awry and I was flung through space and time thanks to the explosion. I ended up in the Zoni's home and was sent back to my home… just a few seconds before the explosion. The leader of the Zoni, Orvus, said that I had to go back to prevent a paradox. And that's why I'm actually five minutes and forty seconds older than I should be."

"…And here I thought you were strange because of your dad," Harry said.

"Well, some of the conscious Zoni who can think for themselves think I'm strange," Luna said. "Have you _seen_ my dad?"

"Yeah, good point," Draco said, before flinching and grabbing his gun. "We got company!" Several angels, with miasmas surrounding them, descended upon them as the Zoni floated around the team's weapons. "What…" Draco tried to say, before the Zoni collided with his gun and caused several different modifications to the gun. As Draco dodged a swipe from a spear, he aimed the gun upward and fired a single bullet at the angel, which sent the angel flying straight at a wall, but also sending Draco backward.

"Are you OK?" Luna asked, before she jumped back from an angel attack.

"Yeah, I'm good," Draco said, as he steadied himself. "Might as well try something else." A card appeared in front of Draco, a Tower card, as Draco raised the butt of his rifle. "Let's show what we've got, Narcissus! Persona!" As he brought his rifle down, a large mirror formed on the ground as a figure appeared with his feet resting on the mirror. He was 'clothed' in jagged mirror shards and had long flowing hair. His reflection, however, was a young and attractive man who wore a simple mask. As the figure raised his hand, a lump of ice formed around one angel before it shattered, knocking the angel over, before the figure repeated the action. "The angels are weak to bufu magic. Harry, please tell me that one of the Personae you have can deal with these things… My Persona's almost out of magic."

"You're in luck, I fused a new Persona before coming in here," Harry said, grinning. "Let's do this! Jack Frost!" As Harry crushed the card, a snow creature appeared and sent snow to knock out all of the angels. "Okay, let's go!"

"Wait," Luna said as she gripped her flag. "The gems in their heads… they came out." The gems floated around the field before colliding with each other and bursting out into a large shadow monster. "This thing… it feels… bad."

"Okay, got any ideas?" Harry asked, concerned.

"Use your guns," Draco said, before he dodged an attack and ordered Narcissus to attack with Bufu. "It's resistant to ice." Harry then took out his two SMGs… and stared at the glowing lines that trailed over them and the bayonets were replaced with laser blades. "Don't just stand there, shoot!" As Harry moved out of the way of the mist's attack, he slashed upward with his blades which extended forward on their own accord and slashed right through the darkness, dispelling it instantly.

"Red Nova," Luna called out, sending a fiery explosion at the gem that was still floating in the air. "It's down! We have to destroy the gem!"

"Let's go!" Draco shouted, before the three of them charged at the gem and destroyed it, before Harry and Draco's guns returned to normal and the Zoni, who had just reappeared, floated down to the ground, their eyes closed. "Wait, are they…?"

"They're just asleep," Luna said as she grabbed two Zoni and carried them around. "They're energy beings, so they used their essence to make your guns more powerful. They have to rest, can you guys help me carry them around here?"

"Harry's wearing a hoodie," Draco said as he tugged at Harry's hood and put some Zoni into Harry's jacket. "There are four here, including the boss… there are seven, right?"

"Here's the other three," Luna said as she let Draco put the Zoni into her hood. "Hey, look, a door just opened up."

"Okay," Draco said, taking out his rifle. "Who wants to go down the lonely, possibly dangerous path?"

"I do," Luna said as Harry flinched. "Are you alright?"

"It seems that one of the Zoni really likes me," Harry said, as one of the Zoni grabbed his hair and lied down on top of his head. "Okay, let's go ahead… I don't want the angels to wake up and attack us."

* * *

><p>"Behold!" Haruhi shouted into the room. "The rescue team is here!" However, as the others followed her in, she looked around, dismayed, as the room was completely empty, except for a katana and Sparda's Devil Arm form. "Hey, where the hell is everyone?"<p>

"They're in Paradiso, idiot," Kyon said as he slapped his hand onto his head. "Okay, let's see how we can help… there's a gem shooting out light around the room and several statues…"

"A similar puzzle was set up in the Gryffindor dorms," Finn said as he ran over to one of the statues and began to spin it. "We have to aim these at specific statues, ones that have orbs."

"The light is red, though," Mikuru said as she ran over and looked at one of the statues. "There's a red orb, make sure that the light hits the orb over there."

"There are blue and green orbs as well," Bill said. "I guess… we have to make sure that the lights line up."

"One problem," Dumbledore said, looking around. "What other lights? There's only one." Suddenly, a green light shot from the crystal, and just barely missed one of the statues. "I think I have the solution… we have to find a way to move the statues just below the crystal."

"Would this do?" Blanca said, looking at a pedestal with a shield on it.

"Let me have a look," Bill said as he stepped forward, before beginning to kick the pedestal several times before causing blunt spikes to strike the pedestal as well, causing three statues under the crystal to spin clockwise. "Okay, how much else do you need?"

"We should wait until we figure out what happened to the others," Dumbledore said. "How do you awaken Devil Arms?"

"I have an idea…" Seamus said as he picked up the Sparda sword and began slapping its broad side against the wall. "I think it's working!" Seamus said, before dark magic shot out of the sword and launched him against the wall. "Ow…"

"Why did you do that?" Sparda asked, before transforming into a demon. "And… what happened?"

"Well, there was a flash of light…" Mikuru said. "And everyone was somehow transported to Paradiso…"

"What?" Sparda asked. "This is bad…"

"Of course it is," Fleur said.

"They'll be forcibly petrified if they don't have powerful magical protection," Sparda said. "Except for Dante… he's going to be incredibly sick when he comes back… we can't go to Paradiso to help them, though…"

"Why?" Charlie asked, concerned. "We can't go to Paradiso? Is it that dangerous?"

"I can't go because I'm a demon," Sparda said. "Humans like you wouldn't be able to travel around there… and I doubt that a Conduit could even survive…"

"Then how did that green light shoot out of the statue?" Jack asked. "It's not like it appeared itself…"

"Then… one of them must be conscious…" Dumbledore said.

* * *

><p>"Okay, we've got the gate open," Keiji said to Kasumi as they walked over to the gate. "Do you expect to run into anyone else?"<p>

"Hey," Liz shouted as she ran towards the two of them, using her spear to pole vault over long gaps and high walls. "You're okay. Thank god…"

"So, looks like you're handling yourself against the dark-infested angels," Kasumi said. "And… what's with the floating orb?"

"Oh, sorry," Liz said. "Kasumi, Keiji, this is Gerard O'Malley, Ezio and Raphael's father. Gerard, this is Kasumi, my cousin, and Keiji, her husband."

"So, do you know where the others are?" Keiji asked. "We saw Ron, Ginny and Neville's statues, but we couldn't find the others."

"We found Ezio's statue, but that's it, and it was too far away to get to," Liz said, before looking around. "Hey… how the hell does this place look like Newry? What's with it?"

"Well, the thing about Paradiso is that it's formed by both a refraction of the physical plane as well as the memories of the pious dead," Kasumi said. "Although, I'm concerned as to why a soul is even here."

"I was disturbed when everyone showed up," Gerard said. "Look, you need to activate three beams of light to allow people back on Earth to take us back. It seems that the second one was just sent down. We need to find the last one so that the others can pull you back." However, as Liz stepped forward, a small light appeared under her feet and tripped her up.

"Gah!" Liz said as she raised herself up from the ground. "Great… another spirit?" However, the floating creature with large turquoise eyes and small limbs just looked at her confused. "Okay, what is that?"

"I've only seen these in different texts while operating in different galaxies," Keiji said as he picked up the small creature and began scratching the top of its head. "So, this is what a Zoni looks like in the flesh…"

"Wait…" Gerard asked, confused. "Are you… Keiji _Okuda_? The thief who stole from the Illusive man?"

"Yup," Keiji said, as he let the Zoni float around. "So… you're the creator of the ICARUS chimera line?"

"Ezio, my son, is the only ICARUS Chimera," Gerard said. "I destroyed all my notes… Wait, did the Illusive Man get copies?"

"That's what I stole," Keiji said as he sat down on the ground. "Don't worry, it's safe on my greybox."

"Cerberus will kill you to get that data," Gerard said.

"Like they can decrypt my codes," Keiji grinned, which caused Gerard to shrug as Liz grabbed a kunai from Kasumi.

"I can always remove it," Liz said, before she was suddenly knocked to the ground. "What was that?"

"Oh, hello," Luna said as she gathered up the sleeping Zoni. "I didn't expect to run into you, Liz. Is that a Zoni?"

"Wait… are these the weird spirits you were talking about?" Liz asked as she helped Luna up. "And why are they in Harry's and your hoods? And why are they asleep?"

"They used up most of their energy helping Harry and I," Draco said as he came over. "So we carried them around until we can get back to Hogwarts… wait, there are seven sleeping Zoni, but only 6 are present… where is the last one?"

"Hauu~" Kasumi said as she twirled in a spot, holding a sleeping Zoni like a baby. "Omochikaeri~!"

"…Seriously?" Keiji said, as he put his hand on his head. "We can't take him home… and you're turning him green."

"Give him to me," Luna said, angrily. "We can't let any of the Zoni get sick, it could affect all of them."

"Guys, we have to get out of here," Liz warned. "The smoke cloud is coming… and it's big…"

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Kasumi said as the group ran down the path. "What the hell is that thing? I've never seen that kind of magic!"

"Oh, you've never seen demons before?" Draco asked, annoyed.

"Of course not," Kasumi said as she jumped out of the way of one attack. "I deal with Youkai, like Orochi, Kappa and Kitsune, never have I been chased by a giant smoke monster!"

"Hey, at least one thing is certain," Keiji said, grinning as he jumped over a wall. "We're not on the island, so we shouldn't have to worry about time travel."

"Do I want to know?" Draco asked as he ran away from the darkness, before the path beneath them collapsed. "Great," he said as he lifted himself up now. "What's next?"

"Well, there are no infected Affinities," Keiji said. "But… something tells me that we'll have to purge the darkness from a Beloved." The large hole appearing in the ground said otherwise. "Perfect…" As Draco and Keiji dodged a giant axe being swung at them, Harry took out a rifle and aimed it carefully, before firing a single shot. The angel then fell over as a gem was forcefully ejected from its head and floated above.

"Holy Banishment: Malice Bind!" Liz and Kasumi shouted as they sent their scrolls around the crystal before the mist dissipated and fell down towards the ground.

"We have to smash it," Kasumi said, taking out a handgun. "It's on the ground, so we should try and do it now."

"Okay, let's go!" Luna shouted as she took out a flag and a wand and began to charge at the crystal. "Go now, to the void!" As everyone charged at the crystal, it shattered, causing everyone to crash into each other. "Oh, no… it shattered."

"Damn it, it's an Asteroid Monster…" Keiji said. "We have to shatter each crystal, but they could break off into smaller ones." However, the gems collided with several statues and the larger Beloved and they all stood to attention to fight.

"Malfoy," Harry said as he turned to the side.

"I'm on it," he said, with his Tarot card already in his hand. As the two readied their Personas, Harry turned to the others. "The smaller angels are weak to ice magic."

"Thanks," Kasumi said as she, Keiji and Luna readied their wands. "Glacius," they all called out.

"Bufu," Harry and Draco shouted, summoning Jack Frost and Narcissus respectively, as their spells all crashed into the angels and the larger Beloved. "Damn," Draco said. "The larger one isn't affected."

"Aim for the back," Keiji shouted. As Luna rolled on the ground and Harry threw his rifle at her, she shot the Beloved in exposed back, causing it to wince in pain.

"Luna, get a Zoni to upgrade the rifle," Harry ordered.

"I need at least three of them," Luna shouted as she rolled around and shot at the Beloved's back again. "It's down, now what?"

"We charge!" Keiji shouted as he ran forward and the group kicked the hell out of the statues and the Beloved, causing all of them to disappear into light, leaving behind some darkness emitting crystals. "Okay, what now?"

"I have an idea," Harry said, before he sent out a large blast of light that banished the darkness away, leaving only the crystals. "Okay, once more…"

"All out attack!" Liz shouted as they all rushed the downed gems and finally destroyed them, before resting on the ground. "Okay everyone, good work… we're going to hell for this…"

"Hey, there's another switch here," Kasumi said before pulling it, sending a beam of light into a nearby crystal. "It should take a while, but soon, we'll have more paths open to us, then we'll be able to get over towards a new path soon."

* * *

><p>"Look, another beam of light just appeared," Haruhi said, excitedly. "Okay, we can bring them back now." As Dumbledore looked over the puzzle before him, he adamantly scratched his head before letting out a defeated sigh. "What's wrong?"<p>

"… It can't be solved…" Dumbledore said, defeated. "I don't understand…"

"Hold on," Raphael said as he stood up. "I can… I can hear Ezio!" _Holy crap… what the hell happened?__ You were pulled into another demention, Heaven apparently… __Great… and I'm unarmed as well… Oh, shit!__ What? __I just saw an angel flying past! It's just like the ones in Bayonetta… well, since the angel who told the Virgin Mary had to calm her down when it appeared, I understand why it's so ugly.__ You're going to hell for that, you know. __You'll keep me company. Hey, there are paths here blocked… or rather, cut off, there are red and green paths here, but there's a closed off path that has a blue gem near it. And there are statues of the others… okay, touching statues causes the person inside to be freed, I've got Akihiko and Naoto here now.__ We're about to change some of these crystals around, tell me what happens._

As Raphael moved around some of the gems, the lights that connected the crystals together changed. _You just opened a path for us, thanks. I'll go look for the others… I can feel a group of people but, somehow, I can't communicate with them__ Hold on, isn't your range about 5 miles? __Yeah, but the Element Zero left a permanent effect… I can only hear about a kilometre ahead, and I have to focus._"Ezio, Naoto and Akihiko are fine, and others are as well. The lights here open pathways in Paradiso. We can operate the paths from here."

"…How are you able to speak through _dimensions_?" Dante asked, confused. "Shouldn't that be impossible?"

"I don't get it either," Sparda replied. "That simply doesn't happen…"

"I'm a demonic Conduit, what do you expect?" Raphael said. "Well, I expect my powers to change but that's not the point…" _Hey, I see Liz, can you open a red path? __Sure._ "Anyway, Ezio said that a red path was needed."

"We're on it," Haruhi and Kyon said as they played with the crystals.

* * *

><p><em>That's it,<em> Ezio projected to his brother. "Okay, we should try and regroup with everyone. Liz is too far away, so we have to- Oomph!"

"Ezio, are you alright?" Naoto said as she ran and helped him up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ezio said as he sat up. "I was just knocked over by… oh, hello." As Ezio looked down into his arms, he saw a small semi-mechanical creature with large turquoise eyes resting in his arms, looking up at him in confusion. "What's your name, little fella?"

"What is it?" Akihiko asked.

"I don't know, I can't read it," Ezio replied. "I'm going to call you Luke."

"Ezio, focus," Naoto said. "Can you get anything from him?"

"No…" Ezio said, concerned as the small creature flew around him. "I think this creature is catatonic…"

"You can't hear anything?" Naoto asked as she looked at the creature as it floated over and grabbed Ezio's braided ponytail and played with it.

"I can hear something, but it's nothing but static," Ezio replied as he scratched the creature's head. "Well, the alternative is that this is normal and it's a hive mind."

"Well, there's more flying over here," Akihiko said as 12 more creatures appeared. "There's 13, try it now."

"Okay…" Ezio said as he looked at the creatures and his eyes went blue. "They're confused and scared… and are looking for help."

"Do they have any names?" Akihiko asked.

"…They can't remember," Ezio said as the creatures flew around him and looked around. "I could vaguely make out that… they are hive minded… they need more and there's some around here."

"Let's focus on finding the others, then," Akihiko said. "Great, more monsters."

"Those are Affinities," Ezio said. "Look, they're not attacking us… we have to do this as a stealth mission. If we have to activate a path, I can contact Raphael and tell him what path we need."

"Okay… this is going so well," Naoto said as the small creatures floated away.

"Luke, where are you going?" Ezio said as the creatures flew off and caused a distraction. "Okay, let's move." As the group made their way down a path, however, they were immediately flanked by more angels. "Well, as long as a Beloved doesn't show up…" You can guess what happens now. "Son of a bitch!"

"Okay… this is going to go badly…" Akihiko said. "Could the author please cut to the next scene? I don't want people to see this…" Alright. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>"Okay, we should be near the end… is that Akihiko?" Harry asked as he looked onward. "Hey, Aki, look out for the… axe…" As Akihiko was sent flying towards the group, Harry stepped back awkwardly as Akihiko landed on him. "Hi."<p>

"Great, got my ass kicked in the world of peace and joy," Akihiko said as he sat up and got off Harry. "By the way, Ezio and Naoto are fine, and there are… more of those things."

"Zoni?" Luna asked.

"How do you know-" Akihiko began before Naoto crashed into him and the others helped him up. "Medic…"

"Hold on," Liz said as she crouched down. "Is Ezio okay?"

"I don't know, I was sent flying before I could find out," Naoto said. "Ask him yourself." Ezio then shot past and into Keiji and Kasumi, as they crashed into the wall. "Ezio, are you okay?"

"…" Ezio didn't say anything, as he was helped over by the two thieves.

"Okay, he's seriously injured," Liz said as she healed him. "And the Zoni that followed him are concerned, as they are holding him up."

"He must have communicated with them," Luna said. "They think he's a Zoni."

"Well, that's nice," Kasumi said. "Doesn't that mean that the angels will attack us?"

"No, they're not infested," Luna said. "They must have thought that you were intruders."

"Ezio?" Gerard began as Liz started healing him.

"…Five more…" Ezio then said before rolling over onto a Zoni which yelped in surprise, before disappearing and reappearing on top of him. "It's Saturday…"

"Stand back," Liz said as she stood up and walked over to Ezio's legs. "This is going to hurt…"

"You're wearing high-heels," Harry said as Liz stabbed Ezio with her heel.

"You can't sleep in."

"Aagh…" Ezio winced in pain as he sat up. "You… don't want kids, do you…?"

"You know I can't conceive, right?" Liz asked Ezio.

"Oh… yeah…" Ezio said.

"Are you okay?" Gerard asked.

"Yeah, dad, I'm fine," Ezio said, before jumping straight up. "WHAT THE F***? !"

"So, I guess you're miffed about the whole 'CHIMERA' thing?" Gerard.

"OF COURSE I'M ANGRY! !" Ezio shouted at his father. "WHYYYY DID YOU DO IT? !"

"I was ordered by a superior in Cerberus," Gerard explained. "If the Illusive Man had his way, you would grow up and be indoctrinated into Cerberus."

"What does 'Indoctrinate' mean?" Ezio asked, confused.

"To instruct in a doctrine, principle and/or ideology, especially to imbue a specific partisan or biased belief or point of view," Draco said, instantly.

"So, brainwashing," Ezio said, defeated. "Now, why did I only just learn about this chimera shit?"

"Who did you think that you and Raphael got the prankster traits from?" Gerard replied. "Besides, I did explain it, but you thought it was a joke."

* * *

><p>"Dad," a young Ezio, sitting at a table, moping, "am I weird?"<p>

"What makes you say that?" Gerard asked, concerned.

"Most of the kids at school said that I talk funny," Ezio said. "Why did we have to move here?"

"Well, everyone is weird in their own way," Gerard said, calmly. "My co-workers find my habit of eating apples weird, your mother's co-workers are concerned with how happy and chippy she is when defending clients of murder and serious crimes, Raphael is good at playing a guitar with his toes and you're a shape-shifting alien clone, but you haven't gotten your powers yet."

"What?" Ezio asked, before his father burst into laughter. "That was a joke, wasn't it?"

"Like I said, everyone has something weird or unusual about them, so don't worry about it," Gerard said. "Besides, we only just moved here, so people shouldn't tease you about your accent. And before you ask, I spoke to your teacher."

"Oh," Ezio said. "But that was a really funny joke, actually."

"Did Dad make the 'Shape-shifting alien' joke?" Raphael asked as he walked into the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"Raphael isn't a chimera, I swear," Gerard said, nervously. "He's a normal, unaltered human."<p>

"Not anymore," Kasumi said, quickly.

"D'accord, Mme démon renard," Gerard replied to Kasumi before she tried to attack him. "Look, since you're all here, you should try and find the central crystal and the demon that caused it to appear."

"But… demons can't appear here without someone summoning them," Ezio pointed out. "And I highly doubt that the Death Eaters recruited an Umbra Witch to open a portal to Inferno. Unless they somehow fused with Malice and turned into a demon themselves…"

"Well, we're soon to find out," Akihiko said. "Something is attacking now." As the group got ready for the assault, a smoky barrier separated Naoto, Akihiko, Liz and Draco from the others, as they tried to push through.

"Great, where's Apollo where you need him," Ezio said, angrily.

* * *

><p>"Full House," Apollo said as he laid the cards down. "So, you owe me a bottle of firewhiskey."<p>

"Damn," said as he put the bottle down. "Anything else you want to win out of me?"

"Yeah, but a keg of butterbeer would be pushing it," Apollo grinned.

* * *

><p>"Okay, get ready" Akihiko said as he grabbed his Evoker. "Ezio, you're on support."<p>

"Got it," he said as his eyes turned purple. "Uh, Draco… you may want to be careful." As a line of smoke shot around the group, it shot straight at Draco who dodged the attack several times, before it collided with him and sent him into the barrier. As Liz ran over to help him up, Akihiko had Caesar attack with Ziodyne and Naoto shot at the large smoke monster causing it to take a human form. "No way…"

"Well, I expected this," Draco said as he took out his wand and walked over. "Hello, Father."

"Draco," the smoke monster said as it took a humanoid form that could be loosely identified as Lucius Malfoy. "Why do you co-operate with these…_ Muggles_?" Lucius asked. "Is it because you feel like you have to rebel against your mother and I? Is it because you _honestly think_ that Muggles are stronger?"

"Well, there are several ways that I can answer that last question," Draco said calmly as he pushed the hair out of the way of his face. "It's not that Muggles are stronger, but that they handle their daily lives with much greater ease. And it isn't that Muggles are stronger, neither are wizards, or Conduits. Hell, not even magical creatures are weaker or stronger by themselves. It's about co-operation between them in order to overcome hardships. And as for how we were able to fight and absolutely destroy the Death Eater forces so far, you had… disadvantages."

"_What_ disadvantages?" Lucius asked, obviously angry.

"The fact that you're all insane," Draco said before suddenly raising his wand up. "Expecto Patronum," he shouted, sending a ball of light colliding into Lucius who simply bound it back into a nearby wall, causing a hole to appear in the barrier.

"How many of you can cast a Patronus?" Ezio asked.

"Combo spell?" Harry asked.

"Guys, he's immune to light magic, but it will only force him into a vulnerable form, it can't actually him," Ezio said. "A Patronus won't work, use something stronger."

"A Patronus is already strong magic," Draco shouted. "What's stronger than that?"

"Hamaon," Naoto shouted as she called her Persona. The magical seal struck the cloud monster and caused it to regress back into Lucius, as Akihiko ran over and punched Lucius several times to knock him over, before he disappeared into smoke. "So, where did he go?"

"He's trapped in there with you," Ezio said. "So, how are the Patroni coming?"

"We've got them ready," Keiji said. "So, what do we do?"

"Hold on," Ezio said as he pulled the Patroni towards him, causing an orb of pure light to appear above him. "Guys… I can't hold it." However, several Zoni flew over towards Ezio and surrounded his arms, causing machines to surround it. "What the hell?" The machines soon stabilised the Patronus orb above Ezio, before it dissolved into several larger than average Patroni appeared around him and then rushed into the barrier, causing it to collapse before quickly falling down. "Luna, Harry!"

"We're on it," Harry shouted as they leaped through. As smoke flew towards Harry, Liz grabbed her spear and span it to keep it away from them. "Thanks." Soon, Harry was sending orbs of light around the field to disperse any fog in the area while Luna was getting ready to summon Ifrit. Soon, the smoke was gone completely, and Lucius was panting heavily on a nearby pillar.

"I have a clear shot," Naoto shouted. "Should I take it?"

"He's completely human," Ezio said. "We need to know about any more traps, just in case."

"Stay back," Lucius ordered as he took out his wand.

"It's over, Lucius," Luna said as she cancelled her seal. "Either come with us peacefully, or we'll have to drag you back."

"No…" he said, deviantly. "I'm already humiliated… ridiculed by my peers… because of you. I've lost everything. I thought that by helping the Dark Lord… I would regain my status! I WOULD RESTORE OUR FAMILY'S NAME!" _Draco, be careful. He's… He could turn his wand…_ Soon, Lucius was raising his wand up, pointing it at his temple. "You've done enough damage… leave me be."

"Oh, so you're just going to quit like the bitch that you are?" Draco shouted at his father. "Fine. Be that way. But it was you who dragged our family name into the mud, not me. In fact, you'd only be doing Mum and I a favour." _Draco, that is _not_ how to talk down a suicidal man.__ So? He's going to Azkaban if he doesn't die, he can rot for all I care._

"So what?!" Lucius shouted as he pointed the wand at Draco. "Either I get Kissed by Dementors or I spend the rest of my life in Azkaban." _**Ezio, how bad is Azkaban, anyway?**__Akihiko, Dementors are beings that cause emotional pain and can suck out a person's soul, the Dementor's Kiss. Basically, it's hell on Earth._ "Or maybe I'll be sent to this f***ing Hague, then I'll be executed."

"You do know that international law means that your execution would be delayed by at least 20 years, right?" Naoto said. "Also, they're closing down Azkaban."

"What?" Lucius asked.

"Well, the Magna Carta inquiry will eventually come back, but it's likely that the Ministry of Magic will be divided up and joined into different departments, and since the EU have laws against causing unnecessary suffering to individuals," Naoto said. "That basically means that keeping Azkaban open is illegal and an international crime."

"I'll still lose everything," Lucius said, weakly.

"Yeah?" Harry said, standing forward. "And whose fault is that?" Lucius was taken aback by this. "Who were the ones that killed hundreds… no, thousands of people under a homicidal lunatic's orders? The Death Eaters. Who made up the forces? You and your friends. So answer for your crimes, asshat. We won't let you take the easy way out."

"Then piss off," Lucius tried to say before he had his wand knocked out of his hand. "Or, perfect."

"Sorry, but the Death Eaters have warrants out for their arrests by none other than the IWC," Keiji said before bringing his wand back up. "Petrificus Totalus." Lucius was then caught in a body-bind before falling to the ground.

Then, Draco walked over as the light around the group died out and they, as well as those who were also trapped there, were pulled out of Paradiso. "Do you want to know why I kept goading you on?" Draco asked his father, as he crouched down. "Because I knew you wouldn't. Not just out of your devotion to Mum, but because you're a coward. You act big, but you cower at the very mention of Voldemort's name… just like right now."

"Wait, Dad!" Ezio called out, turning to the spirit.

"I'm dead, Ezio," Gerard said. "The world of the living doesn't belong to me anymore. Just promise me one thing… F***ing propose already." Ezio blushed instantly when he heard that, before shades began to appear and the light began to fade. "Liz… that thing we talked about…"

"Handled," she said, before we all collapsed on the ground, before the others ran over to us.

"Are you okay?" Dumbledore asked as he lifted up Harry, while the others helped the others (Ow… a headache).

"I have seen angels," Liz said as she stood up, triumphantly. "And they are ugly as shit."

"Really?" Haruhi asked. "How bad is it?"

"They look like a cross between a human and a dove, but having marble-stone skin, that can actually crack if struck too hard," Liz explained.

"Have you ever played Bayonetta?" Ezio asked.

"You owe me a Galleon," Kyon said to Itsuki, who flipped a gold coin over towards his friend.

"Hey, the castle is transmogrifying again," Mikuru said. "I wonder… how long is it until we corner Voldemort?"

"I've already found him," Nagato said as she walked into the room. "He's located in a small pocket dimension, the entrance of which is in the Headmaster's Office. However, it is sealed so that only Harry can open the way, and he can only take 4 people with him." Harry grabbed for his wand, ready to head off, before Dante grabbed his arm. "You have to make sure that the teachers are safe. I don't know the password yet, but there are no further traps ahead."

"I'll get the password now," Ezio said as he stood over Lucius and absorbed the magic of the Body-Bind, then punched Lucius in the face. "What's the password?"

"F*** off!" Lucius shouted, before being punched in the face again.

"The password or your nuts!" Ezio said, firmly. "I'll take either one."

"Ezio, what are you doing?" Raphael shouted. "You have mind control powers! Use them!"

"Yeah, but this is so much fun," Ezio said, before Raphael cracked his knuckles, threateningly. "… The password is 'Chocolate Frogs'," he said quickly, before he started-

"STOP HITTING HIM!" Raph shouted and lunged at him. A scuffle ensued before Raph was launched backward by a hard punch. "Aw crap, he transformed again."

They all looked down at the bent-over Ezio, as he stood up, grabbing the wall with his hand. He was reptilian in form, and incredibly large, standing at well over 6 feet tall. He had a thick hide covered in scales, and greenish-yellow markings over his body, clawed hands and several plates over a large hump on his shoulders, as well as thicker scales on his forehead. His legs were digitigrade, and what scraps of his clothes remained only confirmed that he was bigger. All his scars carried over perfectly on his new form, making him out to be incredibly fierce. His eyes were reddish, and had reptilian slits in them, but even then, anyone could tell the embarrassment that he felt about being completely naked in front of so many people. "Can everyone turn away, please?"

"Ezio, your balls are internal, and you have a plated sheath," Miranda said. "Stop cupping your crotch."

"It's about principle," he said, nervously, as Dante began to laugh. "Oh, you think that's funny, do you?" As Dante turned around, with his back to Ezio, the large Chimera ran forward and kicked Dante straight to the balls, to the shock of several individuals. Dante and Ron screamed in sympathetic pain, Sparda nervously turned into a weapon, the SOS-Brigade's male duo keeled over, and Draco actually vomited. "You think that's funny? Huh?" Soon, an earthquake came over the entire castle, causing everyone to fall over, while Ezio began to glow a deep green, while completely unaffected. Soon, he stopped glowing and everyone was able to stand up… except Dante. "Okay… I have the power to force earthquakes… awesome?"

"Just turn back into a human," Liz complained.

"Not until I get new clothes first, and some privacy," Ezio said.

"Ahh…" Dante said as he tried to pull himself over to a wall. "O'Malley knocked my nuts in half. Medic."

"I really hurt him, didn't I?" Ezio said, guiltily, while Liz walked over and started healing Dante.

"Well, since Krogan have enough force in their arms to snap a human spine by _backhanding them_, I'd recommend caution," Miranda pointed out. "So… where can we get spare clothes?"

"How about these?" Apollo grinned, holding up a T-Shirt and jeans. "If you need to change-"

"I'm not meeting your boss," Ezio said, firmly. Before Apollo could say anything, "Do you want to be backhanded?" He disappeared in an instant, before Ezio leant down and picked up the clothes. "Harry, you mind making me invisible?"

"I'll take you to my dorm, but we have to make sure the teachers' are okay," Harry said. "Just wait around here."

"We're going to look around," Kasumi said. "Make sure everything is alright."

"Yes, just to be sure," Keiji said, before the two ran off.

"They're going to shag, aren't they?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, probably," Ezio said. "Kasumi is obsessed with finding the Room of Requirement, actually… where?"

"I'll show you," Neville said, before the two ran away. Harry, however, followed Dumbledore up the stairs.

"I'm fine," Albus," a woman spoke. "Just… make sure all the students are safe."

"They're all safe," Albus said, "all the Gryffindors, Slytherins, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws." 'I'm going to play around with this.' "Both Severus and Filius are safe, and have been treated for their injuries."

"But…" Professor Sprout began. "Severus got out by acting as a double agent, didn't he?"

"Ron, Hermione, I'm going to turn invisible, head on up," Harry said, with a grin.

"He was, unfortunately, compromised," Dumbledore said. "We were able to rescue him, and heal both of them."

"Filius had both his eyes gouged out," Madame Hooch said. "We saw it, his eyes are in your desk."

"Why are they there?" Dumbledore said, before Hermione ran into the room, behind the invisible Harry and followed by Ron.

"Professor McGonagall, Professor Sprout, Madame Hooch, Madame Pince!" Hermione shouted out before running over. "Thank God you're all safe."

"Of course we are," Madame Pince said, calmly. "We're being used as hostages, as well as the students."

"Where are the others?" Ron asked as he stepped forward. "There are other teachers, right?"

"Well, some of the staff went on holiday before this whole mess broke out," Professor McGonagall said as she sat back down in a chair. "I assure you, Mr Weasley, that teachers don't spend their entire summer creating a new curriculum."

"Yeah, I knew that," Ron said, calmly, before whipping a Combustor out and shooting upward at the ceiling. "We should've checked for a trap." The demon fell from the ceiling, landing on a chair, before standing back up. As it howled at Ron, Harry got into position behind the demon and waited for an opportunity for a sneak attack. As the demon lunged forward, an upward axe strike threw it into the air where it was surrounded by ice and came crashing downward. Just before it landed, the ice shattered, sending spikes of ice heading into the demon, before a large ice spike sent it flying to the back of the office, straight to Harry. As it bounced off the table, several slashes caused blood to shoot around the office as well as the sound, flare and smoke of gunshots ringing out, before the demon was forced downward and Harry, now turning visible, stabbed it in the back with the bayoneted sniper rifle, shooting a bullet out with each one. With each shot, the rifle went higher before the last of 5 bullets was fired, at which point he jumped up then shoved the spear downward, killing the demon easily.

"Mr Potter," Professor McGonagall said, gobsmacked. "I would like to say that, while that was an amazing display of skill, the use of _guns_ by a minor is irresponsible. And where did you put your invisibility cloak?"

"What cloak?" Harry grinned, before turning invisible in front of everyone, leaving one of his guns visible. "I can do this by myself, of my own free will."

"Believe me, it was a surprise when I learnt that, too," Dumbledore said, before massaging his jaw. "Perhaps we should bring you up to speed with what's going on… is anyone hurt?"

"Well, Rolanda has hurt her arm," Professor Sprout said. "But… what exactly has occurred in the last month?"

* * *

><p>"So, this is the Room of Requirement?" Kasumi asked, as she walked in with Keiji. "And there's the part we need." She then walked forward and examined it with her Omnitool, scanning both the device and the room. "Wow, this s truly powerful magic in here… it's a perfect replica of a D-25 warp-drive! And the magic is so powerful…"<p>

"Well, this would be a good addition to the Takibana library," Keiji said. "We have to get some more measurements, so-"

"Wait, the ambient magic is fluctuating," Kasumi said, before the door opened up and in walked Neville and Ezio, carrying a bundle of clothing. "Sorry, I have to…"

"Go ahead," Kasumi said as a large curtain appeared in the room. "In fact, it's actually quite a surprise… you're large for a krogan, but only by a head."

"Really?" Neville asked. "How bad can it be?"

"Ezio, you're big, you're strong, you can take a beating and hit like a brick," Keiji said. "However, you can still be gravely injured and, when a krogan in severely injured, they go completely berserk."

"Thanks for the advice," Ezio said, stepping out from the curtain in full clothing. "Am I big compared to other krogan?"

"Krogan typically stand between 6½ feet to 8 for the largest, but since the thicker scales on your head haven't formed into a hard plate yet, so you're still an adolescent in krogan years," Keiji continued. "Basically, you're technically leaving adolescence in that form."

"So… I'm technically turning from an child into an adult?" Ezio asked. "Great… now all I need is something that can take my clothes when I transform so that they're not ruined…"

"Well, looks like the room answered," Kasumi said as she picked up a small device that had just appeared. "Stick this to the back of your neck. It should dig into your spine, but it will allow you to change outfits and melees on the fly."

"AAAGGHHH!"

"What was that?" Neville asked, nervously.

"Well, my telepathy was severely weakened, but my guess… somebody's pissed."

"Well, nothing we can do about it," Kasumi said. "Well, unless they go on a rampage, but we can handle that. So, after it scans your clothes," she said before a flash enveloped Ezio's body, "you should be able to change them on the fly for basic disguises."

"Like what, costumes?" Neville asked, sarcastically. "'Someone's in trouble! Super-Gimp to the rescue!'"

"Why wou;d you assume I'm a gimp?" Ezio asked, laughing.

"Isn't it obvious that you're Liz's bitch?" Neville retorted. "Besides, if you get clothing for each form, wouldn't it be useful to change on the fly when you're transforming?" Soon, a large pile of clothing appeared next to Ezio, who just looked at it with confusion. "This room is intelligent, isn't it?"

"It's weird," Keiji said, running an omnitool over the entire room. "Only something with a large amount of chakra can have a sentient thought process, but a large amount of magic mixed with chakra could suffice…"

"It's the Room of Requirement, right?" Ezio asked. "Perhaps it's programmed to only get things that someone requires…"

"Yeah, I would think so too, if the room wasn't sarcastic," Keiji said, before pointing at an arrow that appeared next to Ezio. "I know what the arrow is pointing at… Liz told me about the brand." Ezio glared at Keiji before Kasumi grabbed some of the clothes and then reached the back of Ezio's neck.

"Hey!" Ezio complained. "What the hell?"

"I'm programming the storage device to recognise each form and change accordingly," Kasumi said. "If you get an omnitool, you can change load outs at will."

"And… what's an omnitool?" Neville asked, confused.

"This computer on my wrist," she showed us. "It takes serious connections to get one on Earth, but they're pretty common in the Milky Way galaxy."

"Where can I get one?" Ezio asked. "It looks useful."

"You mean 'cool'?" Keiji asked, as Ezio and Neville both shook their heads. "You could get one by joining Nexus."

"Okay… I'll consider it," he said.

"Just transform into different forms and put these on," Kasumi said as she threw Ezio a jacket. "This is for your turian form. Although I wonder if it's a fit…" As Ezio walked behind the curtain, he transformed and put the outfit on, before more clothes were thrown in. "Salarian, krogan… and a slightly thinner outfit."

"Lombax," Ezio said as he walked out in his human form. "It's weird, all these clothes have some sort of armour built in. And…" as Ezio turned into a salarian, "What the hell is with these f***ing handles on my clothes?"

"I… actually have no idea," Kasumi said. "But the krogan suit would be best for outright combat if you don't focus on earthquakes."

"Okay, that should be everything," Ezio said as he and Neville turned to the doorway, while Keiji walked over towards Kasumi. "And by the way," Ezio turned, while turning back into a human. "The Room really is sarcastic. Hope you enjoy the lover's suite." As they walked out, Neville giggling, Kasumi and Keiji turned around to see a huge bed, covered in silk sheets and pillows. The nearby table had strawberries coated in chocolate next to a bowl of cream, a bottle of 100-year old champagne and crystal chutes ready as well. As the two ICW Aurors looked at one another, they just shrugged at each other.

"This proves the Chakra theory," Kasumi said. "You can't create food or drink from pure magic, but Chakra can be transmutated to different substances if needed."

"So, what do we do?" Keiji asked. "We'd still to help, right?"

"There are more than enough people," Kasumi said as she walked over and poured the champagne into the two chutes, walked back over to Keiji and handed him a glass. "We'd only be in the way. Cheers." As the two drank from their glasses, they just allowed smiles to cross their faces. When the drink was consumed, Keiji rushed over towards Kasumi and lifted her up to her shock. "What are you…?" Before she could do anything, they were already on the bed, before Kasumi burst out laughing. "Let's get this show on the road then!"

* * *

><p>"So, what do you think they're doing?" Neville said as several people ran past them on the way downward.<p>

"What do you think?" Ezio said. "They're making love. Hey… what's with all the ghosts?"

"Muggles can't see ghosts," Neville said. "And you're not using Shadow Eyes, are you?"

"Look closely," Ezio said as Neville leant forward.

"Your eye colour… there's a ring of purple touching the dot of your eye," Neville said. "Are you okay?"

"Nothing that sleep shouldn't handle, but I still don't know why I can see ghosts at this level," Ezio said, before screaming while jumping upward.

"A Muggle seeing ghosts?" a ghost said as he came up from the floor. "That's a pleasant surprise."

"Hello Sir Nicholas," Neville said as he waved at the ghost. "it's good to see you. Ezio, this is Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Portington, or Nearly Headless Nick as everyone calls him."

"Well that was a shock to the system," Ezio said as he steadied himself. "Never do that on a staircase! I could've tripped and broken my neck!"

"Oh, don't worry about it," the ghost said as he grabbed Ezio and helped lift him up. "Well, there is something really weird about 'Conduits', actually. They may not always be able to see magic, but they can touch it."

"So, Conduits can touch ghosts," Neville said. "Come to think about it, Harry said he could touch Moaning Myrtle. Where is she, anyway?"

"She's headed downward to the library," Nearly Headless Nick said.

"Why are you Nearly Headless?" Ezio asked. "Did you have a… botched beheading?"

"With an axe," Sir Nicholas said as he pulled his head off then shifted it back into place. "Don't worry, it doesn't actually hurt. But seeing as you can touch ghosts, can you help us deal with Peeves?"

"I don't want to be involved in this," he said, before a vase flew straight at him. "Who in the f*** did that?" Ezio asked. A loud raspberry from a wall drew his attention, as Ezio began to slowly glow blue. "You're going straight to hell for that!"

"What's Ezio doing?" Raphael asked Neville.

"Chasing a Poltergeist," Neville replied as they headed downward. As Raph shrugged, they kept heading downward before the stairs started to shake.

"Ooh, is the itty bitty Muggle scared of a little height?" Peeves asked as Ezio hanged from a flag in the Grand Staircase, shivering intently. "What if I try and pull it-AAGH!" He screamed quickly as he was obliterated, and reformed at the top of the staircase and flew off.

"Ezio really hates heights," Raph said before running off. "How did he manage to do that?"

"Perhaps he ran up some stairs and they started to change at the top," Neville said.

* * *

><p>"Professor, I know it's a lot to take in," Hermione tried to say to the stunned McGonagall, who was now sitting in the library.<p>

"Ah," she let out.

"But there's nothing we can do now, except take out Voldemort."

"Ah."

"You are literally speechless, aren't you?"

"Ah."

"Well, there's not much we can do," Harry said as he sat down. "Perhaps the whole 'Sven' thing broke her."

"Are you sure it wasn't Sirius?" Hermione asked.

"What is that?" Madame Pince asked.

"It's a PlayStation 3," Draco replied.

"No, that!"

"It's a projector, for the PlayStation 3. And the box is for TV."

"You can't set that up in here," Madame Pince ordered. "It will disturb all the readers."

"But the thing is, the Death Eaters damaged most of the books, so they can't be read," Ron said, causing Madame Pince to run off and start inspecting the books.

"That wasn't funny," Hermione said.

"Yes it was," Harry said. "So, what channels are there?"

"BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky 1…"

"No, check the news," Harry ordered. "There's BBC News 24, CNN, USTV… What should we watch?"

"Try BBC, find out what's going on in London," Ron said. Taking the remote, Draco quickly switched the channel.

-*-This is BBC News 24, the time is 5PM, the top stories. Another alien attack on the main defended cities was easily protected by the military and volunteers working together.-*-

"Hey, that's Liz's brother," Luna said as she looked onward.

-*-Convicted, several members of the Magical terrorist organisation, 'the Death Eaters', are to be jailed, the youngest member is 14.-*-

"Change over to CNN, I want to hear what they have on the other side of the ocean," Harry ordered.

-*-And coming up, an in-depth look into corruption in the Wizengamot, and how discarding democracy for efficiency led to dozens of false -*-

-*-The Beast, a large and devastating creature that destroyed Empire City, has been sited around the country in New York, Dallas, San Francisco and as far as the ruins of Beijing in China. While amateur footage simply shows a gigantic human-shaped monster appear and disappear, there are marks that remain. Those who touch these marks initially feel deathly ill but then display superpowers, but pre-existing paranormal individuals experience an increase in their powers. The last siting was in none other than Belfast in Northern Ireland, where the Royal Navy say he destroyed the glass ceiling of Victoria Square, a shopping complex opened as recently as 2008. The Beast left several handprints on the roof.-*-

"Thank god that there's only the Navy there," Hermione sighed. "At least no-one else was injured."

"Draco, can you pause that? Maybe rewind?"

"Sure thing, Potter," Draco said, before Harry ran off.

"Ezio, Raph, Liz, Seamus, get down here, now!"

"What's up?" Seamus asked. "Is there anything wrong?"

"Yeah, it is," Harry said as he led everyone in. "Hit play." Soon, everyone was watching the report, as Ezio looked onward at the screen. "The Beast, the thing that attacked Empire City… we barely missed it."

"Wait, what was that about people turning into Conduits?" Ezio asked. "Is… is the Beast giving humans powers?"

"Well, at least it isn't killing people randomly anymore," Raphael said as he sat down. "What else is there?"

"Oh… Sorry," Draco said as Pansy walked over.

-*-Footage released by an unknown Hispanic woman on YouTube shows several war crimes being committed by an organisation called simply, 'The Militia'. The woman, identified only by her forename, Manuela, is begging for aid to stop the Tyranny of a man called 'Bertrand'. This person is believed to be Joseph T. Bertrand III, a local shipping and oil magnate who had previously acted as a beacon of hope after Hurricane Katrina in rebuilding both the town and New Orleans. Manuela also addresses a man named 'Leon', saying that Bertrand has been kidnapping people identified as 'deviants', which is believed to be either Conduits or rebels fighting the Militia and extracting blood, while three other women and a teenager fight off a Militia man. The other women are not shown, but one is identified as 'Nix'.-*-

-*-Leon, please come quick! They've taken some of my blood, several people's bloods and are running tests with them- Aagh! Nix, help!-*-

-*-You think you can fight the Militia? Wait, what?-*-

-*-You come into my swamp! My home!-*-

-*-Manuela, the lighter!-*-

-*-The rest of the footage shows the dead Militia man, so we aren't going to show it… but help is on the way. The video was made famous thanks to two survivors in the nearby Fox News building in Steelport, calling themselves 'Picus TV'.-*-

-*-Vermaak 88, the world's largest private military contractor, have stated their concern about the New Marais crisis, due to the fact that several platoons have gone missing while being hired as security by Bertrand, over 1,500 soldiers of the South African organisation went missing within a 2 week period prior to Zero Hour. However, the organisation is helping with fighting off the alien invasion, and are working with militaries over the world both as protection and law enforcement.-*-

"Can you change over to Fox News?" Ezio asked. "I don't know why… but the word… 'Picus'… seems familiar to me…"

-*-This is Picus TV, the time is 1:03PM," a woman said as the camera came into view. Wearing a simple tank-top, sports bra and jeans, sitting in an office. "Hello viewers, thank you for the words of support, my name is Eliza Cassan for those of you who are unfamiliar, the top stories by region.-*-

The US -*-War Crimes commited by a shipping and oil magnate, but why is Joseph T Bertrand III doing this? Shocking new footage shows a hate rally organised by the Militia.-*-

Europe -*-The large snow storm originating from Scotland is disipitating at an advanced rate, specialists state it may be artificially induced.-*-

Asia. -*-Not only another Beast siting, but hopes of as many as 200,000 people are still alive in China.-*-

South America -*-Drug cartels are fighting for control, putting civilians in danger in Rio de Janeiro. -*-

Africa -*-Several towns are now controlled by the PMC Vermaak 88, an in-depth look on how the people are coping.-*-

Australia. -*-Shrubbery and greenage has overtaken the country, going through even the deserts, as new rivers appear throughout Australia, it is believed at least 50 Conduits are involved. And…-*-

Extra. -*- After I broke the story about the raid on Shadow Moses, Picus was contacted by none other than Nastasha Romanenko, the author of 'In the Darkness of Shadow Moses: The Unofficial Truth'. James spoke to her about the actual truth about her story and how much of a disaster the raid could become.-*-

-*-If you would like to discuss any of the stories discussed, send a comment to the PicusTV facebook page, or use #PicusTV on Twitter. First up, more footage has been posted on YouTube of Joseph Bertrand, showing a rally being held by the Militia. We are about to show the footage, uploaded to the YouTube account of Elena Fisher, the rally, however, is not the most shocking thing about the video.-*-

-*-My friends… Tonight, we face the gravest threat that this fair city has ever seen. The Devil walks among us! Cole McGrath!-*-

"Oh, shit," Liz said.

"Who's Cole-" Pansy asked, as she walked over and was told to be quiet, calmly, by Draco.

-*-The Electric Man is here in New Marais.-*- While he was speaking, there were people chanting in the crowd. 'Keep McGrath out of our town'. -*-I know, I know.-*-

"Wait, I can see Zeke!" Seamus said, pointing at the crowd. "See? Right next to Sully and Nathan."

"Yeah, and there's Cole, walking right up to them," Hermione pointed out. "Isn't that risky?"

"Cole can kill someone by standing in the same puddle as them," Ezio said. "He'll be fine as long as they're not spotted, and even then they'll still put up a fight."

"Who's the woman next to them?" Liz asked. "I don't recognise her."

"I could find out for you," Apollo asked, as he sat on a nearby table, right next to Ezio.

"Are you trying to give me a heart-attack?" Ezio asked, grabbing his chest. "Christ… but that would be a good idea."

"How did you stop it?" Pansy asked, sitting down next to the screen.

"Oh, with the remote," Draco said, pressing a button.

-*-Our forefathers… lived and died… in defence of this city! When History called for them to Stand against the enemy… Did they cower? NO! They fought! To the last man… My men, these fine young men are the guardians of this city and they are all that stands between you and the freaks! And as God is my witness… WE SHALL HUNT THEM DOWN! AND DESTROY THEM ALL!-*-

-*-Up there! Freaks-*- A scream erupted as a huge fight broke out, as several monsters attacked the Militia while Bertrand made his escape, before Cole, Sully, Nathan, Zeke and an unknown woman (wearing nothing from the waist up) fought the two forces as the video cut out.

-*-This isn't the first time I have been sent a video with one of these monsters on them,-*- Eliza said as she appeared on air again. -*-The cause of these monsters in unknown, but sources believe that the attacks predated the Drophyd attacks by a whole 3 months, in conjunction to numerous disappearances around the local area.-*-

"Wait, go back to that video, before the fight broke out," Ezio said. "I swear I saw something odd…"

"What?" Pansy asked. "The fact that the people are listening to a bible-thumping madman or the fact that the monsters had human faces?"

"Neither of-" Ezio said, before looking at her in confusion. He then snatched the controller from Draco then rewound the image, showing the face of the monster. "Pansy's right… they're perfectly humanoid… Hey, Miranda!"

"Do you need something?" She asked as she came over.

"Can you copy the image on the screen?" He asked, as Miranda used her omnitool to copy the screen. "Okay, see that monster? Crop the image so that it shows only its face."

"Why?"

"I'll explain in a minute," Ezio explained. As she cropped the image, Ezio then changed around the video again. "Look, see that there?"

"Lamar?" Hermione asked. "Why is he there?"

"Something happened to Jimmy, Lamar and Halley while they were heading to New Marais," Ezio explained. "There was no way that they'd be able to pick them up since New Marais is in Louisiana, and they set out from Empire, which means they'd have to turn North to go to New York, then sail downward, past Florida. Also, only the southern tip of Long Island has New York City."

"Hold on…" Apollo said. "There's a state, a large area called New York, and a smaller area with the city of New York…"

"It's abbreviated as NYC," Raphael said. "But yeah, it can be confusing."

"Okay, where is New Marais anyway?" Ezio asked.

"I'll get a map up, only after I find out why the hell I'm looking at a monster's face," Miranda complained.

"Well, I need you to compare the facial structure of the monster of as many people as possible," Ezio said. "Driver's licences, local databases, criminal databases… Oh, and the records of the PMC Vermaak 88, Bertrand had them hired to perform security for them, but they actually said their men went missing."

"It may take me a while to hack into Vermaak's databases but-" Miranda said before something happened. "Oh. There's a match… to a woman who went missing 3 years ago…"

"Well, pass that on then," Ezio said to Apollo. "Now, a map."

"Here's the map," Miranda said. "New Marais is close to the coast, but covered in swamps."

"Couldn't we just call them?" Liz asked.

"I'll try it," Ezio said, grabbing his phone. "Come on…" He then started playing with the phone again, and again and again. "… They're not answering… Perhaps the local phones are on a separate network."

"I'll be right back," Apollo said, before disappearing. And reappearing right next to the group. "I need to check the map again…"

"What happened?" Draco asked.

"I… was shot at… by a guy in a strange hat… I was in Texas."

"Yeah… were there large grass eating creatures on all fours and with horns on their heads?" Liz asked.

"Yeah."

"Cattle farm."

"Maybe I'll do better this time," Apollo said. He disappeared again as everyone turned back around.

"So, Lamar is in Louisiana, how do we help?" Ezio asked.

"Isn't it a bit early?" Miranda said. "We have to take out Voldemort. So, only Harry can lead the team…"

"Neville, how often can you do that spell slash?" Harry asked.

"As far as I know, as long as someone is casting spells for me to use," Neville explained. "I can't use Hermione or Luna's elemental attacks, though. Or Persona skills."

"Well, it can still be useful, you're in," Harry said. "Raphael, you mind taking part?"

"No, I'll help," he said. "That leaves two more people.

"Well, I'd like to see Voldemort really crap himself… do you think Dumbledore would mind?"

"I feel it is my responsibility to help, seeing as I was the one who taught him magic," Dumbledore said. "Also, when he first opened the Chamber of Secrets… I failed to stop him…"

"Can I remind you all of one thing?" Pansy asked. "There are two large demons in the Highlands. What can be done about them?"

"I'll get Sven and Tony to help me," Miranda said as she began to walk off. "Harry, you should take Liz, her healing would be the most useful to you."

"I want to kick ass first," she said, taking out her spear. "Besides, I could use the exercise."

"Where do you keep that spear?" Pansy asked.

"I bought a mole-skin purse," Hermione said. "I gave it to her to keep her safe."

"Well, this should be interesting…" Miranda sighed.

* * *

><p>"So, a Bael and a Phantom," Dante said, smirking. "How do we do this?"<p>

"Liz and I keep them occupied while you two sneak up behind," Miranda said. "Don't worry, we can hold our own."

"Crap," Sparda said, before the two girls rolled out of the way of the screaming demons. "What?"

"Keep him away from us!" They screamed in unison, looking at Dante.

"Are you really that bad?" Miranda asked.

"Of course he is!" Bael shouted. "Listen, the two human women. I'll sign a pact with you, allow my strength to be wielded by you, if you only keep Dante away from us!"

"Me too!" Phantom said. "That guy scares the crap out of me! Sparda kills us because he sees it as part of a good cause. Dante does it because _it's fun!_"

"You need a psychiatrist," Sparda told his son.

"Okay, which one of you can be best used as a spear," Liz said before Phantom burst into flames and flew towards her and reformed as a second spear in her hand. "Cool." Soon, Bael shattered into ice, and appeared in Miranda's arm as a whip with several spikes on the end, as well as a red glow.

"Wait… why is it glowing?" Miranda asked.

"Bael demons have feelers which they use to lure unwary prey," Sparda said. "Only the real idiots fall for it."

"Right," Liz said, looking at Dante.

"You fell for it, didn't you?" Sparda asked Dante.

"I played along," Dante said, trying to remain cool. "It was the only way to get close."

"Did you smell the breath before or after you got in close to the demon's kill range?" Liz asked, jokingly.

"I don't have bad breath!" Bael spoke. "Phantom, do I have bad breath?"

"No, you don't," Phantom said. "I'm glad. The last Bael I saw, his breath was so bad I was looking forward to his farts."

"I swear I spotted that trap!" Dante complained as they all walked back to the castle.

* * *

><p>"Alright, when can we fight Voldemort?" Liz asked as she returned.<p>

"Why do you have a burning spear that looks like a scorpion's tail?" Ron asked, worried.

"Miranda and I got Devil Arms," Liz said. "It was that or we let Dante fight. He can be so persuasive."

"You got a Phantom Devil Arm?" Ezio said as he moved a book off of his face while sitting up in a chair. "Cool."

"You mean 'Hot'," Phantom said.

"Do I have to get Dante over here?" Ezio said, before an awkward silence filled the conversation. "I'm just kidding. Liz, Harry and the rest are waiting for you on the Seventh floor, waiting for you."

"What will you do?" Liz asked.

"Madame Pomphrey said that I needed to sleep badly, apparently," Ezio said as he stood up. "Harry told me how to access the Gryffindor dorm, so I'm going to be asleep there for a few hours since everyone is staying out of them." The two then walked up the Grand Staircase. "If that doesn't work, I'll just ask for a ride to Hogsmeade and sleep on the train."

"Okay," Liz said. "But, I'd be careful if I were you, just in case of Apollo. It seems he really wants you to meet his boss."

"More like he's screwed if he doesn't," Ezio said, climbing another flight of stairs. They were now on the fifth floor before Ezio raised his hand up and caused a charging ghost to explode, only to reform a short distance away. "Go away, Peeves!"

"Or what?" Peeves asked. "Are you going to charge at me and grab a flag again, Mr Scaredy Cat?"

"Of course not," Ezio said, grinning. "I'll just stalling for time, that's all." As Peeves was confused, a camera flash went off and the tail of his coat was sucked into it. Soon, a screaming Peeves was gone, leaving only Colin and Dennis Creevey in the wake, as everyone started clapping. "Thank you!"

"You owe me!" Colin said.

"They're good kids," Liz said.

"Yeah, cute little f***ers, I tell ya," Ezio said. "Sixth floor. Well, this is my stop. Good luck."

"Thanks," Liz said as she ran onward as Ezio turned to the portrait and spoke the password, only to enter to see the twins have opened a stall inside the tower, performing some sales with no chairs in site.

"You aren't conning any young kids, are you?" Ezio asked as he came in. "Wait… are you selling the weapon-grade items? !"

"Of course not," Fred said. "We may be pranksters, but we're responsible pranksters."

"I doubt it."

"This is the weaker, store-grade items."

"Skiving Snackboxes," George said, "Fire Crackers, flash-bang gems, tsunami water balloons – upgraded so that it absorbs water by being in it – and a few other treats."

"We also sell Honeydukes products," Fred butted in. "Here," he shouted as he tossed something at Ezio. "A chocolate frog." Ezio opened the box, and looked inside to see the frog leap up onto his shoulder. "Relax, they only have one good leap in them."

"They're not real frogs… are they?"

"No, they're magically animated," George said before Ezio grabbed the frog and ate it. "There's a collector's card in there. There's a whole set of them, actually."

"Famous Witches and Wizard cards…" Ezio said, as he pulled the card out. "Wait… Bahamut?"

"Another connection to Final Fantasy?" Fred asked.

"He's often the most powerful summon creature in the game," Ezio said. "Says he was King of the Dragons before he was slain by an insane knight – Gilles de Rais – and ever since, every dragon has been turned to bestial thoughts…"

"There's only 4 Bahamut cards in existence," George said. "Collectors would do anything for that card."

"…I've got a few Galleons, how much for more?" Ezio asked.

"They're about… 13 Sickles – That's silver," Fred said.

"Give me about 3 of these," Ezio said as he dropped a few gold coins. Fred set three boxes forward and Ezio opened them up, letting the frogs hop around as he drew the cards out.

"What did you get?" George asked.

"Professor Dumbledore," Ezio said. "And 2 more Bahamut cards."

"Ezio when I said there were only 4 in existence, I meant it," George said. "That card is worth 500 Galleons. Any collection with that card is worth 20,000!"

"Thanks for the advice," Ezio said. "Where's the sofa? I'm going to crash on it."

"It's back here," Fred said as be moved a curtain out of the way and let Ezio in. "We thought that it would be best to move the chairs out of the way and allow customers to rush inside. And since you have that problem with…"

"THANK YOU! And you're here and not in the Dungeons or the Great Hall… why?" Ezio asked, worried.

"Snape hates us," George said. "And he kept shutting down our stall. We're only here because then, he'd need McGonagall's permission to get in here."

"Yeah, but so does everyone else," Ezio said.

"Well, we have that handled," Fred said. "Lee… what about the other stalls?"

"We have Cho in the Ravenclaw dorm, Hannah Abbot in Hufflepuff and Draco and Pansy are working the open stall in the disused bathroom," Lee said. "And as for the big surprise…"

"I don't want to-" Ezio said as he lied on the chair and was launched straight upward as the twins burst into laughter. "I should've known…"

"Should've known what?" Apollo asked.

"Fred and George rigged the chair with heavy duty springs," Ezio complained. "So, how did it go?"

"I was shot at, almost stabbed, covered in oil and almost eaten by a large monster covered in plated armour," Apollo said. "It went pretty well, even ran into an ex of mine."

"So, it's all good, I assume," Ezio said.

"F*** no, there's a plague in town killing most people, and I think it's the Rosalia virus," Apollo said. "And worse, Cole has most of his limbs broken. Since healing Conduits are rare, he's asking for whatever help we can bring."

"Okay, that is bad," Ezio said as he grabbed a few bottles. "Take these to him, they're healing potions, and ask Madame Pomphrey for more."

* * *

><p>"Okay, are we all ready?" Raphael asked.<p>

"Sure," Neville said as he took out his sword. "So, how do we head in?"

"I can see some sort of orb that's hidden from plain sight," Harry said. "It seems that it could be a Portkey, but it was supposed to activate already. Perhaps it failed?"

"Due to your Conduit nature, I assume," Dumbledore said.

"I'd doubt it, subverting magic is a conscious action," Liz explained as she stepped forward. "So, how is it triggered?"

"It's supposed to recognise me…" Harry said. "Perhaps sneaking in while invisible fooled it?"

"It's likely," Harry said as he stepped forward. "Get ready." As he activated the Portkey, everyone was pulled through a portal and lobbed towards the floor. "Is everyone alright?"

"I'm fine," Liz said as she helped Dumbledore up. "Why are we in a bowl?"

"I have no idea," Raph said as he helped Neville up, "although if you asked me, it seems more like a domed ceiling." Harry, however, just looked upward to see the roof. Or rather, floor.

"We're on the roof," Harry said as he looked at the office below them. "We're still in the castle."

"But that's impossible," Neville said. "How could gravity change like this?"

"I have an idea," Liz said. "Raph, throw me to the window." Raph just grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her upward. Liz grabbed a windowsill and looked outward, before almost falling backwards in shock. "I can see the lake… and the castle."

"What?" Harry asked.

"This isn't Hogwarts, we're directly above it," Liz said. "How are we going to move about?"

"There's a ladder behind you," Harry said, turning the invisible object into normal view. "Let's hurry, I want to get this over with."

"Yeah, but how did someone hide a floating upside down castle in the sky?" Raphael asked as he flew upward. "It's not like he's using powerful magic like that." Soon, everyone was in the 7th floor corridor… B-7? Oh, I don't know. While they looked around, they tried to find the exit, only to run into a nearby wall. "Look out, I sense something."

Soon, a large snake's head charged into the corridor, but it was stopped after getting caught in a doorframe. Raphael sent out three of his spiked tails to stun the large snake, while Liz thrust her spear forward into its side to cause a wound to open up. "Harry, turn invisible," Neville said. As he said that, he tried to hold a gun up, the snake lunged at him and Harry was pulled back by Raph who kicked the snake into the wall.

"Snakes see body heat, Harry," Raphael said as Liz lunged the spear into the demon again.

"It's weak to fire," Liz said as she jumped back. "Go for the base of the neck, where it's bleeding."

"Professor, can you use any fire-based spells?" Neville asked. "Send them at me, then I'll go in for the kill."

"I'll cover you," Harry said as he started pelting the snake with machine fire. Dumbledore used a simple spell which Neville then absorbed into his sword and, after a thrust from Liz's spear, Neville ran forward and made several slashes into the underbelly of the snake, before flashing red. "Limit Breaker: Rough Divide!" Neville shouted, rushing forward and slashing into the ground, causing flames to shoot from the gorund up into the wounds on the snake, before Raphael ran forward and started tearing into the snake, before ripping its head off.

"Okay… that was brutal," Liz said. "So, what do we do now?"

"Was I the only one that saw its 'tail' pulling out?" Dumbledore asked.

"That means that that could've been a hydra, or orochi," Neville said. "I hope it's an orochi, hydras can regrow their heads when they're cut off."

"The snake's still moving," Harry said, stepping back. "Perhaps I should shoot it in the head with my sniper rifle?"

"Sure," Phantom spoke up. "I like it when prey doesn't move." Harry then pulled out his rifle and aimed it, looking for an opening as Phantom transformed into a large demon and lunged on the snake, holding it down before Harry pulled the trigger and killed the head, before Phantom held it up to his mouth. "You want some?"

"…No thanks…" Harry said, taking a step back as Phantom began chewing down on the meat. "I'm not hungry."

"Really?" Phantom asked. "Snake flesh is actually really tasty. And the venom is a really good drink."

"So, there's at most 8 more heads," Raphael said. "Where do you think Voldemort is?"

"I'd say he would be in the Headmaster's office, but we arrived there," Neville said. "Perhaps the Chamber of Secrets, or the Great Hall?"

"Yeah, but with all those heads, Voldemort could know what we're doing," Dumbledore said. "Harry, could you hear something in Parseltongue?"

"No, I couldn't," Harry said as he walked over. "It's like he was deliberately quiet…"

"We should look for the other heads, in case Voldemort is watching through the heads," Raphael recommended. "I have a rough idea where they are, if it helps."

"I'd go after Voldemort first," Liz said. "We kill him, we get out, and that's the plan."

"But what if he uses the heads in the fight?" Raphael pointed out. "We have to think carefully, but after we kill the heads, we cut off support."

"And they're a really good meal," Phantom pointed out.

"Do you think only about food?" Liz asked.

"I'm a hunter, it's about food and breeding," Phantom said. "If you want, I'll go look for the heads by myself and act as a distraction."

"Let's go head-hunting," Harry said. "Knowing Voldemort, it would probably be his plan to use the snakes to hunt for us and aid him if we get past."

* * *

><p>"Messrs Weasley," Professor McGonagall shrieked. "What are you doing?"<p>

"Selling sweets and chocolates," Fred said. "Would you like anything? We use the same prices as Honeydukes, our business partners."

"What is that with the 'W'?" She asked.

"It's our own sweet line," George said. "Don't worry, it isn't poisonous."

"Does this have to relate to the 'Puking Pastilles' Filch found last year?"

"We have no idea about that," Fred said. "But here, we know you've been stressed so we made a calming draught for you."

"You brewed this in the Common Room?" McGonagall asked.

"No, of course we didn't, we're not that stupid," George said. "Well, we finished in here, Snape locked us out of the potions lab, so we were forced to finish in our common room." McGonagall, for all her pretending to be calm, simply shot the potion down her throat. "Anything else?"

"No thank you," she said as she looked at the objects on stall. "I'm taking some of these just to have an idea of future damage control."

"We understand," Fred said as she grabbed one of every object and walked off. "Lee."

"I know," he tried to say in an apologetic tone.

"You lost the sample… when?"

"April."

"And it was found by Filch, who probably ate it."

"It was an accident."

"Did you see the results?"

"It covered the caretaker's office."

"Good work," George said.

"I really- what?"

"Just as planned, brother mine."

"We were expecting Snape to take them, actually."

"And now Filch is dead."

"Yeah, that is bad." The twins and Lee then hung their heads in shame.

"I'm trying to sleep here," Ezio said.

* * *

><p>"So, how does this work?" Pansy asked.<p>

"It's simple," Draco said. "You control the movement of the camera with this stick, the way your character looks with this one, and use the buttons to control what they do."

"And this game, we just kill as many bad guys as we can?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Draco said. "Look, you just try and avoid being hit at while shooting at the enemies."

"So, we shoot all the zombies to stay alive, and make sure none of us get killed?" she asked. "It sounds… fun."

"Why is it called 'Nazi Zombies'?" Padma asked.

"They're zombies who happen to be Nazis," Pavrati said, sarcastically. "I think it's just an excuse to kill dead people."

"Luckily, I've played COD before, just follow my instructions and you'll be fine," Hannah Abbot said. "Shoot them in the head when you can, it's an instant kill. Make sure that you repair any barriers, because then we'll keep the zombies distracted and allow them in as well as getting more points. Make sure to spend your points to buy new weapons and, if you find the mystery box, use it when you can. Oh, and we have to unlock new areas to make it easier to survive. It's hard to survive when you have 25 zombies in the first area."

"Draco, what the hell?" Lee asked. "You're supposed to be at the store."

"Yeah, but I managed to get Seamus involved," Draco said. "I had to set up a game of Call of Duty, and he can restock the store by himself."

"Is that how Ezio got 3 Bahamut chocolate frog cards?"

"What?" Several people asked, completely exasperated.

"We have to keep them safe," Draco said. "Possibly steal them…"

"Yeah, I'm not saying where he is," Lee said.

"I heard him talking to Liz earlier," Draco said.

"I will curse you," Lee threatened.

"Fine," Draco said.

"We're on round 2!" Pansy said.

"If you're really good, you'll last till 10," Hannah said.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Hermione, that's 2 Galleons," Fred said. "Anything else?"<p>

"Actually, I want to know what else you've got," Hermione asked. "As… security."

"Against other students or us?" George said, before Ginny ran into the dorm with Apollo. "Because… we have a future to-"

"Where's Ezio?" Ginny shouted.

"Why?" Ezio said, waking up, dreary eyed. "What's up?"

"Check your telepathy," Apollo said. As Ezio stood up, he slowly looked onward in horror as a large amount of yelling could be heard.

"Lee blabbed about you having 3 Bahamut cards, and now collectors are looking for them," Ginny said. "And… can I have one?"

"Only if I survive," Ezio said as he stood up. "Where's the invisibility cloak?"

"We don't have it," George said.

"Then how do I f***ing hide, man?" Ezio shouted.

"I can help," Apolli said. "But it will cost you."

"If meeting Azimuth gets me away from the riot…" Ezio said, thinking hard. "Good price, but I'm keeping a gun ready."

"Okay then," Apollo said as he grabbed Ezio and teleported away, just as Ron burst into the room with an axe ready.

"Where is he?" Draco asked. "Where are the cards?"

"He took them," Fred said. "He's a telepath, he heard you all coming before we could."

* * *

><p>"So, there's three heads down," Raphael said, grinning.<p>

"Yeah, that you took off," Liz said as Phantom ate the last of the third head. "You're going to get fat if you eat all those."

"I'll burn it off," Phantom said as he turned into a smaller form, up to a person's shins, and jumped over towards Liz. "But at least I can tell the taste now, it's definitely orochi. Only 8 heads. But… the demon guy, Wrath?"

"It's Raphael, actually," Raph replied.

"Can you do that 'Burst out of the guy that ate you' thing again?" Phantom asked, ecstatically. "That was so cool!"

"You're young, aren't you?" Dumbledore asked.

"I'm 14," Phantom said.

"Hell, here comes one more," Neville said. "We should be careful, they could learn something."

"Hey, moron!" Raphael shouted while standing on a stairway. "Come over here! Eat me!" The snake took the bait and swallowed Raph, before he burst out through the snakes neck and threw its head on the staircase.

"Yay!"

"We can take out the others on the way down, it looks like the stairs don't move and are designed to take the longest route downward," Dumbledore said. "It seems that Tom is trying to use the heads to weaken us… always so full of himself."

"Well, this is good," Liz said. "Am I the only one who has noticed the images seem… off?"

"No, I want to gouge my eyes out to-" Raph said before suddenly punching through a portrait. "Goddammit!"

"What?" Liz said, annoyed.

"Ezio went with Apollo," Raphael said. "There was something about a riot coming after Ezio and needing to get away for a while. I am going to break Apollo's spine when I see him again."

"I'll take my time with him," Liz said. "We have other matters to deal with."

"Yeah, like shoving a sniper rifle up Moldy-Shorts'-"

"Harry!" Dumbledore called out.

* * *

><p>"Okay, I need to practice teleporting with you," Ezio said as he stood up. "Where are we?"<p>

"Cobalia," Apollo said. "It's a jungle world. See, most habitable planets besides garden worlds, like Earth, are single-biome. Cobalia is comparable to, say… the Amazon."

"So, you looked up an encyclopaedia," Ezio said as he looked around the raining area. "But from what I've learnt at school, that seems highly implausible."

"Yeah, except that the planets often have a spin axis perpendicular to the planets' revolution of the sun," Apollo said. "Seasons are actually rare, but they do happen. And this is the wet season here."

"Something's wrong, isn't it?" Ezio asked.

"Yeah, a stun grenade should've gone off by now," Apollo said, before a large fence shot up around them. "Oh, come on!" _Can't we just teleport away?_ Ezio asked, before a large group of drophyds dropped into the arena. "Where's the fun in that?"

Several drophyds lunged at the two at once, before Apollo teleported a few of them outside of their suits. "Target sited!" one drophyd shouted. "Focus on Apollo, kill the other rebel after!"

"Should I be insulted?" Ezio asked in an annoyed voice as he took out his combustors. "Fine, let's go." Several drophyds lunged at him and tried taking shots, but after a single flash of light, a single shot ringed out from Ezio's gun and most of the drophyds collapsed. The turian then twirled his gun in his hand, blew the smoke away and aimed it at a nearby survivor. "So, should we shoot him or ask him a question."

"We know you're with Azimuth," the fish said as he tried to jump into the nearby water. "We know he's here, we were following him. Tell me who else is in the resistance."

"Two females," Ezio said. "This is Natalya," he said as he raised one gun up, "and this is Kara," he said whilst aiming the gun, before pulling the trigger. "Does this Azimuth asshole do this often?"

"Lead Tachyon forces into traps, then fight them while they're distracted?" Apollo asked. "Yeah, he calls it exercise."

"Something tells me he's crazy," Ezio said as he turned back into a human. "I guess I should've gotten a stab-proof ve-"

Like a log, Ezio hit the ground before he knew what was happening. "Boss!" Apollo shouted as Alister Azimuth stood up. "What the hell?"

"Sorry?" Azimuth said as he hoisted his wrench onto his back. "You didn't explain that we had to knock him out, did you?"

"I didn't think I had to," Apollo said.

"Well, I'm surprised he could actually shape shift… this 'CHIMERA' thing is genuine… but how…"

"How did Cerberus get Lombax DNA to use in creating him?" Apollo asked. "I don't know, but I do know it was ß who contacted him."

"What makes you certain?" Azimuth said as he lifted up the unconscious human.

"Who else would call themselves, 'Uzumat'?" Apollo said, before Azimuth started snickering. "Also, Ezio described him perfectly. Whether he saw past his illusion or he got ß to lower it… in other news, I ran into Angela."

"She's on Earth?" Azimuth asked. "What is she doing there?"

"Shooting rockets into a large monster's mouth," Apollo said. "She sent a postcard." Apollo then threw a card to Azimuth.

"Fighting swamp monsters, wish you'd go f*** yourself," Azimuth said, before sighing. "She hates me."

"No shit," Apollo said. "We should get out of here, before reinforcements show up."

"Okay," Azimuth said, before Ezio flashed in his grip. "What…?"

"Yeah, he transforms in his sleep," Apollo said.

"I see the resemblance," Azimuth said, before suddenly dropping to the floor. "Help…"

"Yeah, apparently, krogan are heavy."

"…My spine…"

* * *

><p>"I'll break Apollo's spine when I see him," Raphael said.<p>

"What happened?" Liz asked.

"Ezio got knocked out. I don't know what's happening."

"Is that why you beat the snake's skull in?" Harry asked as Phantom ate it as they looked around. "Well, that's six down… two more to go…"

"Is anyone injured?" Liz asked. "I just want to make sure."

"I strained my wrist, but I'm fine," Neville said before Liz grabbed his arm and started healing it.

"We have to make sure we're at the top of our game," Liz said. "Shrugging off an injury will only bring us down in the long run."

"Okay, one more head, then we confront Voldemort," Dumbledore said. "And it seems that we'll be finished soon. Although, Neville, that skill of channelling magic through a weapon, it seems incredibly useful."

"…Thanks, Professor," Neville said, shyly.

* * *

><p>"I think I may have hit him too hard," Azimuth said as he sat across from the unconscious Ezio. "What form is he in now?"<p>

"Salarian," Apollo said while sitting on a nearby rafter. "I'd be careful with him as he is."

"Why?" Azimuth said, before pulling his hand back in pain.

"He can generate highly corrosive acid as spit in that form," Apollo said. "It can melt through a rock in 12 seconds."

"Wait, he has different powers in each form?" Azimuth asked. "What powers?"

"As a human, he's a powerful mentalist, but not as powerful as ß since it isn't second nature to him yet," Apollo said. "Salarian drools acid, krogan, the big one, causes earthquakes and turian makes him a crack shot."

"Yeah, I saw him shooting once to kill 17 drophyds," Azimuth replied. "You haven't told me what powers he has as a lombax, though."

Soon, a fireball shot over towards the white and red lombax, which he dispersed using his large, dual-headed wrench, before an electrical bolt travelled through it and caused him to drop the wrench and keel over. "Does that answer your question?" Ezio asked, reclining on a sofa.

"Wow… I hardly noticed you woke up," Azimuth said, before Ezio's eyes went wide. "Relax, I prefer girls and you're too young, and even then I'm too busy to date."

"…if I find a tracking device or a bug either on or in me, I'll hurt **both** of you," Ezio said before turning back into a human. "So, you wanted to talk to me? Why?"

"ß contacted you," Azimuth said. "And you read the reports about him. What do you know?"

"He's really good at making himself look insane, but a skill psychologist would easily see past it," Ezio said. "Taken a few beatings as a kid, from the medical records I've read, and with the way you act I wouldn't be surprised if you did most of it."

"Hey, it was a small tap," Azimuth replied. "Do you complain about this often?"

"I just recovered from a _brain injury_," Ezio said, causing Azimuth and Apollo to flinch. "Anyway, when I spoke to him, he was cryptic but helpful and, while he didn't reveal anything about himself other than what I was able to figure out he did save my ass after I was caught in a Locus Eater Machine."

"What?" Azimuth asked.

"I was trapped in a psionic illusion," Ezio said. "He has an odd sense of humour, taunting Tachyon using Earth pop culture, such as films like Pulp Fiction and the Rocky Horror Picture Show. By the way, if you find a report about how Uzumat sang about being a sweet transvestite, he got the idea from me."

"It's some cult classic, apparently," Apollo said. "I haven't seen it."

"You should," Ezio said. "And I know Apollo told you about other details. Now, is that all?"

"Exactly why are the drophyds on Earth?" Azimuth asked. "Do you know anything?"

"Honestly, I have no f***ing clue," Ezio said, "something about lombax tech being found on Earth, my home world… may be linked to something called a 'Ray Sphere'."

"What's a Ray Sphere?" Azimuth asked.

"It's a device that allows Conduits to unlock their powers by releasing a form of radiation called 'Ray Fields' which Conduits can absorb and release by use of their powers," Apollo said. "However, the use of the Ray Sphere is highly dangerous, as activating it uses up the bio-energy of people within a 6-block range of anyone who isn't a Conduit and pushing it into any Conduits nearby."

"It caused a serious problem a few years ago when it was first activated," Ezio said. "Killed a good thousand people, the government locked down the city and refused to allow a large amount of aid into the city as they were letting people die out to make it easier to find the Ray Sphere, but unfortunately, a large number of people with Conduit potential lived in the city and formed themselves into gangs to take the city, including the people who created the Ray Sphere, the First Sons."

"Wait, the government wasn't involved in creating the Ray Sphere?" Azimuth asked.

"Of course they were, but it was part of DARPA's black budget," Ezio replied.

"Is that your planet's main science board?" Azimuth asked.

"Boss, the planet has the United Nations, the international organisation that handles international law, security, economy and legal rights," Apollo said. "It's still divided among nations."

"DARPA, the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, is part of the Department of Defence, part of the United States of America's government, and in control of the country's army," Ezio said. "The country is good to live in, I've lived there for a few years, but they're a bit mental about their own security after an infamous terrorist attack called '9/11'."

"What happened?"

"Religious fanatics flew aeroplanes into the main economic buildings in New York called the Twin Towers, and even into the Pentagon, the main DOD building, near Washington although they didn't manage to finish that last one," Ezio replied. "Growing up in New York after that was bad, especially due to how extreme the security has gone. It's worst if you're Arabic, because they'll exploit the law to f*** with you. Anyway, large bombs that can kill around 15,000 people and turn survivors into dangerous people with some psychological issues, and that's without collateral damage, yeah, it could be much worse."

"Well… good luck with that," Azimuth asked. "What… mental illness do you have?"

"Alcoholism," Ezio said as he looked around. "So, mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"What?" Azimuth asked.

"Are you a biotic?" Ezio asked. "I can't hear your thoughts so it's usually an indication that element zero is nearby."

"Well figured," Azimuth said as he let out a flare of dark matter before Ezio grabbed his head in pain. "Are you okay?"

"Ezio, your scars are bleeding," Apollo said as he jumped down. "Wait, those headaches… did Liz heal a head injury?" However, Apollo then grabbed his chest, wincing in pain. "Crap… It cancels her healing powers…"

"It's a good thing I had the nanotech's tracking function disabled," Azimuth said as he took over a small capsule with glowing lights and broke it, causing lights to surround Ezio and Apollo, before they manage to move again and their wounds were cleared, as Azimuth just looked around in a nearby table. "You're both lucky that I have friends in Tachyon's intelligence agencies who mess around with his reports. By the way… how did you get those scars?"

"Magic," Ezio said, before Azimuth just glared at him. "I am not kidding, a witch named Bellatrix Lestrange hit me with a biotic stasis then used a spell to cause deep wounds to appear over my body. Since magic colliding with biotics makes the spell stronger… I was lucky that I survived, let alone kept a limb… I felt it slash my throat and my…"

"Perhaps I don't want to know," Azimuth said. "Well, can I ask you something? If I need your help with anything…"

"You have to pay," Ezio said, "maybe some blast cores or some raritanium."

"Any other powers you have?" Azimuth asked.

"As a human, telekinesis, telepathy, mind-control although it may not work if it's actually obvious, unless it's a verbal command," Ezio said. "Oh, and Shadow Eyes."

"Shadow Eyes?" Azimuth asked, before Ezio's eyes turned purple. "So, that's what it's called. Anyway, anything else? I need to meet a contact and take an experimental weapon from him."

"Like the crossbow?"

"How was it?"

"It was too overpowered," Ezio said. "I prefer sniper rifles that don't cause a serious scene, maybe less **turning people into blood**!"

"Nonsense, there's no such thing as 'overpowered'," Azimuth replied. _Apollo,_ Ezio though, _is this guy completely crazy? __Yes, he is, but he can hide it well._ "I should've left by now, but I'll ask Apollo to contact you if I need anything."

"One more question," Ezio said as he looked intently at Azimuth. "What's your real name…"

"Azimuth, that's all you need to know," Azimuth said, before Apollo grabbed Ezio and the next thing he knew, he was standing on a beach.

"Wait, why are we back on Lunapolis?" Ezio asked.

"Well, teleportation isn't as straight forward as you think," Apollo said. "Solana and Andromeda are the closest galaxies to the Milky Way, so if I have to teleport across longer distances…"

"So, Cobalia is…"

"Edge of the galaxy," Apollo said. "Then Azimuth's hideout is… well, I can't really say."

"Do you even know his first name?" Ezio asked.

"Nope," Apollo said. "Well, bribing Lee was a good way to get a reason to get you away…"

"I am going to kick your…" Ezio said, before stopping. "No, I'm going to let Raphael kick your ass. Oh, and you shouldn't try sweet talking me out of it."

"Why?" Apollo asked. "I could just leave you here and… the island is a good 100 miles from the beach where my house is but… you're free to crash on the couch."

"Did I mention that I've somehow developed a telepathic link to Raph?" Ezio asked, sarcastically. "And he was so pissed that he tore the head off of a gigantic snake?"

Ezio just watched as horror dawned on Apollo's face, realizing just how screwed he was. "Wait- You- You're not- Keep him away from me!"

"Just how desperate was Azimuth to meet me?" Ezio asked.

"Most of the lombaxes are gone from this dimension, so seeing another one shows that Tachyon's genocide didn't completely work," Apollo said. "It gives him a reason to keep fighting."

"Wait, he's suicidal?" Ezio asked. "But you can slide through dimensions, right? Couldn't you just take him to the dimension that the lombaxes live in?"

"Well…" Apollo started. "He f***ed up… badly. Either he was ex_iled_ or exe_cuted_ and he didn't get the final choice. And not suicidal… desperate. But the thing is… I've already said too much…"

"A cover-up?" Ezio asked, causing Apollo to wince. "Okay, dropping it… but it's best that you avoid Raph, or Liz, for a-"

"Where's that card?" A voice said, before Ezio barely managed to duck out of the way of several spells and a sharp blade.

"Cho?" Ezio asked, completely shocked. "For f***'s sake, it's just a card."

"It's £100,000, and I want it!" she shouted. "So hand over the Bahamut card or I'll kick your ass!" Ezio, not amused in the slightest, telekinetically grabbed her fan and threw it away, catching a few spells and returning them at Cho, who absorbed the spells and teleported next to Ezio and got ready for a kick.

"Shit," Ezio said before Cho kicked him square in the face, knocking him backward. As he recovered, Cho ran forward and tried to hit Ezio with a flurry of punches and kicks, before he transformed into his turian form and blocked several of her attacks. "Cho!" he began during a volley of dodges. "Calm! Down! I! Have! 3! Cards!"

"Then give me them!" she shouted as she went for a roundhouse kick. Ezio, however, smoothly dodged it with a crouched spin where he tripped her up before landing a forearm strike to her midsection to strike her into the ground.

"Cho, if you asked me for the card, I would've given it to you," Ezio said as he stood above her, while still in his turian form just in case. "There's just one problem… I gave the cards to Fred and George to keep them safe."

"Son of a…"

"How did you manage to get here, anyway?" Apollo asked. "This is a different _galaxy_?"

"I… I don't know," she replied. "I… I found out about the cards and wanted really desperately to get them, so… I discovered I could teleport by accident, didn't I?"

"Hey, at least it's an improvement," Ezio said with a smile. "Hey, do you think you can get back to Hogwarts by yourself?"

"I think so," Cho said, before fading away. Ezio finally turned back into a human, as he turned towards Apollo.

"Where did you learn that?" Apollo asked.

"…I have no idea," Ezio said, looking at his hand. "I… One of my turian powers… is kung fu?"

"Perhaps I've got a sparring partner," Apollo said, with a grin.

"Yeah, it Raphael doesn't destroy your spine," Ezio said.

"So, where are those cards, anyway?" Apollo asked.

"Right here," Ezio said. "What, did you think I'd actually give these away? Besides, I owe the twins but in a bad way."

"Okay, remind me not to piss you off," Apollo said, before the two of them teleported away.

* * *

><p>"So, this is the Great Hall of the inverted castle," Neville said as we all stood outside of it. "I have an idea… should we blow open the door with explosives?"<p>

"I think we should save the explosives for the fight," Harry said. "We need a doorman to open it anyway."

"As you wish, Young Master," Raphael said as he walked forward, bowed, then grabbed the door, then quickly forced the door open, enough that the doors fell off of the hinges.

"Thank you, Jeeves," Dumbledore said as they all walked in, only to see a large snake head surrounded by seven stumps waiting in the room for them.

"Harry Potter," the head spoke, "you were foolish enough to come."

"Riddle?" Harry asked. "What the f*** did you do- Wait, don't tell me… plastic surgery? Rhynoplasty? Because you really need it."

"This asshole is Voldemort?" Raphael asked. "Okay, jackass! Why the hell are you trying to control both angels _and_ demons? What, you want an army of such power?"

"The Trinity of Realities," Liz said. "You're trying to become a god by absorbing the power of the realms of light, darkness and the material world, aren't you?"

"You're smart for a Mudblood," the snake spoke as the door appeared to fly back into place and reattach itself, before locking in place. "Paradiso, Inferno, Earth and Purgatorio in the middle, the Trinity of Realities… perceiving all three shall allow me to obtain the proper place I deserve as the God of Magic."

"So you tried to obtain the power of darkness from Sparda," Neville began, "claim a powerful angel as the power of light and use the body of a mythical creature to harness the power…"

"You should've driven yourself insane, Tom," Dumbledore spoke up. "Unless you're channelling your magic through something else."

"Well, since you didn't get Sparda's power and we already captured Lucius before he caused too much damage in Paradiso, you screwed up," Harry said. "So, I'm going to give you a choice. Either give up now and face jail, or die here, with everyone knowing what a fool you are. So, what do you choose?"

"Do you honestly think that I'll listen to your solutions?" Voldemort said, angrily. "Bloodtraitors, throwing your lot with Muggles, and you think that you can save yourselves? Is this the future that you crave?"

"Man was slow so he learnt to run," Raphael said. "He was cold so he invented fire, and he was weak so he invented tools. Magic is a tool we use to live every day… You're weak because you hold onto the belief that magic is the strongest thing in the world and, well… that's a load of bullshit."

Voldemort, however, wasn't hearing it. He lunged straight towards the group as everyone was barely able to move out of the way. Harry and Neville rolled forward to miss the head slamming into the platform in the ground, Dumbledore Apparated back towards a vantage point, Liz ran towards a nearby wall and Raphael flew straight upwards towards the ceiling… floor… well, he slid under a table to try and sneak behind Voldemort.

"The remaining head is weak against wing magic," Nagato said. "His wounded stumps are also weak against fire."

"Thanks, Yuki," Liz said as she allowed Phantom to turn into a spear. "I'll focus on the stumps with the Professor, Harry, focus on the main head with Oberon."

"Right," Harry said. "Neville, I'm aiming a spell at you."

"Right," Neville said as several fiery orbs were fired from Liz's Devil Arm. Harry summoned Oberon and cast Garu at Neville, who then absorbed it into his blade, while Dumbledore used the spell _incendio_ to attack the stumps.

"Let's go," Neville shouted as he ran forward, kicked off a wall and sent a spinning slash outward, arching towards the neck of one head and causing a deep cut to appear, spraying blood everywhere, completely covering Neville who ran back to try and avoid it. "Oh, god… why is there so much blood?"

"In order to allow so much oxygen for such a large creature, a large amount of blood is required to allow it all to transport," Liz said. "If it was any bigger, it would have shot you out of the room."

"Look out!" Harry shouted as Liz turned, before being whacked by the snake's head and launched into a nearby wall. Liz was winded and struggling… but the snake was also panting heavily, before Liz stood up, perfectly fine. "Are you okay?"

"I have voodoo powers, I didn't bother to dodge since I could've stunned it," Liz explained. "It's catching its breath."

"Not for long," Raphael said as he crashed down onto the ground and punched the snake in the spot where the various spines would connect, causing the large monster to slump over. "It's time to kick ass and drink beer… and I'm all out of beer."

"Professor, this is the part where-" Harry tried to say.

"I'm an old man, so I'll stay out of this," Dumbledore said. Neville, Harry and Liz ran forward towards Raphael who was already pounding on the large monster, as they all kicked up a storm.

Dumbledore got ready to perform an incantation to help take down the creature. He suspected something was up, he just knew it. All the Muggles who were captured, where did they go? He knew what trick was up Tom Riddle's sleeve, but he didn't know when. But he was unable to see what was being done by the rest of the team from the smoke, which confused him since there was no dirt or dust nearby.

Neville was the first to appear out of the smoke cloud, missing his sword, Liz while missing an arm, Harry with his sniper rifle out, and Raphael slid on the ground. Almost all of them ran straight back into the fight, and Dumbledore was quite impressed with Neville running back in, picking up his sword in the process, while screaming, "You'll pay for this, MOTHERF***ER!"

Although Phantom being kicked out was just amusing. He shot past Dumbledore as a spear, through the doors, leaving a huge hole in the door. The door then collapsed into pieces as Phantom walked in as a small figure, wearing the helmet of a suit of armour as he walked past, using his claw to lift up the helmet as one would gently lift a hat to say 'Hello' nonverbally, set the hat down on the ground and transformed into his larger form then caught the flying snake's head and swallowed it whole. He then walked over, back into his smaller form, towards Liz and jumped up and transformed into a spear which she then readied to fight with.

"Guys, something's wrong," Harry said as he kept his gun ready. "If it's missing its heads… why is it still alive?" However, the main body then began to lift itself up on legs, as the main torso raised itself upward.

The torso had a misshaped face, so disgusting that Harry almost gagged when he saw it. Neville actually threw up, while Liz actually turned away. Dumbledore was just repulsed.

"Is he always this ugly or is he just without makeup?" Raphael asked Dumbledore.

"Tom… what have you done?" Dumbledore asked, stunned. "Are you… completely out of your mind…?"

"I am beyond the limits of a mere mortal," Voldemort said as he raised himself up. "A… Gua…"

"Look out," Harry shouted as the group all got behind cover.

"MENTI!" Soon, a torrent of water shot past the cover, barely missing all five of the combatants but causing the flames surrounding Phantom to die down as Liz held her spear close.

"Phantom, are you okay?" Liz asked, concerned.

"Y-yeah, j-just a b-bit cold," the demon said as the snake raised itself up.

"He needed the heads to protect the face on his chest," Dumbledore said. "Nagato, are you there?"

"It's weak to fire," she said. "But it takes a turn to protect itself and raise its magic to fuel that spell. Attack immediately afterward before it lies down."

"It's already lying down," Liz said. "We'll attack when we're ready, but it will take some time to ready the spell."

"Listen," Raphael said from the other side of the room. "It's leaving residual magic behind and I think I can push my limit… After three spells, I can easily beat it."

"We don't have that long!" Neville called out, despite standing next to Raph. "The stone is cracking!"

"A… Gua…"

"When I tell you to, run for the door!" Dumbledore said. "Don't try and argue, just go!"

"Professor Dumbledore," Harry called across the room, before Voldemort bellowed the spell and sent a current past them.

"Raphael, get them out of here!" Dumbledore said, as they all ran outward. Harry tried to protest, before Raphael picked him up and ran off.

"Calling your attack dogs off, are we?" Voldemort chuckled mockingly. "It won't matter, they'll eventually be killed by the Inferi."

"I already figured that out," Dumbledore said. "Why else did I send away the witch with the fire-elemental Devil Arm?" Dumbledore said as flames licked from his wand. "If it means killing you, I'm willing to pay the consequences. And I must admit that I was mistaken about something."

"So you finally admit your failings, then?" Voldemort asked, victorious.

"I believed that I could help you, just like Grindewald," Albus said, raising his wand. "I see that isn't the case. _Fiendfyre!_" Flames shot out of the wand, melting the stone as it shot straight at Voldemort, causing him to scream in pain. Dumbledore then began to run out of the Great Hall, allowing the flames to shoot out as he did.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry called back, just before Dumbledore ran out of the room as flames shot out of the room, barely missing the Headmaster who dived out of the way. "Holy f***! Are you okay?"

"Don't swear," Dumbledore said as he stood up. "Well, we should run to the exit, shouldn't we?"

"Guys, there are zombies climbing the walls," Liz said. "Should we run?"

"We could fly our way out of here," Raphael said as he grabbed everyone and ran out of the door, just as the flames surrounded everyone.

* * *

><p>'Okay,' Ezio thought to himself as he ran away from the 600-strong crowd, 'I shouldn't have let Apollo drop me off in the Grand Staircase.' He ran around the corridor before entering a classroom through a secret passage hidden behind a tapestry, where he wandered into a classroom to see Professors McGonagall and Flitwick talking.<p>

"You're Ezio, correct?" Flictwick said as he stood up. "May I ask how you found that passageway? And why you're out of breath?"

"…Most of the students are after me," Ezio said as he crouched down. "I got some really rare chocolate frog cards and Lee Jordan blabbed."

"Well, as long as no-one figures out you're here, you can stay here," Madame McGonagall said. "I guess I should formally introduce myself."

"You're professor… McGonagall, right?" Ezio asked. "I've heard of you from Seamus and Harry. Well, 'heard' wouldn't be the right word, more like 'saw their memories'. But while they don't always show it, the two do respect you."

"Well, on behalf of the teaching staff, I must thank you and your friends for saving us all," Professor McGonagall said. "But you've never been a student at this school, so it is unnecessary that you refer to me as 'Professor'. Minerva will suffice."

"And call me Filius," the smaller professor said.

"Oh- Alright," Ezio said.

"But I must ask… how did you meet some of our students?"

"Well, I met Seamus first," Ezio said. "It's a long story, but the gist of it is, the two of us were in Belfast when we wound up in the same stronghold during the attacks, I arrived first after being knocked out and he arrived soon after when he was injured with a car bomb."

"Oh, my…" Professor Flitwick said. "It's a good thing that Elizabeth is a natural healer, then."

"Well, that was shortly after I discovered I was a telepath," Ezio continued. "I accidentally saw most of his memories relating to the school and magic, and I promised I wouldn't tell anyone to stop him from being expelled, but that went right out the window after Death Eaters started attacking. After we managed to fight a good deal of them off, as well as survived big attacks by them and the alien attackers, we managed to find a way to travel to Wales."

"When did you meet Messrs' Potter, Weasley and Miss Granger?" Minerva asked.

"Well, that was before the Death Eater raid," Ezio said. "Well, after we handled that, we met with Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom, then travelled to Devon where Ron's family lived, then helped around London to deal with Death Eaters and Minister Fudge."

"I heard from Cho that Cornelius Fudge was killed by Death Eaters," Filius said. "I've also heard some… unflattering things about his recent activities."

"Yeah, he someone sent Dementors to kill Harry, and then put Harry on trial for defending himself," Ezio continued. "Well, after we did a few things and… here we are. Can I ask you a few things about the school?"

"Of course," they both said.

"When was the school founded?" Ezio asked.

"Around the 9th or 10th Century by four founders," Fulius said, "Godric Gryffindor, Helena Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. Each House, which is named after each founder and which all students are sorted into based on their strengths and weaknesses, has their own dorm and a House Ghost, Nearly Headness Nick, the Fat Friar, The Grey Lady and the Bloody Baron. We've been teaching the arts of magic ever since."

"And you teach…?"

"I'm the Professor of Transfiguration, the art of changing form and appearance," Minerva said. "It is commonly denoted by the symbol of a pink butterfly*. I am also the deputy head of the school as well as head of Gryffindor House."

[A/N: Image used on Harry Potter Wiki denoting the Transfiguration subject.]

"I, however, teach charms, which changes the effects of physics or other attributes of an object," Filius said. "It is represented by a blue heart**. I am also the head of Ravenclaw, although I believe you've figured it out."

[A/N: Same website]

"And Snape is the Potions teacher and head of Potions, right?" Ezio asked. "Who's head of Hufflepuff?"

"Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher," Filius replied. "That's the study and care of magical plants."

"Any other teachers and subjects?"

"Madame Septima teaches Arithmancy, magic by numbers, Hagrid teaches Care for Magical Creatures, well… there's no current teacher for Defence against the Dark Arts, the last one was an imposter," Flitwick said. "Oh, and Divination, which is taught by-"

"Minerva," a woman said as she ran straight into the room. "Thank goodness I found you, this simply couldn't wait." The thin, brown haired woman ran in, almost tripping over her shawl as she made her way to the front of the table, although Ezio was more entranced by her large glasses. "Something is seriously wrong."

"Sybill," Minerva said as she looked at her. _I guess you don't particularly believe in Divination then,_ Ezio projected to her. _Wait, don't say anything, she'll know I insulted her._ "Whatever is the matter?"

"Something is directly altering fate," Sybill said as she put her hands on a table. "You are aware of outer interference syndrome, correct?"

"I am vaguely aware of it," Filius said as he looked at her. "It's theoretically when an outside force directly changes the fate of an individual and the branching butterfly effect affects everyone around them and any seers, if they've made predictions relating to that one person, become sick as their third eye is being forced to experience a prophecy but not the energy to actually understand it."

"Oh, nonsense," Minerva said.

"Actually, I've got confirmation that several people using time travel caused an internal collapse of several dimensions and… well, _broke_ the universe, which is why the aliens are attacking," Ezio said as everyone looked at him. "You probably shouldn't ask how I know that."

"Oh, you're one of the people that helped save the school," Trelawney said as she looked at him. "Professor Sybill Patricia Trelawney, Divinations teacher."

"Ezio O'Malley," he said as he extended his hand for a shake, which was grabbed by Trelawney… although soon after, they were both surrounded by a blue tornado of light, as they were both consumed by the power of fate. Soon, they were able to let go, as Ezio stood back and Sybill sat down in a nearby chair.

"What just happened?" Minerva asked as Ezio regained his posture.

"I'm a Conduit, which allows me to boost the effect of magic," Ezio said. "I must have accidentally allowed her to see a vision of the future."

"You…" Sybill said as she stood up. "You should be dead. That car crash, it destroyed your spine."

"No, I suffered bruising to the frontal lobes," Ezio said, trailing off as he spoke. "Are you saying that before the dimensions collided, I died?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Sybill said. "Also, your fate was directly altered as well, allowing you to change the fate of other people just by being near them. From what I've been able to figure out, at least 5 people are guaranteed to live longer because of it."

"Wow… what else can you do?" Ezio asked, amazed.

"Give me your hand," Sybill said. "You're descended from several non-human individuals… although oddly, they're all first generation. You've suffered a great loss recently… both of your parents have recently died… I'm sorry for your loss… and you discovered the bodies. You've lived in both Ireland and America, and you've come dangerously close to death in both locations, including a serial killer, and the fallout keeps coming after you."

"Whoa…" Ezio said, as he turned towards the other two. "She's absolutely correct, about everything."

"And what about the fact that you have several non-human parents?" Minerva asked.

"Genetic engineering," Ezio said. "Although you shouldn't ask about the specifics."

"Although, I can't estimate your time of death, since it has already passed," Sybill said. "So it can come from any angle, without you realising it."

"Okay, it could come from any angle, I get it," Ezio said. "So, anything else you can tell me?"

"I don't think so," Sybill said. "Although… I suspect that now, more people should survive than in their… 'Original' timelines."

"Since most people are dead, however, I think I'm just balancing the books," Ezio said, before he suddenly turned around. "Oh, shit!"

"He's in here!" a student shouted as a large rampage was heard in the distance.

"Mother…" Ezio said as he was cornered, before a loud roar from Minerva caused everyone to freeze.

"Seriously, he's helped save all of you, and you're hunting him down like an animal?" Minerva shouted at everyone. "You should be ashamed of yourselves! We need to work together to survive, not murder each other over a minor collectible! Now I want everyone to apologise right now and leave him alone." As everyone muttered and walked out of the room, Ezio just stared at the older woman.

"Okay, that was awesome," Ezio said. "But… how did you magnify the volume of your voice?"

"Isn't it obvious that I used a spell?" Minerva asked him, as he just shrugged after thinking the question over.

Soon, a large crash erupted from overhead, then another… and another. "What was that?"

"Oh, god, I have no idea anymore," Minerva said as Filius walked over towards the window.

"There are Inferi everywhere and they're falling out of the skies!" Filius said as she ran out of the room, followed by Minerva.

"Inferi are commonly called 'Zombies' in Muggle material," Sybill said.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this."

* * *

><p>"Okay, we're flying around while dead people are falling from the sky, and you're flying around in circles?" Liz admonished Raphael.<p>

"Something is keeping me close to the floating castle, I can't help it," Raphael said as he looked around. "Guys, there's a platform up there. I can't get down there, though."

"Drop us off, then," Harry said as Raphael flew over and Neville and he jumped off. "Aren't you coming?"

"We can't…" Liz shouted down. "We… we can't move."

"I hate to say it…" Dumbledore said, "but… you have to…"

"We know," Neville said as he took out his sword. "Harry, while it's only been four years… it's been good to have met you."

"What?" Harry asked, insulted. "You think we're actually going to just lose like that? I don't think so."

"Yeah, you're right," Harry said as he reached for both guns. "Let's head up. We should be quick."

"Okay, you lead the way," Neville said as he got behind him. "I'll fight by your side."

"Look out up ahead," Dumbledore called down to them. "There are more Inferi around there."

"Thanks for the heads up," Harry said as the two ran on. "Okay, we should avoid a direct confrontation, do you know how to kill Inferi?"

"That's NEWT level," Neville replied. "I could slow them down with plants."

"You can do that?" Harry said. "Let's just be careful- Crap!" Harry rolled out of the way as a zombie reached for him and he slashed at it with his bayonetted guns before firing at the head of the walking corpse. "Great, this sucks."

"Hey, we should be fine," Neville said as roots shot up from the ground to cut off more Inferi. "Let's get out of here."

"Right," Harry said as they two ran off.

* * *

><p>"What the hell happened?" Kasumi asked as several military personnel shot at a horde of Inferi as Sirius sprayed a flammable chemical around the horde, laughing like a maniac.<p>

"Well," Ezio said as he walked over after dissecting an Inferi that ran over towards him, "while you were having fun in the Room of Requirement, Harry and his team accidentally sprung a trap causing all these corpses to fall out of the sky and come out of the lake. Believe it or not, most of the students are really good at Zombie slaying after Professor McGonagall taught them a fire spell."

"Hey, Ezio, can I borrow a Combustor?" Apollo said as he teleported next to him, dropping the head he was carrying.

"Here's my Shard Reaper," Ezio replied as he threw the gun at him. "Anyway, you too should look up."

"Why?" Keiji said as he looked onward. "Oh, holy…"

"Yeah, I know," Ezio said as Jack ran past, burning zombies away. "There isn't that many Zombies left. Seriously, how the f*** was Voldemort considered so dangerous?"

"Well, he is an extremely dangerous individual," Keiji said as he set an Inferi on fire. "What do we do?"

"I don't know," Ezio said. "Maybe fight our way out?" Soon, Raphael landed next to the group, letting Liz and Dumbledore climb off before turning into a more humanoid form. "Seriously, you left Harry and Neville up there?"

"We had no choice," Liz said. "We were cursed."

"Why didn't you absorb the magic?" Ezio asked.

"I did, but the spell only got worse," she replied. "Phantom, go take out as many zombies as possible, we need to talk."

"They're called Inferi," he said.

"Don't talk back to your elders," she said before he walked off and Dante slid past on a withered husk.

"Tony, wait!" Sparda shouted as he ran past. "Stop using the monsters for rides!"

"So, you spoke with Apollo's boss, then," Raphael said in an annoyed tone, while crushing the head of an Inferi that walked over towards him. "And don't think I'll let this blow over anytime soon!" Raphael then turned towards Apollo, whose fur was standing on end and his tail was between his legs. "I'll kick your ass the next time I get the opportunity!" Apollo just disappeared in an instant, taking the gun with him.

"So, what did you find out?" Liz asked, as Ezio took out a pentagonal card. "What is that?"

"A Chocolate Frog trading card," Ezio said.

"Oh, please don't tell me that Azimuth is on one of those," Liz said.

"No, this is Dumbledore's card," Ezio said, causing the professor to look at him. "Seriously, Ten Pin Bowling?"

"What?" Liz asked, taking the card, reading it over. "… Okay, that's ridiculous."

"What?" Dumbledore asked. "I find a nice game to be relaxing."

"Why not golf?" Ezio asked. "It would be easier to play with Appirition, wouldn't it?"

"Believe it or not, most Wizards look down on golf," Dumbledore said. "One Quidditch player was forced to resign after he was caught playing it."

"So I can come out of the closet by shagging someone in Diagon Alley but I play golf and I get burned at the stake?" Raphael asked.

"I doubt you need to worry about that," Ezio said, before being slapped in the back of the head by Raph. "But seriously, that does sound ridiculous."

"Yes, but I have actually bowled 60 perfect games," Dumbledore said.

"That's actually…" Ezio began before trailing off. "Liz? That Inferi over there… isn't that…"

"…My mom," Liz said, calmly, before a large burst of energy erupted from her, causing most of the remaining Inferi, including the corpse of her own mother to disappear. "I'LL KILL THAT SNAKE-FACED MOTHERF***ER! ! ! **I'M GOING TO SHOVE THAT WAND OF HIS STRAIGHT UP HIS ******** **** **** ***** ***! ! ! !**" Soon, she disappeared, leaving Pansy free to kill the last remaining Inferi. That's right, all 530 of them.

"Well, she's learnt to Apparate," Dumbledore said. "That's impressive.

"And I have to admit, Pansy is really good at Zombie Slaying," Raphael said.

"That's right, boys," Pansy said. "I got to wave 58 on Nazi Zombies, that's good for a Muggle, right?"

"WHAT! ?" Ezio shouted. "No, you did not- You did not just say that!"

"Why?" Pansy asked, confused. "Is that bad?"

"I've been playing Nazi Zombies and my friends can't get past wave 15!" Ezio said.

"Oh," Pansy said. "Well, you suck at it, then."

"Fine," Ezio said, before looking at her. "Have you ever heard of a game called StarCraft?"

* * *

><p>"Look, there's the top," Neville shouted as we ran past more Inferi before running up to the summit to see Voldemort overlooking the ground below. "Anymore obstacles left, you bald mother***er?"<p>

"You two astonish me," he said in a deadpan tone. "Yet for a thorn in my side, you have completely ruined everything that I've worked for. Do you enjoy destroying everything I've worked on?"

"Yes," Harry replied. "So, you thought that isolating Neville and I would make it easier to take us out before you wound up dead?"

"I only intended for you, Potter," Voldemort said. "But I'll be quick. Avada Kedavra!" He sent a killing curse straight to Harry, but it had little effect on him, instead causing Voldemort to grab his chest in pain.

"Smart move, Voldemort. You've just destroyed your last soul fragment."

"What?"

"Either the night that you murdered my mother, or the night that you murdered Cedric, I'm not really sure…" Harry said, trailing off. "Well, anyway, you took a piece of my soul while I took a piece of yours so… you're my Horcrux."

"And from what I can tell, Harry doesn't want immortality," Neville said. "That, and he wants revenge for killing his family and his friend. You know, simple business."

"So, I'll give the choice to you again," Harry said. "Give up or die."

"I choose neither," he said, before Apparating away and leaving several Inferi in his wake.

"Okay, we have really got to learn how to deal with these," Harry said as he slashed a corpse's head off, causing it to go limp. "That spell that Professor Voldemort cast, did you manage to hear it?"

"No, but I know the spell," Neville said as he cleaved several corpses in two. "But we are NOT going to try it!"

"How bad is it?" Harry said.

"Dumbledore RAN AWAY! !" Neville shouted as he struggled. "I can't kill these guys, how are you doing it?"

"Go for the head," Harry said as he cut another head off. "They're still alive… well, you know… but they can't move."

"Status effects don't work, do you know any spells?" Neville asked as he started decapitating more corpses.

"Why would I know that kind of magic?"

"You're f***buddies with Hermione, right?"

"We're 14," Harry said.

"People usually get married as young as 8 in some countries."

"Oh, for f***'s sake!" Harry then fired shots into the heads of more Inferi. "Okay… Hermione used this spell when we went after the Philosopher's Stone…"

"What spell?" Neville asked.

"Some sort of fire spell, she used it to defeat the Devil's Snare," Harry replied. "Oh, to hell with it… _Incendio_!" Harry said after grabbing his wand and sending it forward. "Oberon, Garu!" Harry called out, summoning his Persona then repeating his first spell, causing a tornado of flames to appear. "Okay, Neville, absorb the spell into your blade before it dissipitates!"

"Got it," Neville said as he pulled the spell into his sword which caused it to shoot a torrent of flames with each slash. "They're gone… what now?"

"I expect Voldemort to attack us directly any second now," Harry said, before barely dodging out of the way of a curse. "Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted as a second curse came towards Neville, causing a golden orb to appear between them. "Neville, now!"

Neville, to his credit, immediately ran forward and tried to hit Voldemort with his sword, sending him reeling. Soon, Harry's spell connected with him, sending him flying. "Okay, you ready?"

"Let's go!" Harry replied, before they both rushed at Voldemort, who let panic fill his eyes. "This is for Cedric…" Harry said with a punch before Voldemort Apparated away, leaving behind more Inferi.

"Okay, do you _have_ to leave corpses to fight for you?" Neville asked, annoyed. "You're scared of us and leave dead people to Deal with your own messes? What is _Wrong_ with you?"

"I consider it a testament of my own skill and power," Voldemort said. "I have enslaved the dead, soon I shall overcome death… itself…"

"So, all this is because you don't want to die? !" Harry asked, horrified. "I should kill you for that alone, just for irony!"

"We'll see about that," Voldemort said, before all of the Inferi were killed and Voldemort tried to send curses out again. Harry rebound the spells back before locking spells with Voldemort again.

"Neville, get his wand away!" Harry called out.

"I got it," Neville said as he ran over, struck Voldemort in the stomach with his sword and knocked the wand away, over towards Harry who took out his sniper rifle.

"You're a one trick pony, Tommy," Harry said as he aimed his rifle at the wand at his feet before dropping the bayonet down, snapping the wand in half. "Let's see what you can do without your wand, bitch." Voldemort Apperated away immediately while sending random curses around the battlefield, causing Harry and Neville to be backed into the corner. "I think I may have over done it," Harry said.

"Gee, do you honestly think so?" Neville asked as he blocked more spells with his sword. "I can't keep blocking, got a plan?"

"Yeah," Harry said as he got closer to Neville. "When I say, jump and hide behind that nearby wall, but for the love of God, don't make a sound." Harry then created an illusion while turning the two invisible. Soon, the two were behind a wall as the illusions were lying on the floor, apparently writhing in pain, as Voldemort Apperated next to the illusion and started laughing.

"Give me a handgun," Neville whispered to Harry who then handed Neville a Combustor as the two moved around to about 90 degrees of each other and looking at the gloating Voldemort, who was laughing at the 'defeated' pair.

"I've finally defeated you, Harry Potter," Voldemort said as he took out a knife. "Time to die."

Harry's illusion, however, caused both of them to look at Voldemort and grin at him before disappearing. Now wide-eyed, Voldemort dropped the knife in shock as his mouth slowly dropped open.

"Now!" Harry shouted as he and Neville quickly stood up and fired into Voldemort, causing blood to shoot out of him as lead entered and left his body. "Like I said, a one trick pony, and you thought that you could honestly kill everyone in the world?"

"You've seen my Inferi," Voldemort said. "All 50,000 of them, personally killed by my Death Eaters."

"That doesn't mean shit about power," Neville said. "It just means you're a f***ing maniac. Anyone who wants so many people dead just because they don't like them are nothing in this world. So just curl up into a ball and die!"

"Die?" Voldemort asked, enraged while walking over to the edge of the platform, trying to keep it together so that he could Apperate away. "I was meant to be the ruler of death. I was supposed to be the _KING_ over you _pathetic_ mortals!"

"King?" Harry asked with a disgusted tone while handing his sniper rifle to Neville who then cocked it and held it to his shoulder.

"Yeah…" Neville said, calmly, while Harry took out his SMGs and readied them. Then, in an instant, the two were aiming at Voldemort, prepared to kill, as they slowly squeezed their triggers, Harry crouched down and Neville aiming over Harry's shoulder, saying the same words in unison.

"Here's your crown!"

Harry pepper-sprayed Voldemort to cause him to step closer to the edge, before Neville fired the rifle into Voldemort's head, causing him to fall limp over the edge, dropping to the ground below.

"Okay…" Neville said, catching his breath. "Oh my god…"

"Hey, at least we can say this," Harry said while taking back his rifle. "With witty one-liners like that, we could be action heroes."

"We just killed a guy and you had to say _that? !_" Neville asked, disgusted. "Harry, are you insane?"

"I'm trying to calm you down," Harry said, backing off. "Look, we killed the head of the Death Eaters, so we've got one less problem to worry about."

"Yeah…" Neville said, panting. "I'm just a little on edge."

Soon, a large quake shook the inverted castle, causing Harry and Neville to fall to the ground. "What was that?" Harry asked, before he saw lights flickering past, like fireflies, coming from the stone. "Damn it, the castle is disappearing."

"Right, because it's entirely made of magic," Neville said. "Well, if we fall to our deaths, just remember, that… you were one of the first real friends I've ever had."

"Same here," Harry said, smiling as the two slipped through the fading castle.

* * *

><p>"How? !" Ezio asked, horrified. "How did you do that?"<p>

"I just sent them to your base," Pansy said, with a smile. "So, since you lost the bet, you owe me."

"Okay, how about an upgrade?" Ezio asked. "Allow you to play the full campaign mode as well as unlocking more in-game features."

"Deal," Pansy said as Ezio walked over to her computer and began entering his card details.

"So, how'd it go?" Charlie asked. "I heard you were playing some PC game, and that you did it in front of a crowd."

"She Zerg rushed me," Ezio said, annoyed. "She Zerg rushed me… a Zerg player."

"What's a Zerg rush?" Viktor asked as he walked over.

"It's where you create a large number of smaller, weaker units and send them to the opposing base to destroy it with overwhelming numbers," Ezio explained. "She did that to me with basic gatherer units, the SCVs."

"I have to admit, if Wizards played more of these, they'd probably bitch less about blood purity," Pansy said.

"Yeah, but more about 'Alliance VS Horde," Ezio said. "Well, perhaps a rematch is in order."

"Oh no, you lost," Pansy said. "Unless you want to bet on a streak."

"Oh, come on, it's not like God doesn't want us to play," Ezio said. "Hey, Old Man, if you're up there, get off your fat ass, Humpty Dumpty! Help us out here, what, with the aliens and the omnicidal maniacs? Send us a sign!" ***CRASH***

"Oh my god," Pansy shouted as Ezio jumped back, screaming.

"Oh, shit!" he called out, before landing on the ground, hands closed together. "Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god."

"What the hell happened?" Raphael asked, running over.

"I'm sorry, Jesus, I didn't mean that 'Humpty Dumpty' shit, I swear!" Ezio shouted.

"What?"

"…Nothing…" he said, standing up. "Oh, god, who's this bitch?"

"That's…" Hermione said, shocked. "That's Voldemort."

"Oh," Ezio said, before walking over towards him and undoing his zipper.

"You're not going to piss on his corpse!" Raphael said.

"I have mind control, remember?" Ezio said.

"Why not put him in a shallow, unmarked grave?" Hermione asked. "He deserves it."

"How many people saw him crashing down through the roof?" Ezio asked. "In fact… what about Harry and Neville?" Soon, everyone in the classroom ran outside, heading towards the courtyard, running past, over and through crowds of people, before finding their way to the open space.

"Hey," Liz said as she looked up. "The inverted castle is fading away. What's going on?"

"Voldemort's corpse just crashed through a ceiling," Ezio said. "It's no inocular inertia. Kill the source and the power fades."

"Yeah, but it has nowhere to fade _to_," Sparda said. "All that magic is going to need to be cast, but not in a single lifetime. Voldemort was truly mad."

"There they are!" Ginny said, looking upward. "Harry and Neville! They're… they're falling!"

"Raph!" Ezio said, quickly.

"I'm on it," he replied, soaring away.

* * *

><p>"I see why Muggles like jumping out of planes now," Neville said. "Soaring downward, adrenaline pumping… is this what it's like on a broom?"<p>

"Yeah, it is," Harry said, as they fell downward. "Hey, there's our ride." Raphael then flew towards them, scooping them in his hand as he curved downward, slowly coming to a halt and hovering above the ground, before dropping down.

"Are you alright?" Raph asked before turning back into a human form.

"I won't lie," Neville said as his knees buckled. "I thought I would die up there."

"Hey, at least you came with me," Harry said. "And you thought that you would never be a true Gryffindor."

"Yeah," Neville chuckled. "So, it's… over? We've… we've killed Voldemort."

"It's not exactly over," Harry said. "We've still got to deal with a lot of crap, what, with the collapsed Masquerade."

"And the aliens," Ron said. "Don't forget about that." Soon, Dumbledore and McGonagall were running towards them, completely in shock. "Yeah, we saw the corpse as well."

"Well, at least one thing is clear," Harry said as Sirius ran over. "Sirius, you know what to do."

"IT'S TIME TO PAAARTAAAY! !" Sirius shouted, causing two champagne bottles to appear and fire off in a small river as he ran around soaking students in it.

After 30 minutes, the news had already spread to London, and several people arrived at Hogwarts to meet with their children and celebrate that they were still alive. Everyone was having a good time, but keeping it subdued. Hell, Apollo was somehow taped to one of the hands of the clock tower by the Weasley twins. However, during the festivities, two others were dragging themselves up towards a keep, overlooking the setting sun, as they sat together.

* * *

><p>"It's been a long time since we've sat alone like this," Liz said. "When was the last time?"<p>

"Watching the sunset?" Ezio asked. "Last summer, after I got out of hospital. Sitting together, watching the sun in Twilight, however…"

"New Years," Liz said, putting her head down on Ezio's shoulder. "We pulled an all-nighter just so that we could watch the sun rise. Just us up a mountain, sitting on a ledge that overlooked the ledge, drinking hot chocolate at 9 am." They sat in silence as the sunlight waned, watching the spells shoot up like fireworks into the darkness. "You do realise you've changed, right?"

"I noticed," Ezio said, with a small smile on his face.

"Not into a lombax, I meant, in terms of maturity," Liz said. "End of June, you were worried about exam results, now, you're worried about the people you've met."

"That's what I meant as well," Ezio replied. "There's something in my back pocket. Since your hands are already down there…"

"Oh," Liz said as Ezio moved to allow her to pull it out. A simple cloth, that she slowly opened. "Oh my…"

"Thank you," Ezio said as he turned back into a human. "Out of all the bizarre stuff that happened to me since we met, you've always been there for me. People already say we're like a married couple, so… why not?"

Liz, slowly, put the ring on her finger, while watching the skylights above her glisten off of it. "You took this from Joseph Rea Jewellers, didn't you?" Liz asked. "Couldn't afford it?"

"I had that since March," Ezio said.

"What?" Liz asked.

"Well… I meant to ask you in May but… I got scared," Ezio said. "So I-"

"Waited a little longer to get the confidence needed?" Liz asked. "Is this why you've been overdoing it on absinth?"

"Actually, yeah," Ezio replied. "About 3 extra burnt green fairies, and a few unburnt."

"I always knew you were strange because of that," Liz replied. "Alcohol doesn't faze you. Hell, my scans can't even detect any liver damage."

"So, cut down on the booze?" Ezio said. "Sure, I'm good."

"But what about money, how are we going to afford it?" Liz replied.

"Well, Campbell offered us jobs with NEXUS, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but… what about a house?"

"Liz, I read your mind, I know about the will," Ezio replied. "If I know my dad, he has something up his sleeve."

"Okay, but we should be careful, right?" she said. "And by the way, whatever happened to getting down on one knee?"

"I thought it's overrated," Ezio said. "It would have ruined the mood. Hell, you actually expect me to get down?"

"Yes!"

"Fine, then."

* * *

><p>"I can't see them," Remus said. "What are they doing?"<p>

"They're arguing," Ginny said. "Come on, get on one knee!"

"That is so overrated," Ron and Harry said.

"No it isn't," Hermione said. "It's romantic."

"Yeah, but if he asked her while they were just sitting there, that would be more sweet," Charlie said. "Hell, that's how I'd want to propose."

"If I was just given a ring, that would be enough for me," Fleur said.

"Should I be taking notes?" Bill asked.

"Hey, move out of the way," Kasumi said. "I'm her cousin, I get rights to front row seats."

"Oh, I can't believe the lot of you," Mrs Weasley said. "This is their time, they shouldn't have the lot of you ruining it."

"Hey, they've been on the fence since before we came here," Raphael said, sitting down on the ground. "We're just waiting on the confirmation, actually."

"Neville, Luna, why are we watching Ezio and Liz?" Vivi asked.

"Well, we want to know if they'll get married," Neville said.

"Why would they want to get married?"

"Because if they're married, they'll be able to have a family," Luna said.

"So, we're not a family?" He asked.

"Well, we sort of are," Neville said, looking worryingly at Luna, who returned a knowing look. "We have to be older before we can get married."

"Oh my god," Fred said. "He just got down on his knee!"

"Please tell me you're het," George said, as he looked onward. "He's asking her the question… god it's a long proposal… did he have to mention the brothel?"

"What?" Draco asked.

"Don't ask," Seamus said. "Wait, she's smiling and…"

And that's when it happened. Liz leaped forward as the two of them spun around, laughing. Then they stopped, closing in and then…

The kiss.

The observers erupted into applaud, before the two broke away. "Guys, for the love of God!"

"Oh, just ignore them," Liz replied, before the two locked lips again. They fell to the ground as stars and fireworks filled the sky. The world was going to hell, but for now… they were happy.

* * *

><p>"Phillipe," the man in the chair said as the other man appeared in front of him, accompanied by his two assistants. "When I said it was urgent that we spoke, I meant 'Stop messing around with girls with short skirts and get in contact as soon as possible'."<p>

"I apologize," Phillipe Loren said. "Communications haven't been exactly up-to-scratch since we last spoke."

"What is the situation like in Steelport and New Marais?"

"Everything is going to the dogs here," he replied. "Bertrand has gone insane and forced Dr Wolfe to continue his Power Transfer Device research, even though it was deemed too dangerous, as well as attracting the attention of NEXUS and NERV thanks to his Militia's actions in Ireland. As for Steelport, a small gang calling themselves the 'Third Street Saints' have started a gang war against the Syndicate."

"What about other locations?" the head of the board said. "London, Tokyo, the Citadel?"

"Well, we have good news," one of the assistants said. "Our investments in GrommelNet, Gadgetron and Megacorp have received around 20% additional revenue as well as new possible means of fighting the Drophyds."

"Also, as per your request, we have performed research into the individual known as Apollo," the other assistant said. "The only thing remarkable about him is that he is a Conduit, leading to the possibility that the Protheans also experimented on species outside of the Milky Way Galaxy."

"That isn't the only thing you found," the man said.

"The world he grew up in, Lunapolis, we found a death certificate for two humans," she said. "Our efforts were in vain. Doctor Ikari and her son, Angelo, CHIMERA #13522 were killed several years ago."

"Well, I must report on one… sad fact that was made aware to me several days ago," the man said. "Operatives Lawson and Wilson have gone rogue."

"That's not all she has done," another voice said, joining the conversation. "She has passed on Cerberus intel to an information broker named Omar Langley, a local London gangster."

"Ah, Matthew, so good to speak to you again," the man said.

"The feeling's mutual, TIM," he replied. "Also, she has gotten into contact with former operative Okuda and his wife, as well as ICARUS."

"Subject #24601?" one of the assistants asked.

"Subject #24601, Ezio O'Malley, as well as his brother, Raphael and Ezio's fiancée, Elizabeth Richards," a woman said, walking over towards Matt.

"He's engaged… to a former operative's daughter," TIM said. "What are they currently doing?"

"They've fallen off the map," Matt replied. "But word from some local deckers says that they've helped kill Tom Marvolo Riddle. Also, when we tried to activate the kill switch on some files stored on our London terminals… we didn't completely wipe the list. They know about Killbane."

"Well, we need to make sure they don't get out of our line of sight," the head said. "As for what to do in Steelport, keep your heads down and handle the Saints quietly."

"That… won't be possible, sir," Matt spoke up. "The Saints are posting information about the Syndicate and… well… they're on a celebrity's private web page."

"Who?"

"J-Josh Birk," Matt replied. "As well as on Picus TV."

"Damn it," Loren said, horrified.

"Killbane, are you online?" TIM asked.

"Of course I am," the large man said as he joined the conversation. "Damn it, Matty, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"We just got the information," Matt replied. "Also, we had to let go of some of our more skilled hackers after the little fiasco they caused on the PSN."

"Killbane, get some men over to New Marais and take out Bertrand," TIM said.

"No can do, sir, he has a small army there, and we can't get near him at all," Killbane replied. "Most of my men are dead, in fact, and the rest are being hunted down. Also, I've been trying to promote the Luchadores as heroes for fighting the Drophyd forces."

"What can we confirm about New Marais?" TIM asked.

"Well, Manuela has escaped," Loren said. "As well as most of Vermaak 88, but, something is odd."

"Tell me," TIM said.

"They're… sane," Loren said. "This goes against all expectations, but-"

The signal was cut, all of them were surprised. "Matt, get the deckers to wipe and overload the computers in Loren's base, now!"

"I'm already on it," he said, before he was cut.

"Killbane, listen carefully," TIM said. "I don't want you to get involved unless you can save Loren, but get over there and find out what happened."

"Yes, sir," Killbane said, before his signal was cut.

"Adjudant, get the commander online, I need to speak to him immediately."

"Of course, sir."

* * *

><p>"Well, things are looking up," Dumbledore said as we sat in his office as several fireworks went off. "The Wizengamot is being led by a competent leader while the Aurors are becoming more involved. Also, more magical communities are becoming involved with Muggle communities, as well as aiding in the fighting."<p>

"Maybe then we'll be able to ensure that Tachyon doesn't end up causing galactic genocide," I said from across the table while putting down the iPad. "However, we still have a lot of work to do."

"Yes," Dumbledore said, smiling. "We have to perform to the best of our abilities for the greater good."

"And there we go again," I said, allowing my smile to fade. "Albus, it's always been about 'The Greater Good' with you, but there is one thing you constantly overlook. The smaller details. You constantly loot at the greater picture but fail to consider the people who you use as pawns and how it will affect them. You keep trying to distance yourself from Grinderwald but at the same time, keep forgetting to let go of his philosophies."

"Am I really that bad at not considering other?" Albus asked, slightly upset.

"Ja, mein kommandant," I said, bringing up my cup of tea. "For example, consider what you would've done before the universes collapsed. You would've allowed Harry to suffer a summer of dread and depression, only helping him if it would further your own plans, and let him return to Hogwarts while suffering from isolation among his peers. Now, he has some friends and allies he can rely on, and who can rely on him when he is needed. Not part of a damn plan that takes up most of his young life."

"And that's why you had Dobby steal those documents and give them to Harry?" Albus accused him.

"Well, you needed to be taught some manners," I said. "Although I had no idea that Ron knew the Killing Curse, actually."

"So, this step is completed," Dumbledore said. "Tell me, what's next in your cosmic scale plan, Orvus?"

"Well, you'll have to wait and see," I said with a smile, before chuckling.


	33. Operation Louisiana 1: I'm FreeFree Fal

Wow, two chapters in a week. This is awesome. Now I have to say a few things I intended for the last arc, but couldn't fit in.

I wanted to put Thwarp into the arc, but I couldn't find a way, so here's the basic gist. Hagrid got him deep enough into the Forbidden Forest that the Death Eaters wouldn't find him, and he is perfectly safe. Secondly, the large amount of ambient magic is a plot point that would be resolved soon. Okay? Also, after the end of the arc, Ezio and Liz met up with Campbell and got trial jobs with NEXUS, and would be helping around London as much as possible, while staying with Sirius and the Weasleys.

So, originally, I was going to skip to New Marais (the original title for Arc 3 was 'Operation New Marais', but then I thought, 'Why not add the Third Street Saints into the mix?' So, here's the next arc, in this short chapter (Damn, they're get longer when I have writer's block).

'Does this mean I'm out of a job?'

No, Hermione, I still need help.

'Okay.'

"Hello?" A voice said as I, dreary eyed, woke up. I had no idea where I was, but I knew I had to get out of here. The last thing I remember was a large explosion, then… a bag over my head… Oh no, where am I? "Hello, is anyone there? If you are, push open the glass in front of you and try and climb out of the stasis pod."

With hesitation, I tried to move my left arm, before pulling it back in pain. It hurt so much, I didn't remember breaking it. But… how long was it since I was knocked out? Desperately, I kicked forward with my left leg and pushed the glass upward, before using my right arm to help myself out. "Oh, thank god," the voice said from a nearby screen. "Hey, you can hear me, right? Come over to this screen."

"Okay," I said, grabbing my own stomach and walking over to the screen. "Oh, god…"

"Wow, you look pretty beat up," the female voice said. "Don't worry, I'm here to help. Well, not actually there, I'm in a warehouse previously used to store meat on a port, but… you get the idea."

"Where am I?" I asked, looking around, slumping on the ground. "Ow…"

"Hey, listen, there's a nearby first aid station on the wall to the right," she said, as I looked over. "Pull the handle to open it, then cover the paste on your abdomen to reduce the pain." As I slowly got back up and stumbled over, I tried to see around my surroundings… but my eyes hurt too much, and the darkness in the room makes it hard to see. The only light, however, is coming from the bizarre pod I woke up in. As I stumbled over, the voice tried to talk to me. "So, do you have a name?"

"What about you?" I asked. "And why are you helping me?"

"My name is Kinzie," she said. "I thought I would get back at a guy who got me fired from by job, but when I found you sleeping there, I thought I'd help you instead. So, what's your name?"

"…Hinata," I said as I got over to the first aid cabinet and pulled down on a handle, forcing it to spill its contents onto me. There were several packets of clear gel. I brought one up to my mouth and used my teeth to tear them open before pouring them onto my exposed navel and rubbing them in. With relief, I allowed the burning sensation to fade away, before applying the salve to my arm and creating a splint from a nearby bed. "Where am I, again?"

"I don't know exactly, but… welcome to Louisiana," Kinzie said. "Look, there were two others that I tried to wake up there, but I got detected in the network and locked out, although I've taken over the PA system so that we can talk to each other."

"I…" I began, before hesitating.

"It means I tried to free the other prisoners but I was only able to save you," Kinzie said. "And I'll be able to talk to you when you're in separate rooms. Look, there are other people here, but we can't help them, I'll just try and use the video cameras to help you escape."

"Okay, what do I do?" I asked.

"There's a nearby vent to the left of the pod," Kinzie said. "From what schematics I can find, that should lead to a storage locker close to the exit."

"Okay," I said, walking over before crouching down before it and hitting a switch to cause it to raise up. "Where should I go?"

"Take the first left and keep going until the last… that's the fourth, right," she explained. "I won't be able to talk until you're through."

"Thank you," I said before crouching through, although I looked out of several grates in order to see where I was.

One large room was filled to the brim with cars, mostly pink, green and blue cars. The only thing they had in common was that they all had starts printed on the front. In another room were a group of men and women in suits and… bikinis, respectively, all just… sitting around.

Continuing on, I passed by an office, occupied by two women, one of which was on the phone. "Of course, sir," one said, before hanging up. "Something's wrong."

"What?" Her identical double asked her.

"The Illusive Man wants to speak Phillipe," the first said. "Something about Bertrand and his agents causing trouble, but I don't know what. So, how is that report coming?"

"Well, it seems that we've made at least a 10% profit," the second said. "Come on, we have to speak to the idiots who tried to steal from us." I just continued on after that.

The room I eventually wound up in was a large room with several doors, most likely cells. The ventilation shaft was touching the ceiling when I opened it, so I had to use my right arm to slowly lower myself to the ground. However, I lost my grip and fell to the ground, causing a bit of noise. I was about to pick myself up, when I heard a voice from behind one of the cells.

"Hey, who's out there?" someone said, before running over to the door. It was a Caucasian woman, with long, brown hair and brown eyes. I couldn't see anything else. "Oh god, you've got to help us!"

"How?" I asked, looking at the door. There was nowhere for a set of keys or even a handle. There was just the screen in front of the door.

"Perhaps I can help," the voice on the computer said.

"Who are you?" the other woman asked.

"Call me Kinzie," she replied. "And you are…"

"Call me Shaundi," the other woman replied. "There's also Johnny and the Boss."

"Okay, can we get them out of here?" Hinata said.

"I was locked out of everything except the PA, remember?" Kinzie said. "Hold on… do any of you have a cellphone on you?"

"Here," a male voice said, before Shaundi handed me a phone.

"Okay, tell me the number," Kinzie asked, which Gat quickly answered. "Okay… remotely taking control of the phone… Hinata, this is where you come in."

"What do I do?" I asked.

"Hold the phone in front of the lock to allow the two devices to connect," Kinzie said which I quickly did. "Okay, a series of paths and bridges should appear on the screen. Each path is a link while each folder image is a directory, a capturable piece of code that allows you to access other directories. Cubes, however, are often files, data stores with viruses or even electronic funds."

"What about the sphere symbol?" I asked.

"That's your target," Kinzie said. "It will allow you access to the keypad, allowing you to open the door. Oh, and by the way, with each directory or data store you capture, there's a chance you'll be detected."

"What happens when I'm detected?" I asked.

"Then the system will try and boot you out and raise the alarm," Kinzie said. "When that happens, relax, you just need to hurry."

"Okay, I'll see if I can do this," I said, trying to capture the first directory. "Okay, one down, 2 directories and a data store to go."

"Is this going to take long?" Shaundi asked.

"I think so," Hinata said. "Okay, I've got the last two directories. Should I go for the datastores?"

"You didn't raise the alarm," the other voice, I think Gat said. "If it means taking cash from them, go ahead."

"Okay, I've got something called a 'Nuke'," I said.

"A nuke virus allows you to take a node without raising the alarm," Kinzie said. "If you get a slow worm, use it if you need more time to take a system."

"I'll go for the last data store before I finish," I said, before a red banner appeared with a timer. "Oh, no…"

"You've still got time," Kinzie said. "Capture the final node, you still have thirty seconds!"

"Hold on," I said, waiting for the system. "I got it!"

"The door's opening," Shaundi said, as she let the door open and walk out. "Thanks, kid. So, what's your name and… what's with your eyes?"

"Most of my family have pure white eyes," I said, shyly. "Oh, my name's Hinata."

"Thanks," an Asian man said, walking out. "We owe you."

"Don't mention it," I replied. "Oh, your phone."

"Keep it," he said as we walked out of the hall.

"So, Hinata, when did you get captured by… these people?" Shaundi.

"I… I don't know exactly…" I replied. It was the day before the final exam at the academy, so… "March… the 11th, I think."

"And you've been unconscious all that time?" Johnny asked me. "Do you even know what date it is?"

"No, I don't," Hinata said. "What date is it?"

"Look at the screen," Johnny said, before I turned my attention to it… and almost dropped the screen when I saw it.

**Wednesday, July 20, 2011**

"I've…" I began, in shock. "I've been out of it… for four months?"

**Operation Louisiana: Chapter 1: I'm Free - Free Falling!**

"Hey, boss, aren't you coming?" Shaundi shouted back.

"Give me a second," she said, before walking out of the cell. I was shocked by her appearance. She wore baggy jeans that had several cuts in them, as well as thick work boots. She wore a beaten, leather jacket with only a tank top underneath. She had a lot of tattoos on most of her flesh, from what I could tell, and her head was shaved off, but had clean-shaven patterns where the stubble didn't grow. "Hinata, right?" she asked me.

"Yes," I said, nervously. "And you?"

"Call me Jack," she said as she walked over. "So, how do we get out of here?"

"There's an exit just down the hall," Kinzie said. "You should just… Damn it!"

"What?" I asked.

"They back traced me," Kinzie said. "Just get out of there! I'll be okay!"

"Thank you," I said, as the PA roared noise before going static.

"Let's get out of here," Shaundi said as we all walked outside. "So, you're probably wondering about us, then?"

"Yes, I am, actually," I replied. "What did you do?"

"We tried to steal a safe from a bank," Jack said.

"Is that all?" I asked. "Isn't that a bit harsh, kidnapping someone over a safe?"

"You didn't see how big it was," Johnny said. "It was as big as a house." I stopped walking when I heard that. "I guess you're surprised now, then."

"Yeah…" I said. "I am."

"Hey, can you open this door?" Shaundi asked, before I walked over with Gat's phone. "What about you? What happened?"

"I was just on my way to school when…" I said, before trailing off.

"You must go to an expensive school if you can speak English fluently at your age," Jack said. "Perhaps it's because your old man is rich."

"It's a possibility," I said. "I've got a slow worm and about 600¥."

"That's about $5 in the US," Shaundi said. "So, the eyes… everyone in your family has them?"

"Most of my extended family, actually, but my dad, little sister and I all have them," I explained.

"They're actually quite beautiful, really."

"T-thanks," I said, nervously. "I think I need a moment to open the door, please be patient."

"So, who do you think captured us?" Johnny asked.

"Well, they have a lot of money if they can hire ninja," I blurted without thinking. "What do you think?"

"Some ancient conspiracy or some collection of rich assholes who think that they can buy the world for themselves and control it from the shadows," Jack said. "They don't care who has to suffer as long as they're on top, and will manipulate people through the media and internet in order to bend the will of the masses."

"That's…" Shaundi began. "Oddly specific… and creepy."

"I've been involved in these kinds of people before," Jack replied.

"Is this why you keep switching over when Nyte Blayde is on?" Shaundi asked.

"It's a shitty show about vampires," Jack said. "I could write better shows than that emo crap."

"Yeah, I've read your poetry," Shaundi said.

"What?"

"I'm just saying," Shaundi said while looking over some of the cars. "Jacquiline."

"What you say?"

"Nothing."

"Is this normal for Westerners?" I asked, confused.

"Not actually," Johnny said. "But when you've been with us after a while, you get used to it. The thing is, having a kid rolling with us is a bad idea, so we'll keep you away from the fighting."

"I got the door open," I said, before the door slid open. "Hey, the lights are out… should we even go this way?"

We were blinded when the light shot past us, several lights waiting for us. There were the men and women from before, carrying all sorts of guns. The two twins were there as well, on opposite sides of a much older man, wearing a more expensive version of the suits the men were wearing. "Well, long time no see, Jack."

"Loren?" Jack asked, horrified. "What the f*** are you doing here?"

"This is my personal craft," he replied. "If you didn't want the Syndicate finding you, the Third Street Saints shouldn't have tried to steal from the Syndicate."

"Boss, you know this French f***?" Shaundi asked.

"I am Belgian," 'Loren' replied.

"Then go make yourself a fucking waffle," Johnny said. "We're done here."

"So, you won't hear our offer?" Loren asked.

"What offer?" I asked.

"Miss Hyuuga, I didn't expect you to find your way out of your room," Loren said. "Well, since you threw your lot with them… Viola, Kiki."

"It's a simple 'work for us to recoup our losses' deal," a woman, wearing white sunglasses said. I think that she was 'Viola'. "Your damages are a net worth of $25,000,000."

"And then, we'll allow the Saints to work for the Syndicate," her twin, my guess, Kiki, said. "You'll be allowed access to our stash of weapons, drugs and VIP access to our clubs."

"What if we say 'no'?" I asked.

"Well, we need you for a ransom, we will just recapture you," Loren said. "Shaundi and Gat are expendable, however, and my employer would like for us to reclaim Subject Zero."

"Okay, you cheese eating-"

"Shaundi, wait," Jack said, holding her hand out. "Let me ask one thing before I make a decision."

"And… what is that?" Loren asked.

"Phillipe, come on," Jack said, smiling. "Did you actually forget that my amp was internal?" Quickly, a dark flame surrounded her as a car flew past us in time with her hand, before all of the forces got ready to attack.

"Reducio," the white wearing twin said, holding out a wooden stick before the car disintegrated, except for the window which crashed into Loren, sending him flying backward. Johnny grabbed a nearby machine gun while Shaundi grabbed a handgun, both firing at the crowd while we climbed over cover.

"Stupefy," the pink wearing one said, sending a bolt of light that struck Jack square in the chest. I don't know why, but I was suddenly furious. I jumped back over cover, grabbed a stray screwdriver and threw it straight at 'Kiki's' hand, causing her to scream in pain as I hit the switch to close the door.

"You broke my wand, you fu-" she yelled at me as the door closed, before I punched the keypad with my hand to break it, causing the door to lock up.

"Nice going, Bright Eyes," Shaundi said to me. "Boss, are you okay?"

"Yeah…" she said as Johnny helped her up. "Just a bit winded…"

"What was that 'floating car' trick?" Johnny asked. "And how do you know him?"

"He works for the guys who raised me, and not in a good way," Jack explained. "F***… I can't believe we tried to steal from Cerberus."

"Is that what they're called?" Shaundi asked. "Look, we've got to get out of here, now."

"We're taking the long way, aren't we?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think we are," Jack said, grabbing a gun. "Damn, no bullets."

"I'm out as well," Johnny said. "And I guess Shaundi is as well?"

"Yeah, but I managed to hit Loren in the ass," she explained. "Okay, how do we do this?"

"Gat and I'll focus on fighting," Jack said. "Hinata, can you focus on hacking the doors?"

"With a broken arm, sure," I said. "What about Shaundi?"

"I'll cover you," she said, looking around while I ran over and started hacking the door. "Wait, you broke your arm?"

"I don't know how," I said. "Crap, I had to use a stop worm."

"Don't worry about it," Johnny said. "Okay, Boss and I will lead."

"Fine," Jack said, with a smile. "Should I go for a challenge or use biotics?"

"Is that what they're called?" Johnny asked. "Let's go for a challenge."

"Let's party!" Jack said. As I opened the door and they ran through, we watched as they got into a fist fight with two Syndicate grunts while we ran ahead towards the next lock and began working on it.

"Look out," Shaundi said as a goon jumped me, grabbing my injured arm. Shaundi hut him on the back of the head with her gun to disorientate him, before punching him square in the face to knock him out. "Are you okay?" I just winced as she walked over to me. "Hold on, I'll make a splint."

"I just got the door unlocked," I said as Shaundi took my arm. "Hit the switch when we're all ready."

"That's the last of them," Johnny said. "So, how's the door coming along?"

"I just unlocked it when someone jumped me," I said. "Thanks again, Shaundi."

"Thank me when we're out of here," she said. "Okay, you ready?" Shaundi then hit the switch as we ran through to a large observation deck, seeing that it was still daylight.

"Oh, great, now we'll be able to find out where we exactly are," Johnny said, looking out of a window. "What the… Boss, how much money do these guys have?"

"A lot," Jack replied. "I don't exactly know, but a flying fortress seems within their budget."

"What?" Shaundi and I asked in unison, before we all felt a creaking under our feet.

"Should we try and find parachutes?" Shaundi asked.

"I don't think we have any time for parachutes," Jack said, before the floor opened beneath us, sending cars, crates and us falling downward. I began to panic, we were so high from the ground.

"Boss," Johnny called over to me. "You go find Shaundi, I'll find the kid."

"I'm on it," I said, before I was tackled by a Syndicate thug. I elbowed him repeatedly to cause him to let go before grabbing his gun and shooting him with it, then pulling him closer to take his parachute. "You need a backpack?"

"I got one," he said, before shooting downward. I followed him, avoiding debris before getting into a firefight in the air. Shooting goons, above and below, using falling vehicles as cover. Oh, I've got to do this more often.

After I took out the last of the goons, I shot down just below Shaundi and scooped her in my arms before deploying the parachute. "Did you miss me?"

"I'm not going to lie," Shaundi said. "I didn't think you'd make it in time."

"Don't worry, I got you," I said. "Now we have to just float to the… uh oh."

"What?"

"Don't look…" I said, calmly. "But there's an aeroplane flying straight for us."

"What?" She asked, turning. "They're trying to run us over with a _plane_?"

"Don't worry," I said. "I just shoot out the cockpit window, fly through the plane then get another parachute."

"You mean 'we', right?" Shaundi asked.

"Promise you won't hate me," I said.

"What…" she began before I threw her away from me. "Asshole!"

Grabbing the gun again, I aimed at the cockpit and opened fire, shooting through the window. When I entered the cockpit, I threw my old chute pack at a Syndicate goon before kicking the door open. Grabbing another SMG, I shot a goon wearing a parachute before colliding into him. Grabbing him close to me, I span around to shoot several tanks in the aeroplane before exiting while more cars and crates started raining down. I took the parachute off of the dead asshole before putting it on, then got into another firefight with the Syndicate.

While shooting downward, I was grabbed around the waist by a free-loader. Crouching down, I started punching him in the face, before he lost his grip, when I then kicked him away from me before he crashed straight into a falling truck.

I continued dodging debris before I caught up with Shaundi again. I once again scooped her up in my arms before deploying my parachute, before saying, with a smile, "Did I miss amything?"

Shaundi was, evidently, not amused, since she was hitting me with her fists. "You're a f***ing asshole!"

"Yeah, I kinda deserve this, don't I?"

I finally reached the ground of a nearby alleyway with Hinata in my arms, before I set her down as I landed. "Okay, we're here," I said as I pulled the parachute back. "But… where are we?"

"Is there a way to use the phone to find out?" Hinata asked, looking at it.

"Oh, right, go to maps," I said. "It has GPS, so we'll be able to tell where we are."

"Oh," she said. "We're in… Steelport. Have you been here before?"

"No," I said. "There's the Boss and Shaundi." The two descended next to us, while we rested against the wall. "You fell through a plane. That was awesome."

"Yeah, it would be if _someone_ didn't throw me away," Shaundi said. "Okay, Boss. How exactly do you know that guy?"

"Yeah, and what's with the weird powers?" I asked.

"Here's the basics," the Boss said, "I was kidnapped by the Illuminati and raised in a facility so that they could experiment on gravity manipulation and allowing people to use it."

"Biotics," I said. "So, you ran away…"

"After the facility was destroyed in a riot of biotic kids," the Boss said. "I was the only survivor."

"That would explain why you're called 'Subject Zero'," Shaundi said.

"I got away when I was fifteen, woke up in some random town, just before a riot broke out," Jack said.

"Wait, just before I met you?" I asked. "Wow… shit just got real."

"So, where are we?" the Boss asked.

"Steelport," Shaundi said. "It's a town not that far from New Orleans. It's kinda like Bangkok's abusive father."

"You've been here before?"

"Spring Break," Shaundi said. "Okay, let me check the ATM. We're going to need some money." She then walked away as I walked over towards Hinata.

"So, your name is Hinata Hyuuga?" I asked. "Where are you from?"

"I live in a small village in Japan," she said. "Nothing major."

"Yeah, but your folks must be loaded if the Syndicate took you as a hostage," Jack said.

"Yeah…" Hinata said, before we were all disturbed.

"What the f***? !" Shaundi shouted, pissed as hell. "Guys, something's wrong. My account has been wiped clean!"

"Let me try mine," Jack said, walking over. "They took our money."

"So, we're trapped in swamp country without a penny to our name?" I asked. That sent the Boss over the edge, she put her fist straight through the ATM. "Well, that's a nice alternative."

"We have some money, now what do we do?" the Boss asked.

"I'll call Pierce, see if he can get down here ASAP," Shaundi said. "You two find some guns. There's a store over… god, I can't remember."

"Didn't you say you've been here before?" Hinata asked.

"I was really high last time I was here," Shaundi said. "Look, take the money you have and look for 'Friendly Fire'. They sell guns really cheap around here."

"What about the 5-day rule?" the Boss asked.

"It's Redneck country," Shaundi said. "You just need cash."

"What about Hinata?" I asked.

"I know a guy who said he's staying in town," Shaundi said. "In fact, I know a few people who could help us. Should I try the pimp, the crazy student or the ex-SWAT?"

"No way am I going near a cop's place," Johnny said. "Perhaps the student."

"Okay, I'll arrange something now," she said. "See you later."

"Okay," the Boss and I said, before running off towards an open street. "Boss, this is bad," I said, looking around. "There are cars parked unevenly, no-one around and no electric products on. Something happened in this town."

"Yeah, you're right," she said, before we hid behind cover as something flew above us. "A f***ing alien?"

"Keep your voice down," Johnny said. "Okay, we hijack a car then keep away from them. That, or we fly the car through them."

"Why would you do that?" the Boss asked.

"I'm out of bullets," I said, in an annoyed tone. "Well, there's Friendly Fire."

"If there are aliens running around…" the Boss said as we hesitantly opened the door. "F***. They took everything."

"Well, we have handguns," I said, picking them up. "Looks like we're going to the main warehouse. Do you have any idea where the military base is?"

"Hold on a sec," she said, before her phone went off.

"Don't think you can hide from us," the French bastard said from his phone. "The town was abandoned when the aliens struck. Don't mourn the dead, you'll be joining them soon enough." The phone then hung up as we walked outside.

"So, is Loren the head of the Illuminati?" I asked.

"As a whole, the organisation is called 'Cerberus'," the Boss said, in a disgusted tone. "But he's only an operative, working directly for the boss."

"Who's the head of Cerberus?"

"No one knows exactly," she said. "Male, Female, some say he isn't even human. All that people know is a name."

"And that is…?"

"The Illusive Man."

"OK, see you in a while," Shaundi said as she messed around in the car, starting it up. "We're in luck. Our friends are pretty close by, they're on the way now."

"So, now what?" I asked, looking around. "You heard that call from Loren. The town is abandoned."

"If a town is evacuated, it means that the thieves stay behind and loot the place," Shaundi said. "Well, two down, I just hope he… Kira, its Shaundi. … Yeah, I know, it's a bad time. Look, I and some friends need somewhere to hide and I hear you're still in Steelport. … Okay, I know the place. I'll be there in a minute. We're in luck, someone I know lives nearby. Just get into the car and we'll head there now."

"Alright," I said, opening the door. "Wow… the town is… empty."

"Something's wrong," Shaundi said. "If I tell you to get out of the car, don't argue."

"I won't," I said. "It looks… smells like a battlefield."

"Smells?"

"I can smell blood in the air," I explained. "See? There's rust all over the street."

"Shit," she said as she drove around. "Well, I hope it's nothing… oh, god no."

"What?" I asked, looking around.

"A f***ing alien? !" She shouted. "What the hell happened last month?"

"What happened in the last _four_ months?" I asked. "I don't have any idea."

"Oh, sorry," Shaundi said. "Hey, how about some music?" She then fiddled a switch on the dashboard as static blared, with the occasional tune. "Christian channels… nothing… crappy pop. There's nothing on." Then, a tune actually played that Shaundi seemed to like. "Hey, Fleetwood Mac. I love this song."

"_If I could turn the page, in time then I'd rearrange just a day or two, close my, close my, close my eyes…_

_But I couldn't find a way, So I'll settle for one day to believe in you ,Tell me, tell me, tell me lies_

_Tell me lies, Tell me sweet little lies, (Tell me lies, tell me, tell me lies), Oh, no, no you can't disguise, (You can't disguise, no you can't disguise), Tell me lies, Tell me sweet little lies_"

"So, you're pretty good at throwing weapons," Shaundi asked. "Where did you learn that?"

"My father has me learning our family's fighting style, and it includes learning how to throw kunai and shuriken," I said.

"Oh, you're from Kohona, aren't you?" She asked me.

"H-how did you-"

"I dated a guy from that town," she said. "So, you're Hiashi's daughter. What's he doing now?"

"He's part of the council," I replied. "How do you know my father?"

"He was hired to kill a friend of mine, actually," she said. "But the Boss stopped him. Just barely. Oh, don't mention that around Gat, Hiashi went for his wife. Ever wondered how he lost that eye?"

"Jack?" I asked. "Or get.

"Not that many people know her real name, actually," Shaundi said. "Hell, I had to hack her phone to get the slightest hint of it. Oh, and… technically both. We're here." We then got out of the car as a nearby door opened, and a Japanese man with brown, shoulder length hair, beckoned to us to follow him, before we ran towards him. "Kira, thanks for the help."

"Don't mention it," he said. "Who's the kid?"

"Oh, Hinata, this is Kira, one of my exes," she said.

"Yeah, ex-boyfriend #501," he laughed. "[My name is Asahi Kira. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance]."

"[Wait, what was that about being ex-boyfriend 501]?" I asked.

"She asked it," he said.

"Hinata, let me explain one thing," she said, calmly as we walked up the staircase. "I'm a slut. A huge slut, and I used to do a lot of drugs and illegal stuff."

"Well, since we clarified that, we should probably find out some facts," I said.

"Kira, the Boss, Gat and I have been in cells for the last month," Shaundi said. "What the hell happened? Why are there aliens about?"

"Well, not just aliens," he said. There were no lights at all, nothing. "Aliens, people with super powers… I saw a dragon over at the park only today."

"Okay, what?" Shaundi asked, confused.

"Yeah… this is going to take a while."

"Shaundi sent us the address," I said, looking at the phone. "So, this is the military base. I smell a lot of blood."

"Me too," Gat said. "We should be careful, we don't know what we're up against."

"I'll tell you what we're up against," I said. "Fish in f***ing bowls."

"Don't underestimate anything," Gat said. "Remember Hiashi?"

"Oh, and a cat is the most dangerous thing in the galaxy," I retorted.

"Are you willing to make that bet?" Gat asked.

"$5?"

"Deal."

"Come to think of it…" I began.

"Yeah, Hinata looks like that bastard, when it comes to the eyes," Gat said. "You think they're related?"

"We never knew his last name," I said. "I actually feel sorry for her, since she was raised by such a hateful bastard."

"You think that's what Loren was talking about?" Gat asked. "Perhaps he f***ed up again."

"Yeah, you still have that eye?" I asked.

"Actually…"

"I understand," I said, pulling over. "By the way, did you know it's illegal to drive with your cellphone out?"

"News to me," Gat said as we got out. "We just take what we can, okay?"

"Guns, rockets, grenades, as long as we can fit it in a car," I said. "It's like Christmas."

"I know," Gat said. "Is it… Is that snow?"

"Shit, I should've taken a sweater," I said. "Wait… do you hear something?"

"Yeah… there's someone here," Gat said, taking a handgun and resting against the wall while I slid behind a nearby waist-high wall, SMG ready. On Gat's signal, we shot out, ready to fire.

"Oh, shit!" the guy said, dropping his gun. "I'm human! I-I Just…"

"Wait," Gat said. "Frodo?"

"Oh, that's going to haunt me for years, isn't it?" He said.

"No way," I said, pointing my gun away. "Elijah Wood?"

"Yeah," he said, weakly. "It's me. Who are you?"

"Johnny Gat," he said. "This is the Boss."

"No way," he said, lying against the wall. "The Third Street Saints? I didn't think you were real."

"I didn't think you were that tall," Gat said.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Well, I was filming for a show, when the aliens attacked," Elijah said. "It went to hell, with the only safe places being either controlled by the Morningster, Decker or Luchadores, and everyone is suffering there. I tried to go to one of the safe spots, but… the drophyds razed it. So I… tried looking for guns."

"Is that what they're called?" Gat asked. "Drophyds?"

"Yeah, pretty much," he said. "And it's not just the aliens. People are showing superpowers, but some are also going crazy." He then looked down at his shirt, which was covered in blood. "I was almost mauled by a co-star who thought he was a wolf."

"So, where are the guns?" I asked.

"They're just through here, but unless you've got a place to hide, good luck keeping it a secret," Elijah said. "Gang members will take the weapons, if not attack you."

"Have you played 'Saints Row'?" Gat said. "We can take them."

"Didn't the Ronin kill Aisha?" Elijah asked.

"A dramatic alteration," Gat said. "But… Boss, remember what happened the last time we let an actor roll with us?"

"I'll stay out of the way, if that's what you're saying," Elijah said. "Just… avoid the park."

"Why?"

"There's a dragon."

"Cool," I said, looking around. "Lead the way."

"So, that's it," Kira said, as the kettle boiled. "We have to avoid Morningstar, the district gang, as well as the aliens."

"Why aren't the police doing anything?" Hinata asked. "Shouldn't they stop this?"

"The cops are highly corrupt," Kira said. "Hell, they're actually members of Morningstar."

"So, explain the gangs, slowly," I asked. Kira then went over, grabbed a map and some markers then put them down on the table, before drawing on the map.

"Morningstar is red," Kira explained. "They're the gang who specialise in prostitution and recreational drug use. Their operatives are often pimps and high-class call girls, but the prostitutes are also involved. Their leaders are the DeWynter sisters."

"Viola and Kiki?" Hinata said.

"Right," Kira said. "They're officially high-class art dealers, but are also involved in the running of several brothels, as well as the kidnapping of women to use in said brothels. Their main form of revenue include the strip clubs and Safeword, the … 'Gentlemen's club'. They graduated from Tokyo University at the top of their economics class, as well as Valedictorians for their year. And from my experience of the Japanese school system, that's saying something."

"Anything else?"

"50% of operatives are magically inclined," Kira said. "Wizards or witches."

"Come to think about it, those two used spells to fight," Hinata said. "One destroyed the car, the other stunned the Boss. But one of them… I broke their wand."

"You go girl," Kira said, causing me to blush. "The next organisation is called the Deckers."

"What, do they deck people all day?" I asked.

"Decker is a term used in an old sci-fi novel to refer to a hacker," Kira said. "And that's what they are. Hackers. Most of the members are high-school students, skilled with computers and robotics. That's how they're able to fight off the drophyds. However, they can still fight in person. They have devices built into their bodies that allow them to control gravity."

"Biotics?" I asked.

"Is that what it's called?" Kira asked. "That's not all. Most of the grunts have partners who fight alongside them, monsters that they can summon using computers."

"Who's the head?"

"Well, technically, two," Kira said. "The main lieutenant is a woman called 'Sunrise', believed to be a relative of the actual head, and the leader of the lieutenants. She's believed to be 17."

"And her boss…"

"Matt Miller," Kira explained. "16 year old cybercriminal, wanted all over the country for some of his more inventive assaults. He's the only confirmed Conduit, or superhuman, in the entirety of the Deckers. His powers include technopathy, the ability to control machines. He often hangs around his base, the local power plant."

"And… what about the luchadores?" Hinata asked.

"Well, they're all hired thugs, all conduits," Kira explained. "They're also involved in the distribution of weapons and steroids. And their leader, and I swear this is completely true… is none other than Killbane."

"The wrestler?" Shaundi asked. "Why the hell is he involved in this?"

"How do you think he escapes persecution from Murderbrawl?" Kira explained. "Killing 30 people in the ring does raise a few eyebrows."

"Well, how are they not fighting each other for turf?" Shaundi asked. "Do they have some sort of agreement?"

"They're all working for Phillipe Loren," Hinata said. "Why else would the heads of Morningstar be his secretaries? And even then, he answers to someone called 'The Illusive Man'."

"Sounds vague and ominous," Kira said, before we heard a knocking noise. As he went to the door, he signalled for us to be quiet, before heading downstairs to the front door. "Oh, good. You're safe. Come on." He returned with two more people, who had guns ready, a Greek male and a Latin/Caucasian mix. "They're friends."

"Kira, we've got a problem," the guy said. "We went over to Kinzie's place but it was trashed."

"Wait, Kinzie?" Hinata asked. "She helped us get away from Morningstar and Loren."

"Well, at least we're on the same page, here," the other woman asked. "Ashley. You?"

"Shaundi."

"The Saint and author?"

"The same," Shaundi replied. "You want to meet the Boss and Gat? They should be hear soon."

"Wait, you're one of the Third Street Saints?" the guy asked. "The same guys who sprayed sewage around downtown Miami?"

"Should I have actually helped you?" Hinata asked.

"Hey, you're already in far too deep to come out," Shaundi said. "Oh, and this is Hinata."

"Call me Kaiden," the man said. "So, what do we do now?"

"We wait," Kira said.

"Here's the main armory," Elijah said, pushing the door open. "Don't bother with the tank, it's broken. Believe me."

"Well, boys like their toys, right?" Gat said. "Okay, we've got shotguns, SMGs, RPGs, Sniper rifles… is that a rail gun?"

"I just want to know why it's snowing, fir f***'s sake," I said.

"Oh, well, when I got a Wi-Fi signal, it mentioned a large snow storm over Scotland spreading out fast," Elijah said. "Some think it's a magic ritual, but most Wizards that started going online mentioned that the spell was too powerful for a small army, let alone a single person to cast."

"Well, theories don't give answers," I said. "What else do we have?"

"How about a remote controlled Reaper Drone?" Gat said. "Merry Christmas, Boss!"

"Oh, I'm going to get killed by this, aren't I?" Elijah asked.

"Don't worry, you're safe with us," Gat said. "Just watch the entrance while we load these into a box, maybe get a truck over here." My phone went off as he was talking. "Oh, shit, what's this?"

"I have no idea," I said, taking a look at it. "A grenade, dumbass?" I then took my phone out and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey," Pierce said as he spoke over the phone. "I heard you were in Steelport. Need a ride?"

"Hell yeah," I said. "What are you driving?"

"I'm not," he said. "I'm with Tobias and Laura. We're taking what's left of the gang with us to meet you."

"We're at the military base," I said, looking around. "We're going to need a large copter for this load?"

"What are you taking?"

"A bomb," I said, looking at it, mesmerised. "A big, f***ing bomb. Oh, and you would never believe who we ran into."

"Try me," he said.

"You'll have to see for yourself," I said.

"Guys, we have a serious problem," Elijah said.

"What, are there any Syndicate members coming?" Gat asked.

"No," Elijah called back. "There's a wave of drophyds coming."

"Pierce, we're going to need you to hurry."

"You know me," he said, before we hung up.

"Gat, keep loading weapons, I'll fight the aliens," I said. "Elijah, shoot them down with this suitcase. There's something I'd never think could happen."

"I know," Elijah said, opening the suitcase and started firing missiles at any aliens. "Crap, they're sending larger platforms after us."

"Then shoot them," Gat said, throwing weapons and guns into a large metal box. "The box is full, mind if I join in?"

"Like I could say no," I said, before Gat grabbed a stray grenade and threw it, waiting for it to explode. When it did, the blast seemed to pull drophyds towards it, before finally detonating, freezing them in a bubble of some sort. "Wait. Gat, that's an _eezo_ grenade!"

"What?" he asked.

"It's like my biotics," I said. "Use the grenades to hold them down, then I'll send shockwaves out."

"Okay," Gat said, throwing another grenade, catching as many as nine drophyds at one. "Alright, you're up."

"Fly, bitch!" I shouted, sending a biotic shockwave forward, causing the crafts to float slowly through the air before Gat and I shot them down.

"That's amazing!" Elijah said, before he went back to his screen. "Hey, there's a few helicopters flying nearby."

"That's probably Pierce and the boys," Gat said. "How many?"

"Two," Elijah said. "I've only got two more strikes, so I'll save them for an emergency." Pierce then called me as he leant out of the helicopter and shot at a few drophyds, while Elijah and I grabbed the weapons case and ran for the ride, Gat covering us.

"We're here, and Shaundi sent us the address for the crib," Pierce said. "Just climb in while Tobias covers us and… is that Frodo Baggins?"

"Yeah, it is," I said. "Is this everyone?"

"All that's alive, yeah," Pierce said, sombrely. "Come on, move your asses!"

"We need to take the BFB, remember?" I asked. "We'll need it eventually."

"I doubt it," Pierce said as we ran over. "I'll fly overhead, attack the cables to the copter."

After a short while, we climbed in before Pierce flew off. "Welcome to Air Saint, I'll be your private captain this evening."

"Thanks for the ride," Gat said. "Aside from the attacking aliens, this is going to be enjoyable. Hell, with the aliens, it will be just fun."

"Do I have to be canonized after this?" Elijah asked.

"Well, having a movie star in the gang would be fun," I said. "But we stopped the initiation fight after I restarted the Saints."

"Hey, looks like there's a large swarm to the West," Gat said. "How do we take them out?"

"I don't know," I said, shooting drophyds out of the air. "We could find out."

"It will be only a minute, but we've got a large ship to deal with," Pierce said.

"Can't Tobias' helicopter shoot it down?" I asked.

"That's what they've been trying to do," Pierce said. "You got any ideas?"

"One," Elijah said, taking out an RPG. "Turn around, I need a clear shot."

"Left or right?" Pierce said.

"Right," Elijah said. As Pierce made a hard turn, we all braced ourselves as the large ship came into view. Elijah brought the weapon up and looked through the scope, but when he pulled the trigger, he almost flew out before I caught him.

The rocket hit square in the ship's front, blowing it up, before Pierce lowered the helicopter. "Flight 001 has arrived at its destination, passengers are reminded to remain in their seats until the vehicle has come to a stop."

"Thanks, Pierce, we owe you," Gat said.

"As long as I get Mr Wood's autograph, I'm good," Pierce said. "So, what happened to you?"

"When the bank job went bad, we were captured by this asshat called 'Phillipe Loren'," I explained. "I knew him since before I joined the Saints. Anyway, we escaped and landed here after we took an unexpected skydive."

"What about Shaundi?" Pierce asked us. "Is she alright?"

"She found us a crib, didn't she?" Gat asked.

"What was that?" Kira asked.

"Sounds like an RPG exploding," Ashley said.

"Are you a soldier?" Shaundi asked.

"NATO," she and Kaiden said. "Should we… go look?"

"Since an explosion happened near a rendezvous point, it means the boys are here," Shaundi said as she went outside with Kira.

"So, how did you meet her?" Kaiden asked.

"We just… ran into each other," I said, shyly.

"So, what kind of destruction did you cause this time?" Shaundi asked us as the Boss and I got out of the helicopter with the crate, while Elijah watched out for us. "Wait, is that…?"

"Hey," he said. "Elijah Wood. Pleasure to meet you… Shaundi?"

"Holy shit!" Shaundi shouted. "You ran into Elijah Fucking Wood?"

"They almost shot me," he said, while the other helicopter came down.

"Wait, what's with the bomb?" Shaundi asked.

"You know me," the Boss said. "I like my fireworks."

"Yeah, we're going to have some fun with this thing," Gat said.

"Johnny Gat!" a woman shouted. Wearing a blouse, buttoned shirt, skirt that went to the knees, pumps and an eyepatch, she stomped angrily over towards me.

"Aisha-" I managed to say, before she slapped me across the face.

"You robbed a damn bank? !" She shouted. "Why didn't you at least warn me? For the last month, I thought you were dead until 2 hours ago, when your phone showed up on GPS. And did you have to try and steal the whole damn vault?"

"I admit, that was a bit far," I said.

"That's an understatement!"

"If it helps, it would've gone smoothly had Burk not hit the damn alarm under one of the desks," I said.

"Wait, Josh Burk?" Elijah asked. "Why did you let him get involved?"

"He was paying us to allow him to shadow us," Shaundi said. "Hopeless romantic, actually. He wouldn't stop flirting."

"You still tried to steal a vault," Aisha said.

"I admit, dears, it did seem quite foolish," Laura said, coming out of the helicopter.

"It's good to see you again, Laura," the Boss said. "So, how are you and Tobias holding up."

"Not just us," she said. "I'm glad that my ex-husband and the kids are alright."

"Yeah, but 2 weeks in a helicopter, looking for you, it's stressful," Tobias said, in his usual monotone way. "So, where do we go?"

"Well, I'd like you to get the damn helicopters away from my apartment before any other gangs realise you're here," Kira said while looking around. "The building is abandoned, so don't worry about any other tenants."

"So, we owe you rent," Gat said. "And you are…?"

"Kira Asahi," he said as we walked in while his friends came out. "This is Ashley Williams and Kaiden Alenko."

"Well, looks like we'll need recruiting," the Boss said as she walked forward.

"Look out," Kaiden said, before the boss jumped out of the way of a drophyd's attack, before Kaiden threw the drophyd into a wall telekinetically and Ashley shot it with her shotgun.

"You're a f***ing biotic?" the Boss asked, amazed. "Well, looks like I'll have company."

"Wait, who are you?" Kaiden asked.

"I'm the Boss of the Third Street Saints," she said with a smile. "But you can call me Jack. That, or Subject Zero."

Wow, two chapters in a week. This is awesome. Now I have to say a few things I intended for the last arc, but couldn't fit in.

I wanted to put Thwarp into the arc, but I couldn't find a way, so here's the basic gist. Hagrid got him deep enough into the Forbidden Forest that the Death Eaters wouldn't find him, and he is perfectly safe. Secondly, the large amount of ambient magic is a plot point that would be resolved soon. Okay? Also, after the end of the arc, Ezio and Liz met up with Campbell and got trial jobs with NEXUS, and would be helping around London as much as possible, while staying with Sirius and the Weasleys.

So, originally, I was going to skip to New Marais (the original title for Arc 3 was 'Operation New Marais', but then I thought, 'Why not add the Third Street Saints into the mix?' So, here's the next arc, in this short chapter (Damn, they're get longer when I have writer's block).

'Does this mean I'm out of a job?'

No, Hermione, I still need help.

'Okay.'

"Hello?" A voice said as I, dreary eyed, woke up. I had no idea where I was, but I knew I had to get out of here. The last thing I remember was a large explosion, then… a bag over my head… Oh no, where am I? "Hello, is anyone there? If you are, push open the glass in front of you and try and climb out of the stasis pod."

With hesitation, I tried to move my left arm, before pulling it back in pain. It hurt so much, I didn't remember breaking it. But… how long was it since I was knocked out? Desperately, I kicked forward with my left leg and pushed the glass upward, before using my right arm to help myself out. "Oh, thank god," the voice said from a nearby screen. "Hey, you can hear me, right? Come over to this screen."

"Okay," I said, grabbing my own stomach and walking over to the screen. "Oh, god…"

"Wow, you look pretty beat up," the female voice said. "Don't worry, I'm here to help. Well, not actually there, I'm in a warehouse previously used to store meat on a port, but… you get the idea."

"Where am I?" I asked, looking around, slumping on the ground. "Ow…"

"Hey, listen, there's a nearby first aid station on the wall to the right," she said, as I looked over. "Pull the handle to open it, then cover the paste on your abdomen to reduce the pain." As I slowly got back up and stumbled over, I tried to see around my surroundings… but my eyes hurt too much, and the darkness in the room makes it hard to see. The only light, however, is coming from the bizarre pod I woke up in. As I stumbled over, the voice tried to talk to me. "So, do you have a name?"

"What about you?" I asked. "And why are you helping me?"

"My name is Kinzie," she said. "I thought I would get back at a guy who got me fired from by job, but when I found you sleeping there, I thought I'd help you instead. So, what's your name?"

"…Hinata," I said as I got over to the first aid cabinet and pulled down on a handle, forcing it to spill its contents onto me. There were several packets of clear gel. I brought one up to my mouth and used my teeth to tear them open before pouring them onto my exposed navel and rubbing them in. With relief, I allowed the burning sensation to fade away, before applying the salve to my arm and creating a splint from a nearby bed. "Where am I, again?"

"I don't know exactly, but… welcome to Louisiana," Kinzie said. "Look, there were two others that I tried to wake up there, but I got detected in the network and locked out, although I've taken over the PA system so that we can talk to each other."

"I…" I began, before hesitating.

"It means I tried to free the other prisoners but I was only able to save you," Kinzie said. "And I'll be able to talk to you when you're in separate rooms. Look, there are other people here, but we can't help them, I'll just try and use the video cameras to help you escape."

"Okay, what do I do?" I asked.

"There's a nearby vent to the left of the pod," Kinzie said. "From what schematics I can find, that should lead to a storage locker close to the exit."

"Okay," I said, walking over before crouching down before it and hitting a switch to cause it to raise up. "Where should I go?"

"Take the first left and keep going until the last… that's the fourth, right," she explained. "I won't be able to talk until you're through."

"Thank you," I said before crouching through, although I looked out of several grates in order to see where I was.

One large room was filled to the brim with cars, mostly pink, green and blue cars. The only thing they had in common was that they all had starts printed on the front. In another room were a group of men and women in suits and… bikinis, respectively, all just… sitting around.

Continuing on, I passed by an office, occupied by two women, one of which was on the phone. "Of course, sir," one said, before hanging up. "Something's wrong."

"What?" Her identical double asked her.

"The Illusive Man wants to speak Phillipe," the first said. "Something about Bertrand and his agents causing trouble, but I don't know what. So, how is that report coming?"

"Well, it seems that we've made at least a 10% profit," the second said. "Come on, we have to speak to the idiots who tried to steal from us." I just continued on after that.

The room I eventually wound up in was a large room with several doors, most likely cells. The ventilation shaft was touching the ceiling when I opened it, so I had to use my right arm to slowly lower myself to the ground. However, I lost my grip and fell to the ground, causing a bit of noise. I was about to pick myself up, when I heard a voice from behind one of the cells.

"Hey, who's out there?" someone said, before running over to the door. It was a Caucasian woman, with long, brown hair and brown eyes. I couldn't see anything else. "Oh god, you've got to help us!"

"How?" I asked, looking at the door. There was nowhere for a set of keys or even a handle. There was just the screen in front of the door.

"Perhaps I can help," the voice on the computer said.

"Who are you?" the other woman asked.

"Call me Kinzie," she replied. "And you are…"

"Call me Shaundi," the other woman replied. "There's also Johnny and the Boss."

"Okay, can we get them out of here?" Hinata said.

"I was locked out of everything except the PA, remember?" Kinzie said. "Hold on… do any of you have a cellphone on you?"

"Here," a male voice said, before Shaundi handed me a phone.

"Okay, tell me the number," Kinzie asked, which Gat quickly answered. "Okay… remotely taking control of the phone… Hinata, this is where you come in."

"What do I do?" I asked.

"Hold the phone in front of the lock to allow the two devices to connect," Kinzie said which I quickly did. "Okay, a series of paths and bridges should appear on the screen. Each path is a link while each folder image is a directory, a capturable piece of code that allows you to access other directories. Cubes, however, are often files, data stores with viruses or even electronic funds."

"What about the sphere symbol?" I asked.

"That's your target," Kinzie said. "It will allow you access to the keypad, allowing you to open the door. Oh, and by the way, with each directory or data store you capture, there's a chance you'll be detected."

"What happens when I'm detected?" I asked.

"Then the system will try and boot you out and raise the alarm," Kinzie said. "When that happens, relax, you just need to hurry."

"Okay, I'll see if I can do this," I said, trying to capture the first directory. "Okay, one down, 2 directories and a data store to go."

"Is this going to take long?" Shaundi asked.

"I think so," Hinata said. "Okay, I've got the last two directories. Should I go for the datastores?"

"You didn't raise the alarm," the other voice, I think Gat said. "If it means taking cash from them, go ahead."

"Okay, I've got something called a 'Nuke'," I said.

"A nuke virus allows you to take a node without raising the alarm," Kinzie said. "If you get a slow worm, use it if you need more time to take a system."

"I'll go for the last data store before I finish," I said, before a red banner appeared with a timer. "Oh, no…"

"You've still got time," Kinzie said. "Capture the final node, you still have thirty seconds!"

"Hold on," I said, waiting for the system. "I got it!"

"The door's opening," Shaundi said, as she let the door open and walk out. "Thanks, kid. So, what's your name and… what's with your eyes?"

"Most of my family have pure white eyes," I said, shyly. "Oh, my name's Hinata."

"Thanks," an Asian man said, walking out. "We owe you."

"Don't mention it," I replied. "Oh, your phone."

"Keep it," he said as we walked out of the hall.

"So, Hinata, when did you get captured by… these people?" Shaundi.

"I… I don't know exactly…" I replied. It was the day before the final exam at the academy, so… "March… the 11th, I think."

"And you've been unconscious all that time?" Johnny asked me. "Do you even know what date it is?"

"No, I don't," Hinata said. "What date is it?"

"Look at the screen," Johnny said, before I turned my attention to it… and almost dropped the screen when I saw it.

**Wednesday, July 20, 2011**

"I've…" I began, in shock. "I've been out of it… for four months?"

**Operation Louisiana: Chapter 1: I'm Free - Free Falling!**

"Hey, boss, aren't you coming?" Shaundi shouted back.

"Give me a second," she said, before walking out of the cell. I was shocked by her appearance. She wore baggy jeans that had several cuts in them, as well as thick work boots. She wore a beaten, leather jacket with only a tank top underneath. She had a lot of tattoos on most of her flesh, from what I could tell, and her head was shaved off, but had clean-shaven patterns where the stubble didn't grow. "Hinata, right?" she asked me.

"Yes," I said, nervously. "And you?"

"Call me Jack," she said as she walked over. "So, how do we get out of here?"

"There's an exit just down the hall," Kinzie said. "You should just… Damn it!"

"What?" I asked.

"They back traced me," Kinzie said. "Just get out of there! I'll be okay!"

"Thank you," I said, as the PA roared noise before going static.

"Let's get out of here," Shaundi said as we all walked outside. "So, you're probably wondering about us, then?"

"Yes, I am, actually," I replied. "What did you do?"

"We tried to steal a safe from a bank," Jack said.

"Is that all?" I asked. "Isn't that a bit harsh, kidnapping someone over a safe?"

"You didn't see how big it was," Johnny said. "It was as big as a house." I stopped walking when I heard that. "I guess you're surprised now, then."

"Yeah…" I said. "I am."

"Hey, can you open this door?" Shaundi asked, before I walked over with Gat's phone. "What about you? What happened?"

"I was just on my way to school when…" I said, before trailing off.

"You must go to an expensive school if you can speak English fluently at your age," Jack said. "Perhaps it's because your old man is rich."

"It's a possibility," I said. "I've got a slow worm and about 600¥."

"That's about $5 in the US," Shaundi said. "So, the eyes… everyone in your family has them?"

"Most of my extended family, actually, but my dad, little sister and I all have them," I explained.

"They're actually quite beautiful, really."

"T-thanks," I said, nervously. "I think I need a moment to open the door, please be patient."

"So, who do you think captured us?" Johnny asked.

"Well, they have a lot of money if they can hire ninja," I blurted without thinking. "What do you think?"

"Some ancient conspiracy or some collection of rich assholes who think that they can buy the world for themselves and control it from the shadows," Jack said. "They don't care who has to suffer as long as they're on top, and will manipulate people through the media and internet in order to bend the will of the masses."

"That's…" Shaundi began. "Oddly specific… and creepy."

"I've been involved in these kinds of people before," Jack replied.

"Is this why you keep switching over when Nyte Blayde is on?" Shaundi asked.

"It's a shitty show about vampires," Jack said. "I could write better shows than that emo crap."

"Yeah, I've read your poetry," Shaundi said.

"What?"

"I'm just saying," Shaundi said while looking over some of the cars. "Jacquiline."

"What you say?"

"Nothing."

"Is this normal for Westerners?" I asked, confused.

"Not actually," Johnny said. "But when you've been with us after a while, you get used to it. The thing is, having a kid rolling with us is a bad idea, so we'll keep you away from the fighting."

"I got the door open," I said, before the door slid open. "Hey, the lights are out… should we even go this way?"

We were blinded when the light shot past us, several lights waiting for us. There were the men and women from before, carrying all sorts of guns. The two twins were there as well, on opposite sides of a much older man, wearing a more expensive version of the suits the men were wearing. "Well, long time no see, Jack."

"Loren?" Jack asked, horrified. "What the f*** are you doing here?"

"This is my personal craft," he replied. "If you didn't want the Syndicate finding you, the Third Street Saints shouldn't have tried to steal from the Syndicate."

"Boss, you know this French f***?" Shaundi asked.

"I am Belgian," 'Loren' replied.

"Then go make yourself a fucking waffle," Johnny said. "We're done here."

"So, you won't hear our offer?" Loren asked.

"What offer?" I asked.

"Miss Hyuuga, I didn't expect you to find your way out of your room," Loren said. "Well, since you threw your lot with them… Viola, Kiki."

"It's a simple 'work for us to recoup our losses' deal," a woman, wearing white sunglasses said. I think that she was 'Viola'. "Your damages are a net worth of $25,000,000."

"And then, we'll allow the Saints to work for the Syndicate," her twin, my guess, Kiki, said. "You'll be allowed access to our stash of weapons, drugs and VIP access to our clubs."

"What if we say 'no'?" I asked.

"Well, we need you for a ransom, we will just recapture you," Loren said. "Shaundi and Gat are expendable, however, and my employer would like for us to reclaim Subject Zero."

"Okay, you cheese eating-"

"Shaundi, wait," Jack said, holding her hand out. "Let me ask one thing before I make a decision."

"And… what is that?" Loren asked.

"Phillipe, come on," Jack said, smiling. "Did you actually forget that my amp was internal?" Quickly, a dark flame surrounded her as a car flew past us in time with her hand, before all of the forces got ready to attack.

"Reducio," the white wearing twin said, holding out a wooden stick before the car disintegrated, except for the window which crashed into Loren, sending him flying backward. Johnny grabbed a nearby machine gun while Shaundi grabbed a handgun, both firing at the crowd while we climbed over cover.

"Stupefy," the pink wearing one said, sending a bolt of light that struck Jack square in the chest. I don't know why, but I was suddenly furious. I jumped back over cover, grabbed a stray screwdriver and threw it straight at 'Kiki's' hand, causing her to scream in pain as I hit the switch to close the door.

"You broke my wand, you fu-" she yelled at me as the door closed, before I punched the keypad with my hand to break it, causing the door to lock up.

"Nice going, Bright Eyes," Shaundi said to me. "Boss, are you okay?"

"Yeah…" she said as Johnny helped her up. "Just a bit winded…"

"What was that 'floating car' trick?" Johnny asked. "And how do you know him?"

"He works for the guys who raised me, and not in a good way," Jack explained. "F***… I can't believe we tried to steal from Cerberus."

"Is that what they're called?" Shaundi asked. "Look, we've got to get out of here, now."

"We're taking the long way, aren't we?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think we are," Jack said, grabbing a gun. "Damn, no bullets."

"I'm out as well," Johnny said. "And I guess Shaundi is as well?"

"Yeah, but I managed to hit Loren in the ass," she explained. "Okay, how do we do this?"

"Gat and I'll focus on fighting," Jack said. "Hinata, can you focus on hacking the doors?"

"With a broken arm, sure," I said. "What about Shaundi?"

"I'll cover you," she said, looking around while I ran over and started hacking the door. "Wait, you broke your arm?"

"I don't know how," I said. "Crap, I had to use a stop worm."

"Don't worry about it," Johnny said. "Okay, Boss and I will lead."

"Fine," Jack said, with a smile. "Should I go for a challenge or use biotics?"

"Is that what they're called?" Johnny asked. "Let's go for a challenge."

"Let's party!" Jack said. As I opened the door and they ran through, we watched as they got into a fist fight with two Syndicate grunts while we ran ahead towards the next lock and began working on it.

"Look out," Shaundi said as a goon jumped me, grabbing my injured arm. Shaundi hut him on the back of the head with her gun to disorientate him, before punching him square in the face to knock him out. "Are you okay?" I just winced as she walked over to me. "Hold on, I'll make a splint."

"I just got the door unlocked," I said as Shaundi took my arm. "Hit the switch when we're all ready."

"That's the last of them," Johnny said. "So, how's the door coming along?"

"I just unlocked it when someone jumped me," I said. "Thanks again, Shaundi."

"Thank me when we're out of here," she said. "Okay, you ready?" Shaundi then hit the switch as we ran through to a large observation deck, seeing that it was still daylight.

"Oh, great, now we'll be able to find out where we exactly are," Johnny said, looking out of a window. "What the… Boss, how much money do these guys have?"

"A lot," Jack replied. "I don't exactly know, but a flying fortress seems within their budget."

"What?" Shaundi and I asked in unison, before we all felt a creaking under our feet.

"Should we try and find parachutes?" Shaundi asked.

"I don't think we have any time for parachutes," Jack said, before the floor opened beneath us, sending cars, crates and us falling downward. I began to panic, we were so high from the ground.

"Boss," Johnny called over to me. "You go find Shaundi, I'll find the kid."

"I'm on it," I said, before I was tackled by a Syndicate thug. I elbowed him repeatedly to cause him to let go before grabbing his gun and shooting him with it, then pulling him closer to take his parachute. "You need a backpack?"

"I got one," he said, before shooting downward. I followed him, avoiding debris before getting into a firefight in the air. Shooting goons, above and below, using falling vehicles as cover. Oh, I've got to do this more often.

After I took out the last of the goons, I shot down just below Shaundi and scooped her in my arms before deploying the parachute. "Did you miss me?"

"I'm not going to lie," Shaundi said. "I didn't think you'd make it in time."

"Don't worry, I got you," I said. "Now we have to just float to the… uh oh."

"What?"

"Don't look…" I said, calmly. "But there's an aeroplane flying straight for us."

"What?" She asked, turning. "They're trying to run us over with a _plane_?"

"Don't worry," I said. "I just shoot out the cockpit window, fly through the plane then get another parachute."

"You mean 'we', right?" Shaundi asked.

"Promise you won't hate me," I said.

"What…" she began before I threw her away from me. "Asshole!"

Grabbing the gun again, I aimed at the cockpit and opened fire, shooting through the window. When I entered the cockpit, I threw my old chute pack at a Syndicate goon before kicking the door open. Grabbing another SMG, I shot a goon wearing a parachute before colliding into him. Grabbing him close to me, I span around to shoot several tanks in the aeroplane before exiting while more cars and crates started raining down. I took the parachute off of the dead asshole before putting it on, then got into another firefight with the Syndicate.

While shooting downward, I was grabbed around the waist by a free-loader. Crouching down, I started punching him in the face, before he lost his grip, when I then kicked him away from me before he crashed straight into a falling truck.

I continued dodging debris before I caught up with Shaundi again. I once again scooped her up in my arms before deploying my parachute, before saying, with a smile, "Did I miss amything?"

Shaundi was, evidently, not amused, since she was hitting me with her fists. "You're a f***ing asshole!"

"Yeah, I kinda deserve this, don't I?"

I finally reached the ground of a nearby alleyway with Hinata in my arms, before I set her down as I landed. "Okay, we're here," I said as I pulled the parachute back. "But… where are we?"

"Is there a way to use the phone to find out?" Hinata asked, looking at it.

"Oh, right, go to maps," I said. "It has GPS, so we'll be able to tell where we are."

"Oh," she said. "We're in… Steelport. Have you been here before?"

"No," I said. "There's the Boss and Shaundi." The two descended next to us, while we rested against the wall. "You fell through a plane. That was awesome."

"Yeah, it would be if _someone_ didn't throw me away," Shaundi said. "Okay, Boss. How exactly do you know that guy?"

"Yeah, and what's with the weird powers?" I asked.

"Here's the basics," the Boss said, "I was kidnapped by the Illuminati and raised in a facility so that they could experiment on gravity manipulation and allowing people to use it."

"Biotics," I said. "So, you ran away…"

"After the facility was destroyed in a riot of biotic kids," the Boss said. "I was the only survivor."

"That would explain why you're called 'Subject Zero'," Shaundi said.

"I got away when I was fifteen, woke up in some random town, just before a riot broke out," Jack said.

"Wait, just before I met you?" I asked. "Wow… shit just got real."

"So, where are we?" the Boss asked.

"Steelport," Shaundi said. "It's a town not that far from New Orleans. It's kinda like Bangkok's abusive father."

"You've been here before?"

"Spring Break," Shaundi said. "Okay, let me check the ATM. We're going to need some money." She then walked away as I walked over towards Hinata.

"So, your name is Hinata Hyuuga?" I asked. "Where are you from?"

"I live in a small village in Japan," she said. "Nothing major."

"Yeah, but your folks must be loaded if the Syndicate took you as a hostage," Jack said.

"Yeah…" Hinata said, before we were all disturbed.

"What the f***? !" Shaundi shouted, pissed as hell. "Guys, something's wrong. My account has been wiped clean!"

"Let me try mine," Jack said, walking over. "They took our money."

"So, we're trapped in swamp country without a penny to our name?" I asked. That sent the Boss over the edge, she put her fist straight through the ATM. "Well, that's a nice alternative."

"We have some money, now what do we do?" the Boss asked.

"I'll call Pierce, see if he can get down here ASAP," Shaundi said. "You two find some guns. There's a store over… god, I can't remember."

"Didn't you say you've been here before?" Hinata asked.

"I was really high last time I was here," Shaundi said. "Look, take the money you have and look for 'Friendly Fire'. They sell guns really cheap around here."

"What about the 5-day rule?" the Boss asked.

"It's Redneck country," Shaundi said. "You just need cash."

"What about Hinata?" I asked.

"I know a guy who said he's staying in town," Shaundi said. "In fact, I know a few people who could help us. Should I try the pimp, the crazy student or the ex-SWAT?"

"No way am I going near a cop's place," Johnny said. "Perhaps the student."

"Okay, I'll arrange something now," she said. "See you later."

"Okay," the Boss and I said, before running off towards an open street. "Boss, this is bad," I said, looking around. "There are cars parked unevenly, no-one around and no electric products on. Something happened in this town."

"Yeah, you're right," she said, before we hid behind cover as something flew above us. "A f***ing alien?"

"Keep your voice down," Johnny said. "Okay, we hijack a car then keep away from them. That, or we fly the car through them."

"Why would you do that?" the Boss asked.

"I'm out of bullets," I said, in an annoyed tone. "Well, there's Friendly Fire."

"If there are aliens running around…" the Boss said as we hesitantly opened the door. "F***. They took everything."

"Well, we have handguns," I said, picking them up. "Looks like we're going to the main warehouse. Do you have any idea where the military base is?"

"Hold on a sec," she said, before her phone went off.

"Don't think you can hide from us," the French bastard said from his phone. "The town was abandoned when the aliens struck. Don't mourn the dead, you'll be joining them soon enough." The phone then hung up as we walked outside.

"So, is Loren the head of the Illuminati?" I asked.

"As a whole, the organisation is called 'Cerberus'," the Boss said, in a disgusted tone. "But he's only an operative, working directly for the boss."

"Who's the head of Cerberus?"

"No one knows exactly," she said. "Male, Female, some say he isn't even human. All that people know is a name."

"And that is…?"

"The Illusive Man."

"OK, see you in a while," Shaundi said as she messed around in the car, starting it up. "We're in luck. Our friends are pretty close by, they're on the way now."

"So, now what?" I asked, looking around. "You heard that call from Loren. The town is abandoned."

"If a town is evacuated, it means that the thieves stay behind and loot the place," Shaundi said. "Well, two down, I just hope he… Kira, its Shaundi. … Yeah, I know, it's a bad time. Look, I and some friends need somewhere to hide and I hear you're still in Steelport. … Okay, I know the place. I'll be there in a minute. We're in luck, someone I know lives nearby. Just get into the car and we'll head there now."

"Alright," I said, opening the door. "Wow… the town is… empty."

"Something's wrong," Shaundi said. "If I tell you to get out of the car, don't argue."

"I won't," I said. "It looks… smells like a battlefield."

"Smells?"

"I can smell blood in the air," I explained. "See? There's rust all over the street."

"Shit," she said as she drove around. "Well, I hope it's nothing… oh, god no."

"What?" I asked, looking around.

"A f***ing alien? !" She shouted. "What the hell happened last month?"

"What happened in the last _four_ months?" I asked. "I don't have any idea."

"Oh, sorry," Shaundi said. "Hey, how about some music?" She then fiddled a switch on the dashboard as static blared, with the occasional tune. "Christian channels… nothing… crappy pop. There's nothing on." Then, a tune actually played that Shaundi seemed to like. "Hey, Fleetwood Mac. I love this song."

"_If I could turn the page, in time then I'd rearrange just a day or two, close my, close my, close my eyes…_

_But I couldn't find a way, So I'll settle for one day to believe in you ,Tell me, tell me, tell me lies_

_Tell me lies, Tell me sweet little lies, (Tell me lies, tell me, tell me lies), Oh, no, no you can't disguise, (You can't disguise, no you can't disguise), Tell me lies, Tell me sweet little lies_"

"So, you're pretty good at throwing weapons," Shaundi asked. "Where did you learn that?"

"My father has me learning our family's fighting style, and it includes learning how to throw kunai and shuriken," I said.

"Oh, you're from Kohona, aren't you?" She asked me.

"H-how did you-"

"I dated a guy from that town," she said. "So, you're Hiashi's daughter. What's he doing now?"

"He's part of the council," I replied. "How do you know my father?"

"He was hired to kill a friend of mine, actually," she said. "But the Boss stopped him. Just barely. Oh, don't mention that around Gat, Hiashi went for his wife. Ever wondered how he lost that eye?"

"Jack?" I asked. "Or get.

"Not that many people know her real name, actually," Shaundi said. "Hell, I had to hack her phone to get the slightest hint of it. Oh, and… technically both. We're here." We then got out of the car as a nearby door opened, and a Japanese man with brown, shoulder length hair, beckoned to us to follow him, before we ran towards him. "Kira, thanks for the help."

"Don't mention it," he said. "Who's the kid?"

"Oh, Hinata, this is Kira, one of my exes," she said.

"Yeah, ex-boyfriend #501," he laughed. "[My name is Asahi Kira. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance]."

"[Wait, what was that about being ex-boyfriend 501]?" I asked.

"She asked it," he said.

"Hinata, let me explain one thing," she said, calmly as we walked up the staircase. "I'm a slut. A huge slut, and I used to do a lot of drugs and illegal stuff."

"Well, since we clarified that, we should probably find out some facts," I said.

"Kira, the Boss, Gat and I have been in cells for the last month," Shaundi said. "What the hell happened? Why are there aliens about?"

"Well, not just aliens," he said. There were no lights at all, nothing. "Aliens, people with super powers… I saw a dragon over at the park only today."

"Okay, what?" Shaundi asked, confused.

"Yeah… this is going to take a while."

"Shaundi sent us the address," I said, looking at the phone. "So, this is the military base. I smell a lot of blood."

"Me too," Gat said. "We should be careful, we don't know what we're up against."

"I'll tell you what we're up against," I said. "Fish in f***ing bowls."

"Don't underestimate anything," Gat said. "Remember Hiashi?"

"Oh, and a cat is the most dangerous thing in the galaxy," I retorted.

"Are you willing to make that bet?" Gat asked.

"$5?"

"Deal."

"Come to think of it…" I began.

"Yeah, Hinata looks like that bastard, when it comes to the eyes," Gat said. "You think they're related?"

"We never knew his last name," I said. "I actually feel sorry for her, since she was raised by such a hateful bastard."

"You think that's what Loren was talking about?" Gat asked. "Perhaps he f***ed up again."

"Yeah, you still have that eye?" I asked.

"Actually…"

"I understand," I said, pulling over. "By the way, did you know it's illegal to drive with your cellphone out?"

"News to me," Gat said as we got out. "We just take what we can, okay?"

"Guns, rockets, grenades, as long as we can fit it in a car," I said. "It's like Christmas."

"I know," Gat said. "Is it… Is that snow?"

"Shit, I should've taken a sweater," I said. "Wait… do you hear something?"

"Yeah… there's someone here," Gat said, taking a handgun and resting against the wall while I slid behind a nearby waist-high wall, SMG ready. On Gat's signal, we shot out, ready to fire.

"Oh, shit!" the guy said, dropping his gun. "I'm human! I-I Just…"

"Wait," Gat said. "Frodo?"

"Oh, that's going to haunt me for years, isn't it?" He said.

"No way," I said, pointing my gun away. "Elijah Wood?"

"Yeah," he said, weakly. "It's me. Who are you?"

"Johnny Gat," he said. "This is the Boss."

"No way," he said, lying against the wall. "The Third Street Saints? I didn't think you were real."

"I didn't think you were that tall," Gat said.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Well, I was filming for a show, when the aliens attacked," Elijah said. "It went to hell, with the only safe places being either controlled by the Morningster, Decker or Luchadores, and everyone is suffering there. I tried to go to one of the safe spots, but… the drophyds razed it. So I… tried looking for guns."

"Is that what they're called?" Gat asked. "Drophyds?"

"Yeah, pretty much," he said. "And it's not just the aliens. People are showing superpowers, but some are also going crazy." He then looked down at his shirt, which was covered in blood. "I was almost mauled by a co-star who thought he was a wolf."

"So, where are the guns?" I asked.

"They're just through here, but unless you've got a place to hide, good luck keeping it a secret," Elijah said. "Gang members will take the weapons, if not attack you."

"Have you played 'Saints Row'?" Gat said. "We can take them."

"Didn't the Ronin kill Aisha?" Elijah asked.

"A dramatic alteration," Gat said. "But… Boss, remember what happened the last time we let an actor roll with us?"

"I'll stay out of the way, if that's what you're saying," Elijah said. "Just… avoid the park."

"Why?"

"There's a dragon."

"Cool," I said, looking around. "Lead the way."

"So, that's it," Kira said, as the kettle boiled. "We have to avoid Morningstar, the district gang, as well as the aliens."

"Why aren't the police doing anything?" Hinata asked. "Shouldn't they stop this?"

"The cops are highly corrupt," Kira said. "Hell, they're actually members of Morningstar."

"So, explain the gangs, slowly," I asked. Kira then went over, grabbed a map and some markers then put them down on the table, before drawing on the map.

"Morningstar is red," Kira explained. "They're the gang who specialise in prostitution and recreational drug use. Their operatives are often pimps and high-class call girls, but the prostitutes are also involved. Their leaders are the DeWynter sisters."

"Viola and Kiki?" Hinata said.

"Right," Kira said. "They're officially high-class art dealers, but are also involved in the running of several brothels, as well as the kidnapping of women to use in said brothels. Their main form of revenue include the strip clubs and Safeword, the … 'Gentlemen's club'. They graduated from Tokyo University at the top of their economics class, as well as Valedictorians for their year. And from my experience of the Japanese school system, that's saying something."

"Anything else?"

"50% of operatives are magically inclined," Kira said. "Wizards or witches."

"Come to think about it, those two used spells to fight," Hinata said. "One destroyed the car, the other stunned the Boss. But one of them… I broke their wand."

"You go girl," Kira said, causing me to blush. "The next organisation is called the Deckers."

"What, do they deck people all day?" I asked.

"Decker is a term used in an old sci-fi novel to refer to a hacker," Kira said. "And that's what they are. Hackers. Most of the members are high-school students, skilled with computers and robotics. That's how they're able to fight off the drophyds. However, they can still fight in person. They have devices built into their bodies that allow them to control gravity."

"Biotics?" I asked.

"Is that what it's called?" Kira asked. "That's not all. Most of the grunts have partners who fight alongside them, monsters that they can summon using computers."

"Who's the head?"

"Well, technically, two," Kira said. "The main lieutenant is a woman called 'Sunrise', believed to be a relative of the actual head, and the leader of the lieutenants. She's believed to be 17."

"And her boss…"

"Matt Miller," Kira explained. "16 year old cybercriminal, wanted all over the country for some of his more inventive assaults. He's the only confirmed Conduit, or superhuman, in the entirety of the Deckers. His powers include technopathy, the ability to control machines. He often hangs around his base, the local power plant."

"And… what about the luchadores?" Hinata asked.

"Well, they're all hired thugs, all conduits," Kira explained. "They're also involved in the distribution of weapons and steroids. And their leader, and I swear this is completely true… is none other than Killbane."

"The wrestler?" Shaundi asked. "Why the hell is he involved in this?"

"How do you think he escapes persecution from Murderbrawl?" Kira explained. "Killing 30 people in the ring does raise a few eyebrows."

"Well, how are they not fighting each other for turf?" Shaundi asked. "Do they have some sort of agreement?"

"They're all working for Phillipe Loren," Hinata said. "Why else would the heads of Morningstar be his secretaries? And even then, he answers to someone called 'The Illusive Man'."

"Sounds vague and ominous," Kira said, before we heard a knocking noise. As he went to the door, he signalled for us to be quiet, before heading downstairs to the front door. "Oh, good. You're safe. Come on." He returned with two more people, who had guns ready, a Greek male and a Latin/Caucasian mix. "They're friends."

"Kira, we've got a problem," the guy said. "We went over to Kinzie's place but it was trashed."

"Wait, Kinzie?" Hinata asked. "She helped us get away from Morningstar and Loren."

"Well, at least we're on the same page, here," the other woman asked. "Ashley. You?"

"Shaundi."

"The Saint and author?"

"The same," Shaundi replied. "You want to meet the Boss and Gat? They should be hear soon."

"Wait, you're one of the Third Street Saints?" the guy asked. "The same guys who sprayed sewage around downtown Miami?"

"Should I have actually helped you?" Hinata asked.

"Hey, you're already in far too deep to come out," Shaundi said. "Oh, and this is Hinata."

"Call me Kaiden," the man said. "So, what do we do now?"

"We wait," Kira said.

"Here's the main armory," Elijah said, pushing the door open. "Don't bother with the tank, it's broken. Believe me."

"Well, boys like their toys, right?" Gat said. "Okay, we've got shotguns, SMGs, RPGs, Sniper rifles… is that a rail gun?"

"I just want to know why it's snowing, fir f***'s sake," I said.

"Oh, well, when I got a Wi-Fi signal, it mentioned a large snow storm over Scotland spreading out fast," Elijah said. "Some think it's a magic ritual, but most Wizards that started going online mentioned that the spell was too powerful for a small army, let alone a single person to cast."

"Well, theories don't give answers," I said. "What else do we have?"

"How about a remote controlled Reaper Drone?" Gat said. "Merry Christmas, Boss!"

"Oh, I'm going to get killed by this, aren't I?" Elijah asked.

"Don't worry, you're safe with us," Gat said. "Just watch the entrance while we load these into a box, maybe get a truck over here." My phone went off as he was talking. "Oh, shit, what's this?"

"I have no idea," I said, taking a look at it. "A grenade, dumbass?" I then took my phone out and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey," Pierce said as he spoke over the phone. "I heard you were in Steelport. Need a ride?"

"Hell yeah," I said. "What are you driving?"

"I'm not," he said. "I'm with Tobias and Laura. We're taking what's left of the gang with us to meet you."

"We're at the military base," I said, looking around. "We're going to need a large copter for this load?"

"What are you taking?"

"A bomb," I said, looking at it, mesmerised. "A big, f***ing bomb. Oh, and you would never believe who we ran into."

"Try me," he said.

"You'll have to see for yourself," I said.

"Guys, we have a serious problem," Elijah said.

"What, are there any Syndicate members coming?" Gat asked.

"No," Elijah called back. "There's a wave of drophyds coming."

"Pierce, we're going to need you to hurry."

"You know me," he said, before we hung up.

"Gat, keep loading weapons, I'll fight the aliens," I said. "Elijah, shoot them down with this suitcase. There's something I'd never think could happen."

"I know," Elijah said, opening the suitcase and started firing missiles at any aliens. "Crap, they're sending larger platforms after us."

"Then shoot them," Gat said, throwing weapons and guns into a large metal box. "The box is full, mind if I join in?"

"Like I could say no," I said, before Gat grabbed a stray grenade and threw it, waiting for it to explode. When it did, the blast seemed to pull drophyds towards it, before finally detonating, freezing them in a bubble of some sort. "Wait. Gat, that's an _eezo_ grenade!"

"What?" he asked.

"It's like my biotics," I said. "Use the grenades to hold them down, then I'll send shockwaves out."

"Okay," Gat said, throwing another grenade, catching as many as nine drophyds at one. "Alright, you're up."

"Fly, bitch!" I shouted, sending a biotic shockwave forward, causing the crafts to float slowly through the air before Gat and I shot them down.

"That's amazing!" Elijah said, before he went back to his screen. "Hey, there's a few helicopters flying nearby."

"That's probably Pierce and the boys," Gat said. "How many?"

"Two," Elijah said. "I've only got two more strikes, so I'll save them for an emergency." Pierce then called me as he leant out of the helicopter and shot at a few drophyds, while Elijah and I grabbed the weapons case and ran for the ride, Gat covering us.

"We're here, and Shaundi sent us the address for the crib," Pierce said. "Just climb in while Tobias covers us and… is that Frodo Baggins?"

"Yeah, it is," I said. "Is this everyone?"

"All that's alive, yeah," Pierce said, sombrely. "Come on, move your asses!"

"We need to take the BFB, remember?" I asked. "We'll need it eventually."

"I doubt it," Pierce said as we ran over. "I'll fly overhead, attack the cables to the copter."

After a short while, we climbed in before Pierce flew off. "Welcome to Air Saint, I'll be your private captain this evening."

"Thanks for the ride," Gat said. "Aside from the attacking aliens, this is going to be enjoyable. Hell, with the aliens, it will be just fun."

"Do I have to be canonized after this?" Elijah asked.

"Well, having a movie star in the gang would be fun," I said. "But we stopped the initiation fight after I restarted the Saints."

"Hey, looks like there's a large swarm to the West," Gat said. "How do we take them out?"

"I don't know," I said, shooting drophyds out of the air. "We could find out."

"It will be only a minute, but we've got a large ship to deal with," Pierce said.

"Can't Tobias' helicopter shoot it down?" I asked.

"That's what they've been trying to do," Pierce said. "You got any ideas?"

"One," Elijah said, taking out an RPG. "Turn around, I need a clear shot."

"Left or right?" Pierce said.

"Right," Elijah said. As Pierce made a hard turn, we all braced ourselves as the large ship came into view. Elijah brought the weapon up and looked through the scope, but when he pulled the trigger, he almost flew out before I caught him.

The rocket hit square in the ship's front, blowing it up, before Pierce lowered the helicopter. "Flight 001 has arrived at its destination, passengers are reminded to remain in their seats until the vehicle has come to a stop."

"Thanks, Pierce, we owe you," Gat said.

"As long as I get Mr Wood's autograph, I'm good," Pierce said. "So, what happened to you?"

"When the bank job went bad, we were captured by this asshat called 'Phillipe Loren'," I explained. "I knew him since before I joined the Saints. Anyway, we escaped and landed here after we took an unexpected skydive."

"What about Shaundi?" Pierce asked us. "Is she alright?"

"She found us a crib, didn't she?" Gat asked.

"What was that?" Kira asked.

"Sounds like an RPG exploding," Ashley said.

"Are you a soldier?" Shaundi asked.

"NATO," she and Kaiden said. "Should we… go look?"

"Since an explosion happened near a rendezvous point, it means the boys are here," Shaundi said as she went outside with Kira.

"So, how did you meet her?" Kaiden asked.

"We just… ran into each other," I said, shyly.

"So, what kind of destruction did you cause this time?" Shaundi asked us as the Boss and I got out of the helicopter with the crate, while Elijah watched out for us. "Wait, is that…?"

"Hey," he said. "Elijah Wood. Pleasure to meet you… Shaundi?"

"Holy shit!" Shaundi shouted. "You ran into Elijah Fucking Wood?"

"They almost shot me," he said, while the other helicopter came down.

"Wait, what's with the bomb?" Shaundi asked.

"You know me," the Boss said. "I like my fireworks."

"Yeah, we're going to have some fun with this thing," Gat said.

"Johnny Gat!" a woman shouted. Wearing a blouse, buttoned shirt, skirt that went to the knees, pumps and an eyepatch, she stomped angrily over towards me.

"Aisha-" I managed to say, before she slapped me across the face.

"You robbed a damn bank? !" She shouted. "Why didn't you at least warn me? For the last month, I thought you were dead until 2 hours ago, when your phone showed up on GPS. And did you have to try and steal the whole damn vault?"

"I admit, that was a bit far," I said.

"That's an understatement!"

"If it helps, it would've gone smoothly had Burk not hit the damn alarm under one of the desks," I said.

"Wait, Josh Burk?" Elijah asked. "Why did you let him get involved?"

"He was paying us to allow him to shadow us," Shaundi said. "Hopeless romantic, actually. He wouldn't stop flirting."

"You still tried to steal a vault," Aisha said.

"I admit, dears, it did seem quite foolish," Laura said, coming out of the helicopter.

"It's good to see you again, Laura," the Boss said. "So, how are you and Tobias holding up."

"Not just us," she said. "I'm glad that my ex-husband and the kids are alright."

"Yeah, but 2 weeks in a helicopter, looking for you, it's stressful," Tobias said, in his usual monotone way. "So, where do we go?"

"Well, I'd like you to get the damn helicopters away from my apartment before any other gangs realise you're here," Kira said while looking around. "The building is abandoned, so don't worry about any other tenants."

"So, we owe you rent," Gat said. "And you are…?"

"Kira Asahi," he said as we walked in while his friends came out. "This is Ashley Williams and Kaiden Alenko."

"Well, looks like we'll need recruiting," the Boss said as she walked forward.

"Look out," Kaiden said, before the boss jumped out of the way of a drophyd's attack, before Kaiden threw the drophyd into a wall telekinetically and Ashley shot it with her shotgun.

"You're a f***ing biotic?" the Boss asked, amazed. "Well, looks like I'll have company."

"Wait, who are you?" Kaiden asked.

"I'm the Boss of the Third Street Saints," she said with a smile. "But you can call me Jack. That, or Subject Zero."


	34. OL2: Party Time

"Okay, that's all we know about the gangs," Kira said, after explaining everything to the Saints and I. "Downtown is controlled by Morningstar who also own New Colvin, Carver Island is controlled by the Luchadores and Stanfield is run by the Deckers."

"We're going to need help taking them all down," Gat said, looking at the map, "people who know about the gangs."

"Well, we _had_ Kinzie, but she was captured when the Deckers traced her," Ashley said. "We know she's alive and where, but we can't be certain she's actually there."

"Where is it?" I asked.

"Hinata, I don't think-" Jack tried to say.

"I can stay at a distance, just watch if I need to," I said. "Also, most members of my family can enhance our vision at will to see at large ranges and distances, but it wears us down if used for too long. I can stay in a nearby alleyway or on a roof and watch out for her."

"Hinata, look," Jack tried to tell me. "I let a kid into the gang and he was killed to get to me. Horribly. I can't put anyone else in that situation again."

"Then I'll stay away from the Syndicate," I said. "Well, that's a Decker specialist down. What about the others?"

"We could try Zimos," Shaundi said. "He's Steelport's oldest pimp, but he disappeared years ago."

"Apparently, he pissed off the DeWynter twins," Kira said. "Not severe enough to have Zimos killed, but he's apparently a prisoner in Safeword."

"I'll see if I can sneak in," Shaundi said. "Maybe go with Pierce."

"And that leaves the Luchadores," Pierce said. "You know anyone who hates them?"

"How about… Angel de la Muerte?" Kaiden asked. "He's a former lieutenant of the group and used to be Killbane's partner in the ring, until Killbane betrayed him and took his mask. The thing is… none of us know where he is."

"What about the aliens?" Tobias said. "I can deal with driving, but if they're flying around I won't be able to use my chopper to get around."

"If we can create a large enough EMP blast, we can take them down," Aisha said. "Intergalactic space travel at their fingertips and they forget the basics."

"Okay, we've got a rough idea of what to do," the Boss said. "Laura, can you bake?"

"Yeah, I have to admit, I'm starving," Ashley said.

"Relax, dear," Laura said. "You said your name was Ashley, right? Well, let me tell you, when it comes to drugs or snicker doodles, I'm the best."

"Alright, then," Ashley said, before turning around hard to look at the housewife. "What?"

"Why else would I be hanging out with a street gang?" She asked, rhetorically in her usual sweet voice.

"Okay, but…" Hinata said, concerned. "How are we going to cause a large 'EMP' blast?"

"You're right," Aisha said. "Where do you think I could find a large amount of copper wire to create an electromagnet, let alone a power source?"

"You could try the park," Elijah spoke up. "But…"

"Oh, no," Kaiden started, jumping out of his chair. "I am not going back there! I just barely avoided being burnt to a crisp last time!"

"Well, I'm not going back to Sierra Point," Elijah said. "And do any of us want to try and steal that much from the Deckers? It's suicide, either way."

"I'll go get the copper," the Boss said. "Aisha, find a generator to hook it up to."

"Got it."

* * *

><p><strong>Operation Louisiana 2: Party Time<strong>

* * *

><p>"So, that ship is where they're keeping her?" I asked, looking down. "It looks big."<p>

"I know," Ashley said, looking downward with a pair of binoculars. "It's filled with Deckers and monsters, but they're just wondering around and talking to each other."

"Aren't binoculars reflective?" I asked.

"Yeah, you're right," she said, before putting them down after putting caps on the lenses. "So, how are you going to find her?"

"Hold on," I said, before activating my Byakugan. "Wait, something's wrong."

"What?" Ashley asked.

"The Deckers…." I began. "They don't… they're not producing chakra. But the monsters are, but it doesn't pass around the body like any other living creatures."

"Is that bad?" Ashley asked.

"Technically, the Deckers should be… they should've been dead," I said. "I can still detect other life signs, heart pulses, sweat and breath. But it means I can find Kinzie in an easier manner."

"Where is she?" Ashley asked.

"She's tied to a chair in the main… cockpit," I said, uncertainly, "wherever the steering wheel is."

"Okay, we know where she is for certain," Ashley said. "Let's head back to the crib."

"Wait," I said, holding up my arm. "I… I can see someone nearby. Someone I recognise."

"A friend?" She asked. "Where are they? And who are they?"

"She just entered a nearby house," I said. "Her name is Ino. Ino Yamanaka."

"Okay, we'll head there now," she said, as we ran towards the fire escape. "Just stay nearby in case we're attacked, you're still injured."

"I know," I replied.

* * *

><p>"So, that's Safeword?" Shaundi asked as we walked up to the skyscraper-mansion mix. "Seems like a lovely place. Ever been to a place like this before?"<p>

"I've been in a strip club, if that's what you're asking," I said as we crossed the street. "So, how do you know this 'Zimos' dude?"

"You want the full story or the two word summary?" she asked.

"I'd like to hear the full one, but go for the laconic option if you have to," I replied.

"Spring Break."

"Oh," I said. "Well, I'll be able to talk our way in." We walked up to a guard who immediately stopped us.

"If you're looking for protection, the haven is a few streets away," he said in a think French accent. "You're in the wrong place."

"We're here for the brothel," I said.

"You brought your girlfriend to a sex joint?" the guard asked me.

"We're not lovers," Shaundi said. "Hell, we're probably going to die, so how about one night of pleasure?"

"Alright, head on in," the guard said. "You'll need a $10 deposit then you'll be given a key to a locker."

"Thanks," I said as we both walked inside. "What kind of strip joint gives keys to lockers? Is this some sort of nudist joint?"

"I have no idea," Shaundi said as she put down $20 dollars and handed me a key. "What, do you think this place has fierce competition, or a strict dress code?" We then walked past a guy in full gimp gear, as horror dawned on our faces. "'Safeword'?" Shaundi repeated. "As in…"

"A code word used in BDSM?" I finished, before we looked through the door to see what kind of joint we just walked into. "Oh… hell no. Not again."

* * *

><p>"So, how far away is this cable?" I asked, with Gat in shotgun, in the parked truck.<p>

"It should be near the lake," Kaiden said, standing outside. "Listen, if I tell you the dragon is nearby, just… stop the car and don't get out. Or get in the truck quickly. They can't see you if you don't move. I learned that from experience."

"And why not throw a car at him?" Gat asked. "Biotics can do that, right?"

"Hey, Jack, you're aware of biotics," Kaiden said. "You ever hear of BAaT?"

"Oh, that's why," I replied. "He suffers from headaches when using his powers too much."

"The dragon usually flies out of town to look for food," Kaiden said, "but it returns here to sleep at night."

"Wait, is this a nest?" Gat asked. "Boss, if it's using the metal to keep eggs warm, I really think we should go back to Sierra Point."

"Yeah, if the dragon actually slept near the wire," Kaiden said. "It's on the other side, though, but I'd check to be safe."

"Just stay out of sight," I said as I started the truck. "And if anyone comes near us, don't be afraid to shoot anyone."

"Hey, I'm a NATO soldier, I can keep my own," he replied. "Good luck."

"You two," I said, before I drove into the park, slowly. "Okay, there's no-one here."

"Well, no-one tries to f*** with a dragon," Gat said, looking around, nervously.

"Oh, come on," I said as I made our way closer. "You, nervous? That seems too weird."

"Well, truth be told," Gat said, awkwardly, "I've… this isn't the first time I've ran into a dragon."

"What?" I asked, amazed. "What happened?"

"I was in Romania," Gat said. "Hiking then, I ran into this huge dragon, something called a 'Hungarian Horntail'. I ran into this wizard called Charlie, and… well…"

"Sounds like a good time," I said as we got up to the wire. "I'll lighten it with biotics, you lift it up."

"Wait a sec, Boss," Gat said, before he jumped out of the car and looked into the bundle of wire. "We're good! No eggs!"

"Okay, let's load it in the truck," I said while helping Johnny lift the wire up. "Okay, we'll need to get this back to Aisha. Where is this generator, anyway?"

"Decker territory," Johnny said. "It's near the river." However, the radio quickly blared.

"Shit, the dragon's coming," Kaiden said as we got in. I turned off the engine then put the brakes on before Gat and I lied down. "It's there and it brought food. This is going to take a while."

"Shit," Gat said when he saw the dragon.

"Is it big?" I asked.

"Worse," Gat said. "It's a Hungarian Horntail. The same one I ran into before."

"It's missing an eye," I said.

"Yeah…" Gat said. "Do you think dragons recognize people?" Soon, the truck was being poked at, sending it back and forth on its side.

"Hey, Jack, Johnny," Kaiden said. "The dragon… just fell asleep next to the truck."

"Damn, it caught my scent," Gat said. "Looks like this will take a while."

* * *

><p>Ashley and I snuck into a nearby hospital, after Ino. It was a mess, with medicine and beds spilt everywhere as well as broken ceiling panels lying on the floor, broken. "Are you sure she's in here?"<p>

"I'm certain," I said while looking around. "She's upstairs, and she's with someone else." We sneaked through, being careful not to disturb anything, before we found our way towards a hospital ward. Ashley hesitantly opened the door, keeping her hand firmly on her gun. "Hello?" she called out, as I made my way in.

"[Ino-chan]?" I asked, looking around. "[It's me, Hinata]."

"[Hinata-chan]?" Ino asked, running out from behind cover, then ran over and hugged me. "[You have no idea how glad I am to see you]!"

"[What are you doing here?]" I asked. "[And who else is with you]?"

"[Hinata-chan, the nin who attacked Kohona were rounding up students who were likely to pass the exam]," Ino said. "[You, me… several people from class really. But I'm glad that you're here, Naruto really needs help.]"

"[Naruto-kun]?" I asked, worried. "[What happened to him]?"

"[He's been shot]," Ino said. "[I've got an ambulance loaded, but I can't exactly drive it]."

"We've got an injured kid here," I said to Ashley. "Can you drive an ambulance back to Kira's place?"

"Yeah, how bad is it?" Ashley asked.

"[Where is Naruto]?" I asked, before Ino led me away.

"[He was shot in the stomach as we got away, but he also took a serious hit to the head]," Ino said. "[He doesn't even know his name. Oddly enough, he knows some ninjutsu, including one that's Jonin level]."

"[How is he able to use that]?" I asked, confused.

"[I have no idea, but he saved my life]," Ino said.

"If we get the elevator running, we can get him downstairs," Ashley said. "Just wait here, okay?"

"Okay," I said, as she ran off.

"So, who is she?" Ino asked.

"You speak English as well?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah, my mom taught me some basics," Ino said. "So, how did you get away?"

"Someone called Kinzie opened the doors for me, and then gave me this software to hack the doors," I said. "I met three other people then we made our escape by diving away. In fact, we were looking for her when we saw you running past."

"Wait, you jumped out of a floating fortress?" Ino asked.

"We grabbed parachutes," I said. "While we were falling and we didn't jump willingly, but still…" Ino began to chuckle when she heard this. "Are… Are you laughing at me?"

"I didn't think you had a backbone in you," Ino said. "You're braver than I thought."

* * *

><p>"So, what's your safe word?" I asked Pierce. "Shoes?"<p>

"Oklahoma," he said, rubbing his wrists. "Never again… But I got a lead, the manager who makes porn here should know where the 'Pony Show' where this dude is held. I threatened another patron with a beating if he didn't tell me. Oddly, he was a masochist, so I threatened not to hit him unless he told me."

"Yeah, I spoke to a random patron," I said. "Zimos is definitely here. Oh, and mine is 'Alice'."

"You want to talk to the manager?" Pierce said.

"I already did," I said. "First floor, room 209, there's a door that leads to the basement with the pony show. Grab your gun then we can head there."

"How are we going to go back through without raising any eyebrows?" Pierce said.

"I just say I lost an earring," I said while entering the lockers. "Put it in your pocket."

"Okay," Pierce said as we dressed up, concealing our weapons and walking through. The excuse worked perfectly, although one woman bitched me out because my jewellery weren't SSC or whatever the hell that means.

"So, here we are," Pierce said as we walked into the main room showing several screens and video editing equipment. "There's the door to the pony show. You ready?"

"Yeah," I said, taking out my gun. "So, just head back to the crib?"

"Actually, could we get some disinfectant?" Pierce asked. "Maybe get me shaved?"

"Yeah, we'll get a box of that shit, each," I said as he opened the door. An alarm immediately went off as Pierce got his gun ready. "Well, let's hurry."

"Okay," Pierce said as we ran down the staircase and through the staircase, shooting any guards who tried to stop us. "We're here. Which of these guys do you think is Zimos?"

"He's not that subtle," Shaundi said.

"What, does he have a rhinestone 'Z' on his back?" he said, before turning around to see a guy in the centre of the room with a rhinestone 'Z' on his back. "Oh. Hey, you Zimos?" He eagerly nodded as we removed the ball gag from his mouth and… from his throat. "Guy's had a tracheotomy."

"Shit, there are more guards coming," I said as I looked around. "Get in the cart." I said to Pierce. "Let's go, Zimos!" He pulled us out as we readied SMGs to fire at Morningstar girls who were also riding carts being pulled by gimps. Pierce shot the girls riding the carts while I tried to take out the gimps, seeing if they'd cause the girls to fall over. However…

"Why did the gimps explode? !" Pierce asked, confused.

"Volition programmed the gimp carts as vehicles and either didn't realise they could explode or included it to be funny," I said as I kept shooting the carts.

"Don't break the fourth wall!" Pierce said.

"Hey, have you read the previous chapters?" I asked. "Hey, we took out the Morningstar." We got Zimos to stop before climbing out of the cart and helping him with some restraints.

"Sorry about having you pull us out of there," Pierce said to Zimos, who signalled for a cane on the cart, which I threw over to him.

"This _is_ a rescue, right?" he asked us in an auto-tuned digital voice while holding the cane to his throat. It must have a digital voice box built in. "Not some elaborate set-up for a gang bang?"

"Why'd you put that image in my head, man?" Pierce asked.

"I'll guess it's a rescue, then," Zimos sang. "I'd shake your hand but those floors were sticky if you know what I'm saying."

"Z, don't talk to me," I said, disgusted.

"I'm sorry, but if this is about-"

"This is about Spring Break, 10 years ago," I almost shouted, angrily.

Zimos lowered his glasses and looked over them in amazement, with his mouth open. "Oh, shit," he finally spoke. "Shaundi? I didn't recognise you without the dreads, irie."

"You know him?" Pierce asked.

"You don't need or want to know the specifics," I said. "Look, Z, some serious stuff happened, and we need help."

"Well, if you need a place to crash, we can go to my old place," Z sang. "But if you need to go somewhere, can I at least head there for some clothes?"

"Sure, but don't expect a car ride," Pierce said. "Since the aliens would use us for target practice."

"Yeah, real funny," Z sang, before we pointed to the distance. "Oh, shit, what the hell happened?"

"We don't know," I said. "Come on, we need to hurry."

* * *

><p>"It's snoring," I said to Gat, while lying down. "It's f***ing snoring. How are we going to get away?"<p>

"Like I know," Gat said, before we heard a screeching noise a distance away. "What was that?"

"I have no idea," I said, before the dragon suddenly woke up and flew away. I nervously sat up to see a fire truck driving away, with the dragon following it. Soon, my cell went off and I answered it. "Kaiden?"

"Get the hell out of there," Kaiden said. "We were hoping to use this RC fire truck later on, but if it means taking care of the aliens it's a necessary sacrifice."

"You're not in the truck, are you?" Gat asked.

"Uh, what point of 'RC fire truck' didn't you understand?" Kaiden said. "It will distract it for a while, so get over to Aisha ASAP."

"Okay," I said, hanging up and driving off. "Well, that was actually invigorating, being close to a dragon."

"Did you have to tickle it?" Gat asked.

"Yes!" I instantly retorted. "And no matter how big it is, a laughing dragon is _cute_!"

* * *

><p>"Okay, he's strapped in," Ashley said. "We should be back at base soon. Oh, and Ino, I know you speak English, I heard you talking to Hinata earlier."<p>

"Shit," Ino said, quietly.

"Watch your f***ing language," Ashley replied. "Hinata, I'm sorry, but can you use a gun? In case we get into a shootout, we'll need protection."

"I don't even know how to put bullets into a gun," I said, nervously.

"If it helps, I've been using scalpels in place of kunai," Ino said, setting a box next to me.

"I've got a broken arm," I said, showing her the injury. "I don't think I'd be able to hit anything unless I was leaning out the window."

"Hold on a second," Ino said, putting her hand over my arm. Suddenly, a green light shot out of her palms and my bones began to reform themselves in an instant. "I don't know how I did that, actually, but I used it to help Naruto-san. Now, if only I could get the bullet out."

"Don't try it," Ashley said. "If there's a bullet in there, taking it out would cause him to start bleeding since the bullet has the wound cauterized."

"I have healing hands," Ino said. "I think I could stop the bleeding. And then, it's just around the intestine walls, anyway."

"Well, don't do it while I'm driving," Ashley said as she began to drive off. "Hinata, warn me when danger is on its way."

"Stop the car, now," I said, raising my hand as a large vehicle shot past us at breakneck speed.

"Dammit," Ashley said as she looked at it. "Who's driving the RC fire truck? We needed it for a job." Then, a large creature soared past us. "Was that a dragon? !"

"I think it was," Ino said, before Ashley drove onward.

* * *

><p>"Is that a fire truck?" Shaundi asked as Zimos unlocked the door.<p>

"What the hell is that thing?" I asked as something chased the fire truck. "Oh, that's the dragon."

"We should head on it," Zimos sang. "Doubt any of my girls would be here, but you never know."

"Z!" a girls said as we walked in and hugged the old pimp. "Thank god, I thought you were dead."

"Don't worry, baby, I'm alright," Zimos sang. "What the hell happened when I was gone?"

"Oh, have you noticed the aliens, the people with superpowers, the _f***ing dragon_?" she asked. "Everything's gone to hell. In fact, since we won't work for Morningstar, we've been hiding out here."

"Wait," Zimos sang. "I haven't introduced you to my saviours. This is Pierce and Shaundi."

"Oh shit," the girl said. "I didn't recognise you without the dreads, irie!"

"Shaundi, you remember Jasmine, right?" Zimos sang. "Guys, I'll get changed now, then we'll head over to your place."

"We could just call the Boss and get her to come here," I said before Zimos entered another room. "Hey, how many of you are there here?"

"9 girls and a kid we saved yesterday," Jasmine said. "He doesn't speak English, so we've been using Google translations to talk. He's some Japanese kid, I think. Just fell out of the sky."

"Wait," Shaundi said, before shaking her head. "Never mind. I'll handle it later."

"What have you been doing about food and water?" I asked.

"The water is still running, actually, so we're getting plenty to drink," Jasmine said. "As for food, we just sneak into local supermarkets and take what we can. Cereal, instant noodles, quick and simple food. We don't have electricity so we use candles for light and fire when it's dark."

"Isn't it a bit risky with the smoke?" Shaundi asked.

"Well, we have to deal with the occasional alien scout, but they leave us be since we don't have any weapons or means of defending ourselves," Jasmine said. "We try not to raise any concerns about ourselves."

"Why not?" I asked.

"We've got a pregnant girl here," Jasmine said. "She was raped and we don't get abortions. Unspoken rule."

"So, who was it?" Zimos sang, walking up to Jasmine. "Who decided to f*** with one of my girls?"

"It was a guy called… Barry," Jasmine said. "A Morningstar pimp."

"You said you were going after the Syndicate?" Zimos asked. "Nobody f***s with my ladies and gets away with it. I'm in."

"Great," Shaundi said. "I'll pass it around." She then took out her phone, before looking at the kid on the couch. "Hey, you!" The kid then turned his head to look at her. "Hyuuga Hinata?" That got his attention, as he recognised the name and nodded.

* * *

><p>"Okay, just cross the bridge then turn left to get to the generator," Gat said as an ambulance flew past. "Who do you think is in that?"<p>

"I think I saw Hinata in the passenger seat," I said as I pulled up. "Hey, Aisha."

"That's a lot of cable," Aisha said as we lifted it out. "We need to wrap it around this I-beam before we connect it, then we just wait until I get the generator back up and running."

"Wow, you've got this all planned out, didn't you?" Gat complimented her.

"You're still not getting in my pants," Aisha glared at him. "And why are you late?" A large roar came from the distance as we got behind the van.

"That dragon fell asleep on us," I said.

"Well, we've got to get this setup before any deckers come by," Aisha said.

"You've seen them up-close?" I asked.

"Deckers come in several varieties, biotics like you, soldiers that have heavier guns and engineers who deploy robots and sentries," Aisha said. "The specialists are girls who teleport around the field as well as send out biotic attacks, attacking with SMGs and hammers, and every human is accompanied by a monster that they fight with."

"How intelligent are these guys?" Gat asked.

"They speak English," Aisha said. "They're also able to plan."

"I meant the monsters," Gat said.

"That's what I meant," Aisha said. "Oh, and all the deckers… none of them are older than 18, the youngest ones are 15."

"Boss, I ain't killing kids," Gat said.

"Neither am I," I said. "Let's get this set up, now."

* * *

><p>"I think we got some attention," Ashley said.<p>

"Yeah, I told you to avoid the car park," Hinata said. "Who are these guys?"

"They look like wrestlers," Ino said. "The Luchador_es_?"

"The 'E' is silent," Ashley said. "But yeah, they're the Luchadores."

"They're throwing cars at us!" Ino said. "How are they throwing cars?"

"The Luchadores are mostly Conduits," Ashley said. "Damn… Kaiden is best at fighting these guys, since they lose their powers when hit with biotics."

"I've got an idea," I said while grabbing some scalpels. "Make a hard left on the next turn."

"So, just drive normally," Ashley said.

"Can you even drive this truck at all?" Ino asked, as she went slightly green.

"I wish," she said. "I got arrested during my driving test."

"Why?" I asked, getting ready.

"It seems that my instructor wasn't officially licenced," Ashley said. "Okay, get ready."

Ashley made the turn as I held the door release, before I was pulled out of the car while hanging onto the frame, with the door being held open by a piece of wood. As more Luchadores came into view, I activated my Byakugan before throwing a scalpel at a car, hitting the driver in the shoulder and forcing a hard turn.

"There are two more cars, right?" Ashley said.

"Make a right," I ordered, which Ashley then did. Taking another 2 scalpels, I threw them at the wheel of one car, forcing the car to crash into a clothing store, taking them out. Grabbing three more scalpels, I told Ashley to turn right again, allowing me to throw two scalpels into the front wheel, causing it to burst, while sending one into the back wheel, forcing the car to turn up a hill, before the truck wound up launching over a building and crashing into the water in the nearby river.

"That was awesome," Ino said. "Go Hinata! Throw those scalpels and take those bitches down!"

"How far away from the safe house?" I asked.

"Just one more turn, and we'll be there," Ashley said, before stopping the car. "I'll get Kira to help me lift him in, you focus on keeping Naruto stable."

"Uh…" Ino began, nervously. "I think the wound ruptured. I have to get the bullet out now. Hinata, hand me a scalpel." I then handed it to her, before she cleaned it with some alcohol and she cut into Naruto's belly. She used a pair of tweezers to pull the bullet out, setting it on the ground before healing the wound back up and letting Naruto rest. "Okay, he should be fine now."

"Well, you certainly caused a ruckus," Kira said as he ran out. "And it seems that this kid is safe. Good job, Hinata, Ashley. And welcome to the safe house, miss…?"

"Ino Yamanaka," she said as she got out of the ambulance and let the two adults carry Naruto inside. "So, do you know if anyone else got away from the syndicate? All I know of is Chikamaru."

"Do you know where he is?" I asked.

"We drifted away from each other," Ino said. "We got parachutes and flew in different directions. I'm only with Naruto because I helped get him out while he was unconscious."

"How was he shot?" I asked.

"Well, he used a powerful shadow clone technique to let me get away, hide among the crowd," Ino said. "But someone spotted me and tried to shoot and Naruto took the bullet. He didn't have his memories before that, but helped me nonetheless."

"Wait, the shooter, was he a decker?" I asked. "Was he dressed like the ones on the boat?"

"The one I ran past?" Ino asked. "Yeah, they were. Why?"

"They weren't affected by the ninjutsu," I said. "They don't produce chakra. When I went scouting for the woman that helped me escape, they didn't have any chakra in their bodies."

"That's weird," Ino said. "So, how did you get away, anyway?"

* * *

><p>"What do you think you're doing?" a kid shouted at us while we were setting up.<p>

"What does it look like?" I asked, looking at him. "We're trying to set off an EMP."

"What?" he asked, horrified. "You do know that will fry all electronics in the area, right?"

"It's a weak EMP," Gat said. "We set it off, the electricity will fail and the aliens come crashing out of the sky."

"Oh," he said. "Well… carry on, then." The kid then walked away while we were still working.

"You know that kid's a decker, right?" Aisha asked us.

"No," Gat said. "How could you tell?"

"Do you see that fluffball that was walking with him?" Aisha asked. "All deckers have some sort of creature following them and, from what Kira tells me, they can become bigger and stronger at will."

"Where can I get one?" I asked. "It sounds cooler than Pokémon."

"We've got this set up," Gat said. "How long until the EMP goes off?"

"5 minutes," Aisha said. "We should leave, though, since the blast will kill us."

"Let's head back then," I said as we got into the truck. "Johnny, you're shotgun."

"No, you're shotgun," Aisha said. "I'm the getaway driver, you both shoot."

"Works for me," Gat said as we all got out then back in. "How are you even able to drive this thing?"

"I can drive stick," Aisha said. "How come you don't?"

"I just don't understand how to," Gat said.

"And yet you were willing to hijack a plane and fly it to Hawaii?" I asked.

"Details, details," he said. "Oh shit, we got company."

"Morningstar," I said as I leant out of the car and started firing. "Johnny, shoot the drivers."

"That's not fun," he said.

"We're down too many guys and we have to avoid fighting," I said. "Just shoot." Johnny, for his credit, quickly took out 5 drivers with 5 shots in less than 10 seconds, although me made sure that the sixth car would crash into them and launch up while spinning, so that he could unload with an SMG.

"Well, there is a fireworks display in… oh, shit, 10 seconds." Aisha quickly hit the brakes. We all climbed out and got into an alleyway before the blast went off, causing static to form all over the place. "Well, that was fun," Gat said. "Time flies when you're running from an explosion." Speaking of…

Several drophyd drones fell out of the sky with small explosions as well as a large ship, which only just came into view as it entered the ocean. I was surprised that my cell was working whilst Aisha tried to get the static out of her hair, before putting her finger next to Johnny and zapping him.

-* What did you do? *- Elijah said. -* I understand the power being cut by the EMP… but coming back on? And is that a spaceship? *-

"Yeah, it is," I said. "Anything else?"

-* Yeah, Shaundi called, said you should meet her and Pierce at this car wash over in Espina in New Colvin, *- Elijah said. -*They recruited Zimos and are waiting there, along with some of Zimos' prostitutes. Also, Hinata ran into two of her friends, but one is unconscious and suffers from amnesia. *-

"At least he's alive," I said. "Okay, talk to you later." I then hung up as I led everyone away. "We're going to meet a pimp."

"What?" Aisha asked.

"We need him to take down Morningstar," I said. "Also, Shaundi and Pierce are there."

* * *

><p>"So, the Boss is on her way to meet a new ally," Elijah said as Kaiden walked through the door. "Hey."<p>

"Kira, we've got good news and bad news," Kaiden said. "We've taken out the main ship, it crashed in the harbor and the aliens were quickly taken out, but the fire truck was totaled when I used it to save the Boss and Gat."

"She's not our boss, Kaiden," Ashley said. "We're just working with them, okay?"

"Yeah? Too bad everyone else is dead," Kaiden said. "Everyone else in the unit, there's only you and me. We need their help."

"So we're going to join a street gang?" she asked.

"If it helps, the Saints own Ultor," Tobias said. "We're worth millions."

"Well, we should probably handle food first," Laura said. "How is he?"

"Naruto?" Ino said. "He's drained, but alive." The boy in question then squirmed. "[Good, you're awake]."

"[Where are we]?" Naruto asked.

"[We had to get you and Ino out of the hospital]," I said. "[You probably don't remember me…]"

"[Hinata?]" Naruto said to my astonishment. "[I don't remember you… but I remember Ino-chan saying your name]."

"Hey, how did he get that tattoo on his stomach?" Tobias asked.

"That wasn't there before," Ino said. "I swear it just appeared."

"But you cut over it," Kira said. "There's a scar, but even then, the ink seems to form over it. [Do you remember how you got these markings on your stomach]?"

"[No, I don't]," Naruto said. "[I can only remember bits and pieces, like… Iruka-Sensei… Iruka-Sensei]!"

"[What happened to him]?" I asked.

"[Someone hit him with several shuriken]!" Naruto shouted. "[Then I was grabbed by the neck then… I can't remember…]"

"[Iruka-sensei was taken to the hospital the day _before_ the attack,]" Ino said. "[I remember it clearly, my cousin said that he was admitted after saving a student's life. But the thing is… there were also talks about someone trying to steal a scroll from the Mayor's office. Naruto, do you recognise the name… Mizuki]?"

"[That son of a bitch…]" Naruto growled. "[Yeah. He attacked Iruka-Sensei]."

"[We should probably discuss this later]," I said. "Ino, do you have any idea who was taken?"

"Yeah, I know all of them," Ino said. "You, me, Naruto, Chikamaru, that's the ones that got away. Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchida, Chouji Amikichi, Shino Arubame, Kiba Inuzuka. That's all of them. 9 in total."

"Why take us?" I asked. "Wouldn't it be better to take other people?"

"Don't ask me," Ino said. "I just hope Chikamaru is alright."

"Why don't you ask him," Johnny said as he walked in with Chikamaru. Ino immediately ran over and hugged him, before immediately slapping him over the head. "[You lazy bastard! Are you such a slowpoke that you'd let yourself get captured rather than even move]?"

"[It was troublesome]," Chikamaru said. "[And I gave you an earpiece. I was trying to get captured so that you'd track me down with the others]."

"[That was stupid]," Naruto said. "[Let yourself get captured? They _shot_ me]."

"What the hell are you talking about?" the Boss asked.

"We're trying to work out why we were captured as well as figure out how to help our friend remember his past," I said. "But… was Mizuki-sensei involved with the others?"

"[What was that about Mizuki-sensei]?" Chikamaru asked.

"[He put Iruka-sensei in the hospital]," Ino said. "[We think he's a traitor, but we can't confirm it]."

"Well, we're going to need somewhere else to stay if we're going to take on the Morningstar," an old man wearing extravagant clothing said, or rather, sang as he sat down. "What do you think?"

"Well, I've seen this place, but there's a few Morningstar there," Elijah said. "You think we can take over?"

"[Is that Frodo Baggins]?" Chikamaru and Ino said in unison.

"[Yeah]," I said.

"Something stupid and cool looking?" Jack asked. "Hell yeah."

"We'll need a helicopter," Pierce said. "So, Elijah, describe the place."

* * *

><p><strong>02:30AM, July 21<strong>

* * *

><p>It looks like an impressive location," Gat said on the radio. "Good view, helipad for Tobias, lots of weed. And since the town is safe, a lot of opportunities."<p>

"Yeah, it looks nice," Tobias said as we flew around. "We'll wait half an hour before you jump, get them whilst they're drunk or baked. Also, since this is a news helicopter-"

"They'd think they'll be on TV," I said. "Huh. Some asshole is in my pool."

"Is it a ho?" Zimos spoke over the radio. "I have a thing about shooting girls, just not something I do."

"Relax, it's some Morningstar pimp," I said. "Kaiden in position with you, Gat?"

"We're on opposite buildings so that we can get the best vantage points," Johnny said. "Frodo here spotting for me and Kira spotting for Kaiden, with Ashley going solo."

"Then I open the door for everyone else, then, bingo, we got a better crib," I said. "What about Hinata? I thought she would be a good spotter."

"I haven't been able to find her," Gat said. "I thought she was with you."

"What about Ino, or Chikamaru?"

"No, not at…" Gat said. "Ooh, shit."

* * *

><p>"So, they're the Deckers," Chikamaru said. "Fighting them and the monsters is going to be troublesome."<p>

"Yeah, I know," Ino said. "There are monsters on the deck, flying around and even in the water."

"They're also below deck, with one of them tied up with Kinzie," I said. "But… why?"

"Is it… hers?" Ino asked. "Is this really a good idea, Hinata-chan? I mean… we can't use genjutsu and our knowledge of ninjutsu is limited."

"So why don't we just sneak on board?" Naruto said, causing us to jump.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Ino asked, while trying to keep quiet.

"I couldn't just lie around anymore so I took a walk to clear my head," he said. "Also, it seems that the havens are closing down but the Syndicate are now charging for security."

"A PMC?" I asked. "Okay, how do we get over there?"

"We could row," Chikamaru said. "We could also use a motorboat, if we can get into that boathouse over there, except there's an electronic lock and we'd need the code."

"I can get us in," I said, smiling while taking out my phone. "Come on." We then ran over and I got Chikamaru and Naruto to watch out for scouts.

"So, what can you do with that phone?" Ino asked as I began the hack.

"Well, I got a virus and about $200," I said, before I tripped the security node. "Just give me a sec… I've got it." I then opened the door and let everyone in before closing the door again. "Okay, someone open the shutter, I'll see what else we can do here."

"Hey, I found a TV," Naruto said.

"That's a security screen, Naruto," Ino said while looking through a desk. "Let us know if anyone appears, that looks like the front door. Hey, I got the keys to the boat."

"I've got the shutters open," Chikamaru said, as we all climbed in. "So, we just dock the boat next to the ship and board?"

"Yes and no," I said. "One of us should remain on the boat and drive away. The rest should board. I'll remain on the boat, since my fighting style is useless on Deckers. No tenketsu points to block."

"Hey, we should all go," Naruto said. "You can open more of those locks, then."

"Alright," I said while starting the boat up. "Does anyone know how to drive this thing?"

"No," they said in unison. We drove through the water, before beaching on the boat and jumping out.

"Intruders," someone called out, before two Deckers and monsters ran up to us and we got ready to fight.

"Troublesome," Chikamaru said, before taking out a flare and setting it behind him. He then made several hand seals and stretched his shadow forward, causing several people just out of everyone's view to take the same stance, before they started beating themselves with the broad end of their swords and falling unconscious. "There's more of them… I'm exhausted."

"Okay," Ino said as a large monster came into view. Making hand seals, Ino then caught the monster in her control and threw a container to attack a few more monsters, which disappeared into flashes of light and travel over towards watches that each decker was wearing. "I'll watch over Chikamaru and get the boat ready to leave."

"Got it," Naruto said as we ran forward to see two more guards and monsters waiting. Naruto grabbed a blade from an unconscious decker and span it, before locking blades with the deckers. I, however, was attacked by the monsters. Without thinking, I made several Jyuuken strikes to the monsters, causing one to disappear before I pushed the other one over the edge, before a decker fell next to me. Naruto then cut the last decker's blade in two, before throwing his blade away abd punching the decker in the face, knocking him against the wall, where he went limp whilst bleeding from both his nose and lip. "I didn't kill him, did I?"

"No," I said, before we entered the cabin to see an orange haired woman sitting in a chair, with a cat tied up with her, as Naruto followed me in.

"[Who are you]?" the woman asked in English. I recognised her voice instantly.

"Kinzie?" I asked.

"Hinata?" She asked.

"So, this is the girl you helped," the cat said in Japanese.

"You…" Naruto stammered out. "You talk!"

"No, I'm a ventriloquist's dummy," the cat said. "Of course I can talk. Didn't you notice the other Digimon speaking?"

"[Is that what they're called]?" I asked. "Digimon?"

"[Yeah,]" Kinzie said as I freed her. "[I expected someone to come here and kill me, actually]."

"She's pragmatic," Naruto said. "I like her."

"[Let's hurry and get out of here,]" I said. "[We've got a boat waiting]."

* * *

><p>"It's 3AM," Tobias said. "You ready?"<p>

"Hell yeah," I said, just before I was ready to jump. "Bet I can land in the Jacuzzi?"

"How much?" Tobias asked. "$5?"

"You're on," I said before I jumped.

[A/N: Listen to Power by Kanye West to get in the mood for this next bit]

I fell downward before I deployed my parachute as Morningstar started shooting. I took a few guys out before I landed in the Jacuzzi, then grabbed the first person I could when I got out. "What's the code to the express elevator?"

"Like I'd tell you," he scoffed in my face.

"We're at the top of a skyscraper," I said. "You don't have a parachute."

"Fine, it's 3636," he said, before I turned him around and used him as a human shield, taking out hostiles with each shot before he died and I ran through the house and into a storage area. Taking a grenade, I threw it at a few stacks of crates to knock out stray Morningstar before putting the password in and waiting for the elevator to come.

"So, this is the new crib," Shaundi said. "I like it."

"This is a storage room," Gat said. "You'll love it upstairs."

"They have a pool, and Jacuzzi up here," I said.

"Wouldn't it be cold up here?" Shaundi said.

"We've got work to do," Pierce said, running past with a shotgun.

"You didn't hurt any of the hos, did you?" Zimos asked.

"No, but the Morningstar used them as human shields," I said.

"I'm gonna pimp smack their asses," he sang as he ran on.

"Okay, let's clear the place out," I said as we ran onward and kept shooting Morningstar goons, although one got into a helicopter and flew away.

"Boss, we have a problem," Gat said. "There's a bomb here."

"So, cut the red wire," I said.

"There is no red wire," he said. "Some guy set it then ran off."

"I'll handle it," I said as Tobias landed. "After that chopper!"

"On it," he said as he flew through the air while I got my phone out. "Hinata, where are you?"

"We just saved Kinzie," she said. "Should I put her on the phone?"

"No, it's fine," I said. "Where are you, now?"

"We're cruising down the river on a boat," she said. "In fact, I can see Tobias' helicopter from here."

"Do you see the other helicopter?" I asked. "Follow it if you can and find out how to disarm the bomb then call Shaundi."

"Sure," Hinata said as she hung up.

* * *

><p>"Follow that helicopter," I said to Ino, who was driving.<p>

"Why?" She asked.

"Something about a bomb," I said.

"So, Kinzie, how did you get a talking cat?" Ino asked.

"It's hard to explain," she said. "But long story short, Gatomon and I go way back."

"And she don't own me," Gatomon spoke up, "we're partners."

"Thanks for the clarification," Ino said. "Hey, someone's getting out."

"Son of a bitch!" Kinzie shouted. "That's my place!"

"Well, they'll be out of there in a minute," I said. "[Naruto, grab that guy]!"

"[I'm on it]," he shouted before jumping out of the boat before we pulled up. He grabbed the guy quickly, holding him down as Ino ran over towards him to get the information while I was busy calling up Shaundi.

"[Blue]," Ino called to me.

"Shaundi, cut the blue wire," I said. "The blue wire disarms the bomb."

"Shit, I list the bet," she said. "Okay, we've got the bomb disarmed. But where the hell are you? You were supposed to wait!"

"Ino dragged my along," I said.

"[Liar]!" she shouted back.

"But we got Kinzie safe," I said, before remembering something. "Hold on a second." I then turned to Shaundi. "Do you know where we can find Angel de la Muerte?"

"It will take a while, but I can find him," Kinzie said.

"Also, can you help us fight the deckers?"

"I'm in."

"She's agreed to help us, as well as find Angel for us."

"You continue to amaze me," Shaundi said. "The Boss is coming to pick you up. Just wait for her."

"Okay," I said, before I saw Kinzie walking away. "Where are you going?"

"How do you expect me to find Angel without a PC?" Kinzie asked. "I'm just grabbing a laptop, but I'll have to fix the place up before we take on the Deckers."

* * *

><p><strong>6:30AM, Loren Square<strong>

* * *

><p>"Where are they?" Loren asked. "I want the Saints killed, as well as those children captured!"<p>

"We've got more bad news," Viola said. "The Saints rescued Zimos at 7PM, yesterday. They tore up the inner workings of Safeword whilst doing it."

"They also recruited the missing ninja," Matt said, sitting in his chair. "They didn't kill any of my men, but they did crash a few digimon."

"I don't see why you insist on using those fluffballs," Killbane said. "They were taken out too quickly."

"They were taken out because they didn't get a chance to digivolve," a small creature next to Matt said angrily to Killbane. "And from what I heard, your boys got the shit kicked out of them by a preteen. What was that about each grunt being able to take on a Jonin?"

"Dorumon, Killbane!" Loren spoke up. "Kiki, what about Zimos' old work force?"

"I've got nothing on any of his girls, except that one of our pimps violated one of them," Kiki said. "We don't know where Barry is, but since he did something to piss off Zimos, I expect him to go after us financially to harm us."

"What information do we have on the Saints?" Loren asked, as Matt's phone went off.

"Um… I have bad news," Matt said, sliding his phone over. "This is from a security video from the Penthouse." There was a video of Jack shooting the security camera out, before turning to the camera and shooting it out, while glaring at it.

"All the Saints are top priority, but Subject Zero is on the top of the list, have her killed ASAP," he said. "Killbane, send non-Conduits as she's a biotic."

"I'll leave that to the twins," he said. "Or do you still need a wand?"

"F*** you, Eddie," Kiki said.

"Take down the Saints, on top of your normal duties," Loren said. "You are all dismissed."

* * *

><p>"Get as many Luchadores out there as possible going after the Saints," Killbane said to his secretary. "Avoid the leader of the gang, she's a biotic."<p>

"Yes sir," his secretary said. "Anything else?"

"They've recruited people to help go after the Deckers and Morningstar," Killbane said. "They'll need someone to go after the Luchadores."

"Should I put a hit out on anyone?" the secretary asked.

"Send assassins after Angel de la Muerte," Killbane ordered. "He's the only person to ever beat me. Don't let him get involved in the Saints."

* * *

><p>"Well, Zimos is going after us," Kiki said. "Do you think we'll be first?"<p>

"They'll try and go after our pimps, or even Safeword," Viola said. "Since we've got a lot of free people now, we should ramp up security around each brothel, maybe send Animagi out to watch our girls."

"Sounds like a plan," Kiki said. "Maybe we'll get more payback at the old pervert."

"Isn't there too much?" Viola asked, before the two cracked up. "Yeah, you're right."

* * *

><p>"This can only end in disaster," Dorumon said to Matt as they entered the elevator.<p>

"You think I don't know that?" Matt said as he took a deep breath.

"We've got a problem," a girl said.

"Don't do that," Dorumon said, jumping up. "You scared me."

"I'll warn you the next time I apperate," she said, scratching the back of the digimon's ears. "Operative Lawson has gone rogue."

"Shit," Matt said, taking a look at his phone. "Was anyone hurt when the ship was attacked?"

"No," she said. "They were simply knocked out. The worst was a busted nose and lip, but they're fine."

"And the digimon?"

"The save state mod worked like a treat," she said, grinning. "We can stop digimon from being reverted to eggs when they're killed, save for-"

"I get it," Matt said. "What about the Lawson situation? Where is she?"

"London," the girl said. "Miranda's been looking for ICARUS."

"I thought you said he was in Belfast," Matt said. "What's his real name?"

"It took me a while to get it, but it seems he has the same surname as the head of Project HADES," the girl said.

"O'Malley?" Matt asked.

"He's dead," the girl said. "Imperiused suicide."

"We can't let Killbane find out," Matt said. "He could get ideas."

"I know," the girl said. "It was risky putting Kinzie on the ship, you know."

"Hey, we couldn't let her near a computer, right?" Matt said, as his sister was about to apperate away. "Oriana," he said, stopping her. "If they go after you, don't fight."

"Okay," the girl said, before she apperated out of the elevator. "We're going to be killed, aren't we?"

"I think so," Dorumon said. "But it's far too late to leave."


	35. OL3: Steelport, Here I am

Paste your document here..

Okay, I have to say this. I f***ed up a few things. First off, I misspelt several canon names. For that, I am sorry. But… man, I had to end that last arc. I was trying hard to end it so that I could move onto this arc. In fact, there was a few things I wanted to do with this arc, but know this… Everyone who travelled with Cole will wind up working with the Third Street Saints.

'Cole McGrath: Electric Gangsta!'

Um… Jac? If you're reading this… I think I broke Hermione…

* * *

><p>"This place is sweet," Ino said as she reclined on the seat. "A pool, several bedrooms and a magnificent view. It feels good to be a gangster."<p>

"I'm still pissed that you went off and did a job without letting anyone know," I said. "Guys, this is dangerous business, and you can't just f*** with people when it comes to crime or gang warfare. People can die, you know?"

"They seem very capable," Laura said as she set the cupcakes down on a rack. "But Kinzie does seem like a nice person. Where is she, anyway?"

"She said she'd be here in a minute," Pierce said, before the elevator opened up. There were several boxes, with Kinzie standing next to them.

"Can I get some help here?" she asked, as she started lifting boxes out.

"I don't mind," Elijah said as he took the boxes from her. "So, what are these for?"

"When I checked the security footage, I saw that the Deckers were nice enough to leave my computers alone," Kinzie said. "The Morningstar, however, smashed all of my equipment up, so I had to go and get new components. I've got a friend looking for info about Angel, but in the meantime, I have to rebuild my computers."

"So, that's what these are for?" Gat said as he tossed some small boxes to the side. "Why do you need 4 processors?"

"I'm making 4 computers," Kinzie said. "One for me, one for the living room, one for the storage room and one for upstairs."

"Why do you need 20 monitors?" Aisha asked.

"You know me," she said. "Wait, no you don't… but anyway, I'm a gamer chick, and I only use the best equipment."

"What did you do before you were kidnapped?" Hinata asked.

"Well, before the Deckers framed me, I was an FBI tech specialist and registered gray-hat."

"Wait, you're a fed?" Shaundi asked.

"Not after the Deckers screwed me over," Kinzie said.

"What, did they 'leak' emails about insulting your boss?" I asked.

"Very funny," Kinzie asked. "But it isn't funny when everyone thinks you're moonlighting as a dominatrix or selling secrets to Mossad!"

"Is that what they did?" Elijah said.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't be going to Safeword, then," Zimos said, walking in.

"Mine's 'Tea cup'," Kinzie blurted.

"I guess it isn't my place, Boss, but the plants upstairs are withering," Zimos sang.

"What kind?" Ino said.

"Cannabis, maraijuana, the usual," was the musical reply.

"Well, I'm great with plants," Ino said, before running upstairs.

"Kinzie, how do you expect to set these up?" Elijah asked.

"I'm good with computers," she said.

"What, you're just going to work on them all day and night?" he asked.

"Sleep is forbidden," Kinzie said. "I could use some help."

"Well, I was going to talk to the Boss about something," Elijah said. "People think it's safe to come out now, including customers."

"So, what, you want to deal drugs?" I asked.

"Not drugs," Elijah said. "Memorabilia. Believe it or not, Steelport is a very big town when it comes to the nerd community, and the alien attacks could've damage a lot of memorabilia saved over the years. And since there's no post to sell over the internet…"

"We have a small market of people willing to part their money for Lord of the Rings crap," Pierce said.

"Not just LOTR," Elijah said. "Robot Chicken, Spyro the Dragon, I know a guy willing to pay £15,000 for a signed VHS of Flipper."

"Why that movie?" Pierce asked.

"It turns out I have a stalker," Elijah said in a nervous tone. "Anyway, it's not just stuff signed by me that I have, I have a poster of 'The Dark Knight' that was signed by none other than Heath Ledger himself. Guess the price the collector said he'd pay for it?"

"$10,000?"

"Half a million," Elijah said.

"Then go out there and start dealing," I told him.

"That's the thing," Elijah said. "These guys are mostly around New Colvin."

"The Deckers?" Kinzie said. "There's some serious competition."

"So, I was thinking…"

"You need someone to protect you?" Jack said. "They're biotics, right?"

"Then I'll go," Zimos sang. "Believe it or not, but I know the secret to taking down the Deckers." He then stood up then crashed his cane into the cable shattering it. "Watch this." He then held out this piece of wood, then the table began to reform itself in an instant. "The thing is, if certain spells require verbal casting, we're out of luck."

"Oh, that is so cool," Elijah said as he took Zimos' hand.

"Wait, the DeWynters are witches as well," Jack said.

"So is most of Morningstar," Kira said as he walked in. "I figured out why the dragon is here."

"Shoot," Pierce said.

"The newest attraction at Safeword," Kira said.

"The DeWynters have lost their shit, which is kinda sad," Zimos sang. "You can't control a dragon at all. The only way to get a dragon to obey is torture, and that's illegal."

"How are Wizards trained?" I asked.

"We go to school, dumbass."

"Okay, mount up," I said, causing Zimos to wince.

"**DON'T! **Say 'mount'," he sang, instantly.

"I guess you don't appreciate 'Giddy up'," Shaundi said.

"Come on, Halfling," Zimos said. "Let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>Operation Louisiana 3: Steelport, Here I Am.<strong>

* * *

><p>"So, how do you want to do this?" I said.<p>

"I drive and make the deals, you watch my ass?" Elijah said as he walked up to a car. "Nice ride," he said, flatly.

"Pimps didn't drive extravagant cars when I was starting up," I said. "Now, it's the opposite, but this car is still my baby." I then threw Elijah the keys. "Don't wreck the paint job."

"Okay," he said as he got in and started the car. "What do you want to sell first? The complete Lord of the Rings collection, signed by the entire cast, or the Flipper VHS."

"Can we hold onto the collection until last?" I asked. "I want to have a look."

"There's one back at the penthouse," Elijah said. "I'll show this funny Easter egg later."

"What is it?" I asked.

"A prank by satellite call," he said. "You have to see it to believe it. Here's the first deal, you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," I said, taking my wand with me as we met with the guy.

"Hey, Bobby," Elijah came out.

"Oh, Mr Wood," he said, excitedly. "I wasn't able to get the _exact_ amount of money agreed, but I got something you may be interested in."

"What?"

"A Nocturne," he said, taking out a sword. "It's a decker blade, made from stainless Japanese Steel and some unknown metal to make it stronger but lighter, especially if you provide it with a power source."

"Sounds good," Elijah said as the guy handed him some money and the sword, before he eagerly ran off. "I can't wait to see how excited he'll be when he realises we shook hands," he said as we got into the car, before we heard a scream for joy.

"I think he just did," I said as we drove off and I checked the money. "Hey, the amount he was short? It was $20."

"Are you serious?" Elijah asked. "Hey, Z, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"I hear you know the DeWynter sisters," Elijah asked. "How?"

"I'm one of the best wandmakers in the whole of America, and they were my first customers," I said. "Hell, I trained under the world's greatest, Garrick Ollivander, himself. He taught me everything about wandlore."

"Wandlore?" Elijah asked me.

"You need to know the secret to making a good wand," Zimos said. "That secret is wandlore, the rules to making a wand. All wizards and witches need to use it. I got into trouble, however, for campaigning against the ban on allowing non-human magical beasts from using wands."

"Give me an example of wandlore," Elijah said as we turned the corner.

"You don't choose a wand," I said. "The wand chooses you. Also, you can't use anyone else's wand and expect it to always work, and wands will even refuse to work on their masters if it means causing them harm or death."

"Sweet," Elijah said as he turned the corner. "Hand me that video game."

"The Two Towers on PS2," Zimos said. "Signed by Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli?"

"Yep," he said as I handed it to him. "Uh oh, deckers!"

"Hurry it up, then," I said, as I started throwing around stunners and bodybinds, capturing most of the deckers and monsters instantly, before Elijah ran back to the car and I got in.

"That was impressive," Elijah said. "Hey, I made $5,000 on that sale."

"Sweet," I said.

"You ready to head back?"

"I think we could make one more sale," I said as I noticed more Deckers following us.

"One of the best wandmakers in the world and you're working as a pimp?" Elijah asked. "And even then, why are the DeWynters special?"

"You think I'm out of the wandmaking business?" Zimos asked. "I'm still at it, I make the wands at my place. And as for the DeWynters… they apprenticed under me."

"So, they were your students?" Elijah asked. "Which one did you sleep with?" I was just silent. "Oh, no…"

"There were two of them!" I said.

"You broke the first rule," Elijah said. "If you do a twin, remember which one!"

"I was drunk, okay?" Zimos said. "And I think getting ***************** would be punishment enough!"

"Here's the last guy," Elijah said. "Hand me the box set."

"Here you go," I said as I got out. "A lot more deckers here."

"Do your worst," he said, before I sent curses out like there was no tomorrow. Soon, he was running back into the car, and had it started before I climbed in.

"Can you teach me at least one spell?" Elijah asked me.

"Magic is genetic," I warned him. "And here's a tip. Don't fool around with a freshly used wand, because then it will explode."

"So, any other reason why you care about the DeWynters so much?" Elijah asked me.

"Well, the thing is…" I started. "The wands I sold them… they were the best ones I ever made. They were champion duellists with those wands, and were also brilliant students. I take pride in providing them with the tools."

* * *

><p>"So, then the processor is the brain of the computer," Kinzie said to Aisha as she helped her set up the computers, as well as Hinata and Pierce.<p>

"Hey, you're back," I said. "How did it go?"

"Well, how much does a normal drug deal make?" Elijah asked.

"500 grams makes around… £300,000," Tobias said.

"Well, how about $50,000 and a sword," Zimos sang as the two deposited the payloads.

"Nice blade," Gat said, taking a look. "Not as heavy as I'd expect." Naruto, however, muttered something in Japanese.

"He said," Hinata translated, "that the Deckers had swords like that, and they felt weird when he used them."

"Is there such thing as a biotic sword?" Elijah asked.

"If you make it with Element Zero, which gives biotics their powers, then yes, there is," I said, while Ino came downstairs.

"Hey, Boss," she said to me. "Is it possible to get a few things from a hardware store? If we don't the plants will die."

"What do you need?" I asked.

"Nutrients, compost, a decent sprinkler system," she said. "Basic stuff."

"Well, we got money," Gat said. "Maybe get some groceries while we're out."

"Laura and I will handle the groceries," Aisha said. "Hell, it's been 8 years, I doubt that someone will recognise me."

"And we look the most inconspicuous," Laura said as they took some money. "Oh, can you take the bread out of the oven in 5 minutes?" She asked Shaundi.

"Okay," she said as they got on the elevator and went down.

"hey, Kinzie, how are the computers coming along?" Kira asked.

"I'm still using my notebook, but the other computers are coming along greatly," Kinzie said. "As soon as the liquid cooling systems are in, I'll test them out then install software." The notebook made a quick noise, which Kinzie responded to quickly as she jumped up and checked the notebook. She then held some device she wore around her necklace to the screen, before something shot around her and landed next to her. "Is it bad?"

"The Luchadores put a hit out on Angel," the creature spoke up. "I found him, though. He's at a gym in Carver Island, but the Luchadores are closing in, fast."

"You're a cat," Pierce said.

"Smart, isn't he?" the cat said.

"Well, it we're going for formal introductions, this is my partner, Gatomon," Kinzie said. "She's a digimon, a monster born from computer data."

"Wait, all the deckers have digimon," Hinata said. "How did they get them?"

"I don't know," Kinzie said. "I got my digivice years ago, when it just shot out of my screen."

"Same for me," Kira said. "Too bad the damn Deckers took it."

"So, you have a creature like that?" Shaundi asked.

"Where can I get one?" I asked.

"That's why we started investigating the Deckers," Kinzie said. "I was the operator, Kira was the field agent, entering the digital world made up of computer networks to find out what the Deckers were up to. But you have to worry about Angel."

"On it," I said, just as Kaiden walked over to me. "Come on, pretty boy, we're meeting the new guy now."

"Please tell me we're not going against Morningstar," Kaiden said. "I can't get beat up by those hos again."

"I'll go with you if it will stop your blubbering," Ashley said.

"Alright, how about Gat?"

"I'm busy making sure our toys are in tip-top condition," Gat said. "Why not Shaundi?"

"I'm game," she said, grabbing a handgun. "Do any of you want to drive, or should we take my car?"

"Kaiden and I will focus on biotics," I said. "Ashley, you good for shotgun?"

"I prefer an assault rifle," Ashley said. "But, hey, front seat."

* * *

><p>"This is Angel's place?" Shaundi asked. "Looks like a f***ing dump."<p>

"Well, he went a bit crazy after Killbane screwed him over, if what Kinzie said is accurate," Kaiden said. "Damn, there's around 30 Luchadores out here."

"My idea of a good time," I said as we got out. "Kaiden and I'll act as a distraction, Shaundi, you and Ashley head inside and meet with Angel."

"Yeah, when we get through the crowds," Shaundi said. "And what if any Luchadores get inside?" In answer to that question, a Luchador shot straight out of the roof, flew a good 90 feet upward before crashing downward, straight onto their vehicle. "My f***ing car!"

"I think that answers that," Ashley said as she grabbed her gun. "We'll sneak in through the fire exit, but we'll cover you if we need to."

"Got it," Kaiden said as we walked up to the crowd of Luchadores. "I don't think I could throw too many of these guys, we're going to have to focus on splash damage."

"I'm on it," I said, preparing to attack.

"Oh, shit!" One of the Luchadores said as he saw us. "It's Zero!"

"That's Jack to you f***ers," I said, before sending out a shockwave to throw several Luchadores upward, floating through the air and landing a short distance away, unconscious. Kaiden, however, quickly sent out throws at several Luchadores to throw them at their friends, knocking them out. "Wow, 30 guys and they're all unconscious."

"There's more coming," Kaiden said. "Uh oh."

* * *

><p>"Hey," I said as Ashley and I entered the room. "Are you Angel de la Muerte?"<p>

"You're not with the Luchadores, are you?" he asked as we walked in. For a guy on the run from the Luchadores, he probably shouldn't wear spandex pants. "They don't let women into the gang."

"How would you know?" Ashley retorted.

"You're wearing purple, not green," Angel responded. "Also, none of you are Conduits, I would've sensed you. Plus, Killbane hates biotics with a passion so your friends would be killed before being let it."

"Strong and smart," I said, walking up. "So, you can sense Conduits… how many more?"

"About 60, plus a brute if I'm not mistaken," Angel said. A crashing noise then rung out as both Kaiden and the Boss crashed through the wall and landed next to us. "You met the big guy, didn't you?"

"What the hell?" Kaiden said, winching whilst holding his head. "That guy…"

"How the hell is he that big?" the Boss said as we helped them up. "Guys, get ready… that thing shrugged off our attacks."

Sure enough, a large guy walked in through the main entrance. And I mean he was _big_. At least 7 feet tall and built like a tank. Nervously, I aimed my gun straight at his face before firing several shots at it. "Go for the head!"

"More Luchadores," Angel said. "I don't have any guns, but I can take on the grunts."

"Right on," Kaiden said as he lifted up a slot machine and threw it forward, taking out several Luchadores, while Ashley and I opened fire on the big ass… _thing_ in front of us, rolling out of the way as he charged us. I was grabbed by a Luchador who tried to strangle me, but Kaiden used a kick to the nuts to stun him whilst holding the Luchador in the air, before throwing him at the big guy as a distraction. "You okay?"

"I owe you," I said, before pushing him out of the way of the brute that charged us, which crashed into the nearby wall, leaving a dent.

"Do I send the bill to Killbane, or you?" Angel asked, while palm-striking Luchadores left and right, before doing a handstand on a Luchador's shoulders and throwing him away as he came back downward.

"This place is a pig sty, anyway," Ashley said as she smacked a Luchador in the face with her gun, knocking him out.

"That's all of the Luchadores," the Boss said. "What about the ugly duckling?" In response, the guy pushed himself out of the wall, glaring at me while blood dripped down from his face.

"Kaiden, can you throw this into the guy's throat?" the Boss asked whilst holding up a grenade.

"Sure," he said, as he took out the pin, just as the guy was running forward. Kaiden held up the grenade just above his own hand, before pushing his arm forward. The grenade slid into the large guy's mouth, with the lever coming neatly out as it entered. As it kept charging, trying desperately to leave, Angel put his arms out and threw the guy to just level of the first floor, before the grenade exploded.

"8," I said.

"7," the Boss said. "So, you're Angel de la Muerte, then?"

"You're Subject Zero?" Angel asked.

"How do you know that?" the Boss asked.

"Every single one of Cerberus' experiments knows about the girl who destroyed one of their most advanced facilities," Angel said.

"Were you created or experimented on?" I asked.

"I'd rather not," Angel said. "But if you're going after Killbane, I'll gladly help. I can show you the weaknesses in his fighting style as well as identify his top lieutenants. Hell, I could even tell you his dirty little secret if it comes to that."

"What kind of secret?" Ashley asked. "No, wait; don't tell me… he's using his Conduit powers to cheat during matches?"

"Not what I was talking about, but yeah," Angel said. "I did the same while we were tag team partners."

"I have to say, I don't know much about Conduits," I said. "Care to explain?"

"Ray Field radiation," Angel said. "All life can absorb a small about of it, but conduits can absorb this radiation in larger quantities and shape it for different effects. It was originally believed to be a form of Chakra and those who used it could learn Ninjutsu, but that was quickly disproven since it's much more lethal to ninja. The reason biotics are better at fighting conduits is because the mass effect, the power to alter mass and gravity, can neutralise RF radiation, cutting off a conduit from their powers. Magic, however, absorbs mass effect radiation and makes it stronger. And conduits can absorb magic as an alternative to RF radiation, but it takes a while to learn that skill."

"So, wizard beats biotic, biotic beats conduit and conduit beats wizard," Ashley said. "Okay, that could work for us if we start a civil war."

"Not while Loren is alive," Angel said. "Also, you should know that conduits with the same power are actually very rare. Powers are decided by DNA."

"But all these guys have similar powers," the Boss said. "All of them have improved strength and minor pyrokinesis."

"I doubt that any of them are clones," Angel said. "Most were on loan from the First Sons. But…"

"Wait, the guys who caused the Empire incident?" the Boss said. "Perhaps we should look into it."

"Wait, you guys really _were_ locked up for the last month, weren't you?" Ashley asked us. "Empire city was destroyed only a few days ago."

"What?" the Boss and I asked.

"Some giant conduit called the 'Beast' showed up and destroyed the entire city, killing everyone," Ashley said. "The only survivors awakened as conduits if Picus TV is any indication."

"Picus?" the Boss asked. "Never heard of it."

"It's being broadcast out of a Fox News building," Kaiden said. "There's some 17 year old in there called Eliza Cassan, and she asks people to send her news stories by email or on YouTube. I'll show you when we get back there."

"You mind coming?" the Boss asked. "We'll need to talk about the Luchadores, as well as for general safety."

"I hate leaving the gym, but I'll bite," Angel said. "Do we walk or drive?"

"We _had_ a car, but it was totaled when a Luchador flew through the roof," Kaiden said, before Angel led us to the back of the gym. "How did you do that?"

"My power is to expel RF as kinetic energy, greatly altering my own attacks," Angel said. "I can even do it for something in the air, but my blood has to be on it. I can also sense RF, but it's not strong enough to sense non-conduits, and it won't work when I'm standing next to a biotic."

"Hey, I didn't have a choice," the Boss said. "And it's internal, directly attached to my spine. If someone tries to take it out, I'll die."

"Rough," Angel said as he turned on a light. "I'm driving."

"Good," Ashley said. "I don't even have a license."

"Neither do I," the Boss said. "Doesn't stop me."

"Yeah, but you _can_ drive," I quickly said.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I almost got identified," Aisha said as she put the bags down.<p>

"What?" I asked, setting down the shotgun. "What happened?"

"I went to the hardware store and someone saw me, said I looked just like myself," she said, sitting down. "I was _just_ able to get around it, saying that I lost my eye when I was 13, but people keep thinking I'm… well, me."

"Perhaps sending you out was a mistake," I said.

"Well, I did find one thing out," Aisha said. "Rather, I found some_thing_." She then set a small memory card next to Kinzie. "Some sort of list."

"I'll look at it later," Kinzie said. "I've just got the last OS installed, these should be ready in an hour." Elijah then stepped out of the elevator, followed by Zimos. "More memorabilia sales?"

"Actually, no," Elijah said. "We were giving out manuals. Apparently, Zimos prints books with his girls in them, gives them to temp workers then lets the people call him."

"Yeah, how often do you get a hard on while staring at the yellow pages?" Zimos sang. "Oh, shit. I spotted a mistake. I spelt 'Jasmine' with a 'Z'."

"Is that all?" Ino asked. "It's not much of a difference."

"Have pride in your work, motherf***er," Zimos admonished her.

"If you want me to, I could regrow your trachea and close that hole," Ino offered. "What do you say?"

"It's a good offer," he sang. "Give me 24 hours."

"Oh, thanks for these," Ino said, before calling over to Shikamaru, who reluctantly helped her with the weed.

"How does she know that much about drugs?" Tobias asked. "She's better than me."

"Well, most of them are ninja, right?" Elijah spoke up. "Perhaps that's how she learnt it."

"Actually, the Yamanaka Clan are specialists when it comes to mind reading, control and interrogation, and use various medicines to help them," Hinata spoke up. "They also run a flower shop in town."

"What do your family do?" Aisha asked. "Or are the Hyuugas complete assholes like Hiashi?"

"How did you-" Hinata tried to say.

"You have similar eyes," Aisha said. "Not that many people have eyes like that."

"How do you know him?" Hinata asked.

"He tried to kill me when someone put a hit on Johnny and Jack," Aisha said. "I just ducked out of the way, and I had to get the eye surgically removed. Johnny, when he caught up to him, tore out his own eye so that I could have it transplanted, except we were incompatible blood types."

"I must apol-"

"You don't need to apologise for him," Aisha said. "Besides, Johnny still has his eye, except he had it pickled." Several people started gagging when they heard that. "Sorry?"

"Perhaps Hinata should take it back to him," Tobias said from the couch, next to Kira. "Maybe give it to him as a birthday gift?"

"Yeah, wrapped in a bandana with a card from everyone's favourite killing maching, Johnny Gat," Kira said. "Let's do it!"

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked.

"I thought you didn't speak English?" Kira asked.

"I've been listening to this CD, and I can just… understand the words," Naruto asked. "So, what are you doing?"

"Sorting through information," Kira said. "I think I can work out some plans to go after the Syndicate." Soon, the elevator opened up, with most of the group walking out, before Angel looked around.

"Wait, Ra-"

"It's Kira," the guy on the couch said. "Long time to see, Angel."

"Kira… got it," he said, as Kinzie entered. "You joined a gang with your cousin?"

"By adoption," Kinzie said, with her finger pointed up.

"I bet you still have that damn Gatomon with you."

"She's searching for some information," Kinzie said. "Oh, Hinata, I've got a patch for that hacking software, makes it easier to break into systems as well as adding a new feature."

"Here," Hinata said, handing her the phone which she connected to the computer.

"You gave her your phone?" Aisha asked me. "Why?"

"Well, she helped us out and…" I began. "I replaced the SIM card, and I haven't gotten a new phone yet."

"Do you have a gym?" Angel asked. "I'd do with weights for a while."

"Just through the door there," I showed him. "So, what are we going to do about sleeping spots?"

"This is an apartment building used by the Morningstar," Pierce said. "I could open up each room for each person."

"Yeah, and Shikamaru could just lounge about every day by the pull with an umbrella," Naruto said. "He's always a lazy bastard."

"Well, at least you're remembering," Hinata said. "Anything else you remember?"

"Not much," Naruto said. "Except… [When the Hokage encouraged me to enrol in the academy]."

"Yeah," Hinata said, before she collapsed.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Yeah… I've just been hearing… voices in my head," Hinata said.

"Fainting is a common symptom of a mentalist conduit awakening," Angel called from the next room. "She could be hearing someone while awakening."

"I think I can find her," Hinata said. "She's… she's around the port."

"We can try there later," Pierce said. "We should probably tell the town we're in business."

"How?" I asked. "Go around and have Zimos singing, T-Pain style?"

"Well, there are two ways," Pierce said. "We could buy better clothes, open up a few businesses, get some body work done…"

"How are we going to do that?" the Boss asked.

"Well, we just use some of the Syndicate's places," Pierce responded.

"Like the Syndicate would just let us use their places," Shaundi said.

"Well, that's the thing," Pierce said, as he slapped with a few sheets of paper. "They can't do anything about it, since _we already have the deeds_."

"How the hell did you get these?" the Boss asked.

"There were safety deposit keys out back," Pierce said. "I went to the bank earlier today. So, we can go get some stores and create a small chain. I'm thinking… 'Planet Saints'."

"Sounds good," the Boss said. "Gat, take Hinata and find that girl, I'll go with Pierce to open a store."

"Okay," Gat said as Shikamaru and Ino came down the stairs. "Want to save some girl?"

"Well, I saved the plants," Ino said, as she conveyed the message to Shikamaru, who just shrugged his shoulders. "We're in."

"I'll come as well," Naruto said. "You mind if I take the sword?"

"You're going to need a battery," Laura said before she started cutting some drugs.

"Wait, you'll cut off Hinata if she's a conduit," Gat said.

"Hey, Angel," the Boss called out. "Can you sense Hinata?"

"No, it will take a while before I can sense her," Angel said. "She would need to adjust first."

"Okay, let's go," Gat said.

* * *

><p>"So, all we have to do is go and find a store, then buy it," Pierce said. "Hold on… we should probably get this car fixed up, the paint job is damaged and there's no radio."<p>

"Yeah, where should we go?" I asked.

"How about Rim Jobs?" Pierce asked, as I turned the corner. "We can up the torque, add underglow – You love nitrous."

"Indeed I do," I said as I made a turn. "So, we book an appointment or something?"

"No, just drive in," Pierce said. "Usual?"

"Usual," I replied as a guy walked up to the car.

"Hey, how much for a good pimping?" Pierce asked.

"You want that thing pimped?" the guy asked. "It depends. What exactly do you need?"

"We can start with paint, and underglow if we have time," Pierce said. "Then we'll come back for tires and rims, maybe tuning the engine."

"Oh, you mean a complete turnover," the guy said. "I can do that in half an hour."

"Bullshit," I said.

"I'm a wizard, it won't take too long," he said.

"Isn't that a bit stupid, just saying you're a wizard like that?" I asked.

"Yeah, except that the place has wards all over it," the mechanic said. "If you try and attack me, you'll get zapped and killed in an instant. Also…" the guy then leant up to Pierce, who then grinned madly.

"Hey, Boss," he said, excitedly. "Care to spare $10,000 for a surprise?"

"Okay, I'll bite," I said, grinning. "It had better be good."

* * *

><p>"So, this is the place?" Gat said.<p>

"Yeah, we've circled the warehouse, and the voice is loudest just around it," Hinata said. "It's a woman's voice I can hear."

"Okay, how are we going to do this?" Naruto asked. "Have one of us enter through the window, while the others wait by the door?"

"We could crash through the wall," Gat said.

"If it's a hostage, they're liable to kill her," Ino said. "[Hinata, use your Byakugan to scout the warehouse]."

"[Got it]," Hinata said, before looking inside. "There's a large number of Morningstar inside there, and one guy is fighting a girl who is holding a crystal…" Hinata then tensed up, as her Byakugan cancelled and she fell to the ground. "The crystal! That's what I've been hearing, but there's some other girl in there. She's around 18-21, I think."

"Okay, a retrieval and rescue mission," Gat said. "Look out, there's someone coming out."

"[Two guards]," I said, looking around the cover. "[They're out for a smoke]."

"How do we jump them?" Naruto asked. "Wait… Perhaps I could create Shadow Clones. [Do they produce chakra]?"

"[Yeah, they do]," Hinata replied. Soon, Naruto was surrounded by several identical clones, all of them grinning.

"Okay, we jump the guards," one clone said to the other, "then we all sneak inside and knock out the guards," another said, "then find the girl and crystal," one more said, "and get the hell back to the penthouse."

"Wait, which is the real Naruto?" Gat asked. "And how did you create all of those copies?"

"I just mould my chakra to copy my form," one Naruto said. "Is there a problem?"

"Yeah, there is," Ino said, while pushing Shikamaru's jaw back up. "[Naruto-kun, from all the times I saw my relatives practice that technique, I have never seen them make more than two. How did you manage to create twenty-three of them, as well as getting them to think independently]?"

"[They're not supposed to do that]?" Naruto asked.

"[Congratulations, Naruto]," I finally spoke up. "[In your complete ignorance, you have managed to perform an action that was last performed by the First Hokage, and even then, he didn't do it using Shadow Clone, he used a special technique]."

"…Oops?" Naruto said, dumbstruck.

"Yeah, but Shadow Clones disappear after a single hit," Ino said. "Maybe we could cause a distraction…"

"Like what?" Gat asked. "We pull the fire alarm?" I finally got sick of this, so I grabbed Gat's gun and fired two quick shots to each guard, killing them instantly.

"Put in your f***ing tampons, and let's go," I finally said as we all walked forward.

"You lazy f***er!" Ino shouted me.

* * *

><p>"So, this is it," the mechanic said. "You'd be surprised, but you said you were from Stillwater?"<p>

"Yeah," I said. "Why?"

"I got a new guy from there," he said. "He's not in tonight, but he'll be in tomorrow if you want to come back."

"Well, I know a friend who wants her car done up," Pierce said. "I'll take it here tomorrow. Oh, what's your name again?"

"Everyone calls me Lot," he said. "Well, see you around."

"Okay," we said in unison as I drove down the road. "You wanna test it out?"

"Sure," I said before he pushed a button. "Wait… we spent 10 grand on _invisibility_?"

"No, the invisibility system cost 2 grand," Pierce said. "It's so that we don't _get caught_." He then pressed another button, as a lever appeared on the dashboard. "Just pull back, and…"

"Okay," I said, as I grabbed it. Carefully and slowly pulling it downward, I almost panicked as I saw that we were slowly rising from the ground. "Pierce, what the f*** is this?"

"It's a flying car," he said. "You're very tense."

"Yeah, because this isn't normal," I said.

"Might as well put on some music," he said as he put the new radio to use. "Hey, I love this song." It was nice, actually. Then he started singing.

"_Early in the morning, risin' to the street  
>Light me up that cigarette and I strap shoes on my feet<br>Got to find a reason, a reason things went wrong  
>Got to find a reason why my money's all gone<br>I got a dalmation, and I can still get high  
>I can play the guitar like a mother fucking riot<em>"

"Oh, god no," I said.

"Go on," he egged me on. We both sang the next part.

"_Well, life is (too short), so love the one you got  
>'Cause you might get runover or you might get shot<br>never start no static just get it off my chest Never had to battle with no bulletproof vest._"

"_Take a small example, take a tip from me  
>Take all of your money, give it all to charity<br>Love is what I got  
>It's within my reach<br>And the Sublime style's still straight from Long Beach  
>It all comes back to you, you'll finally get what you deserve<br>Try and test that you're bound to get served  
>Love's what I got<br>Don't start a riot_  
><em>You'll feel it when the dance gets hot<em>

_Lovin', is what I got, I said remember that_  
><em>Lovin', is what I got, I said remember that<em>  
><em>Lovin', is what I got, I said remember that<em>  
><em>Lovin', is what I got<em>"

"See, you can do it," he said. "How about a solo?"

"Oh please don't," I laughed.

"I already did it," he said.

"Okay," I said, then got ready.

"_(That's) why I don't cry when my dog runs away  
>I don't get angry at the bills I have to pay<br>I don't get angry when my Mom smokes pot  
>Hits the bottle and goes right to the rock<br>Fuckin' and fightin', it's all the same  
>Livin' with Louie dog's the only way to stay sane<br>Let the lovin', let the lovin' come back to me_"

We both finished the song.

"_Lovin', is what I got, I said remember that  
>Lovin', is what I got, I said remember that<br>Lovin', is what I got, I said remember that  
>Lovin', is what I got, I got I got I got<em>"

"Hey, there's the spot," Pierce said. "It's a local clothing store, but some new duds would be good."

"What, get rid of my clothes?" I asked.

"I'm saying we become more sociable," Pierce said.

"Pierce, I shave my head," I said as I landed the car and turned the car visible. "How are we going to get me sociable?"

"Well, how about a tank top and some make-up?" Pierce asked. "I think you'd look good with black or purple lipstick and eyeliner."

"Yeah, and some sort of thong, maybe even a pair of high heels," I said, sarcastically.

"Well, how about boots engraved with the Fleur-de-Lis?" Pierce said. "Or even a leather jacket?"

"They sell these?" I asked.

"After I bought the place," he said, turning the corner and showing off the store. "Welcome… to 'Planet Saints'."

"Pierce, I thought you were joking," I shouted. "This is just begging the Syndicate to come here."

"Yeah, I know," Pierce said. "Most of our customers are Deckers, actually. I even got staff hired. Plus… all Saints get a 10% discount."

"Okay," I said, just as we were about to enter as a kid in a Decker uniform walked out with a digimon. "Hey, you were that kid from the generator."

"You were the woman who set off the EMP," the kid said. What kind of boy wears eyeliner? Are they all empty shells that cut themselves? Wait, I saw a store around here that does cater for the emo market. In fact, why does he have a British accent? "I'm actually impressed that you somehow _kickstarted_ the power instead of destroy every generator in the city."

"You're a decker, right?" I asked. "It's dangerous to be fraternizing with us, since the Syndicate are after our heads."

"I'm only a grunt," the kid said. "I'm a low ranking member. In fact, I only just got a digivice."

"A what?" I asked.

"It allows deckers to call forth a digimon," the small creature said. "Like me."

"That's enough, man," the kid said. "Look, the only reason I'm here is because this store is the only one that sells the clothes that all deckers wear."

"What clothes?" Pierce said. "We'll order more."

"The one's I'm wearing," he said, as he reached for his receipt.

"The Bleak Line by Cristoph Valkerie," I blurted.

"What?" Pierce asked, as the decker looked at his receipt.

"Nothing," I said.

"Well, if I can, I'll get the other Deckers to come here," the kid said. "They don't have anything against the Saints, it's just what Loren ordered."

"Alright then," Pierce said. "Pleasure doing business."

"Come on, Dorumon," the kid said. "We've got to get back soon."

"Nice kid," Pierce said. "He's not even 17, though."

"I kind of get him," I said. "Just longing to be with someone, belong to a group of friends, that's why people join gangs."

"Yeah, I hear you," he said as we headed in. "How old were you when you joined the Saints, again?"

"God, I was…" I said. "I had to do some digging, but I'm apparently 23."

"You joined at 15?" Pierce asked. "How bad was your life?"

"Horrible."

* * *

><p>"Excuse me," I said, walking inside. "There are two dead bodies outside that have been shot."<p>

"And how did you get in here?" they asked. Good, they didn't notice the Naruto clones entering from the windows and sneaking up to them.

"The door was opened, and it seems they were out there for a smoke," I said.

"And how did you know that?" he said.

"Isn't it obvious that there are cigarettes here?" I asked just before the Narutos grabbed them. "Also, I was the one who shot them." The clones then let go of the Morningstar guys and let them fall to the ground. "Okay, this should be quick," I said as the clones ran forward.

"Yeah, it should," Gat said as the alarm blared. "There was a laser there, wasn't there."

"I never noticed," I said as we ran towards cover. "Okay, Ino, there's a large gun up there, on the walkway up stairs."

"On it," Ino called out as she took over the goon's body and started firing into the crowd. Soon, the guards were firing on her, killing the sentry, before one more person fired into the crowd with a shotgun and was killed. "Great, I just jumped into another person after I died."

"That's good, right?" Naruto asked as he created more clones. "I just discovered… when one of my clones are killed, they pass information back to me. We've got snipers here."

"Yeah, but I should've went back to my own body afterword," Ino said. "The sniper is too far away for me to possess."

"I think I can hit him from here," Gat said. "Hinata, you're my spotter."

"Okay," she said as she activated her Byakugan. "Two at the far wall, one on the next walkway." Gat then leant out and fire one shot at the first sniper, then rolled to confuse the other snipers, which he quickly took out. "There's more coming from above, and there are some on the ground floor."

"I found some guns," several clones shouted. They then jumped upward and unloaded on the Morningstar, before being quickly dispersed.

"That's most of them," Hinata called as she ran forward up the stairs. We all followed her up the stairs, with Gat covering us with firepower.

"I found some kunai," I said as I grabbed them. "There are some pouches here as well."

"So, we've got throwing weapons," Ino said. "Okay… Hinata, are there any more people in here?"

"There are reinforcements coming from the entrance," Hinata said.

"Yeah, I figured," I said, just as the smoke bomb went off. "Sleeping powder. That should handle that."

"Good job," Gat said. "How far away is that girl?"

"She's running out of some room," Hinata said as the girl came into view.

"I got this," I said, drawing a kunai and throwing it into her attacker's leg.

"Stay away from me!" the girl shouted as she crawled away from the Mornigstar goon.

"I said, get back here!" he growled. "Give me back the Soul Gem!"

"Soul Gem?" I asked. "[Soul Gem…]"

"[We'll focus on that later]," Naruto said as he jumped down and ran over towards the girl as she ran away from the guy, who just grabbed her leg.

"Get away!" she shouted, before throwing blood at him from a wound on her arm. The man let go of her as he tried to wipe the blood from his eyes and she ran past Gat and Ino, just in front of me, before fainting, whilst Gat had a gun aimed and Naruto had several shuriken out. However, they both dropped the weapons when the man burst into flames before their eyes, before falling to the ground, dead.

"Ino-san," Hinata called out. "[She's lost a lot of blood]."

"[I'm on it]," Ino said, while Hinata looked at the gem. "[Hey, are you okay]?" Ino asked, before the gem started glowing and Hinata went limp. "Hinata!"

"Let's get back," Gat said. "We'll hijack a van then head back to the penthouse."

* * *

><p>"Well, it's not much," Pierce said as I came out of the dressing room. "But, hey, it's a start."<p>

"Yeah, it is," I said as he paid for the duds and I looked at a few other items. "Why commercialise the Saints?"

"We can hide in plain sight," Pierce said. "Besides, the games and Shaundi's books got us a lot of fans. Easy revenue."

"You want to trade our dicks in for pussies?" I asked.

"I knew you were a man," he said, causing me to laugh. "But hey, we can't always do illegal shit. We'll be in jail for too long, and Gat is wanted in Texas. They'll execute him in an instant."

"We could always go to space," I said, which he scoffed at.

"Gangstas in Space," he replied. "That is the stupidest plan I have ever agreed to."

My phone then went off as we were just leaving. "Hello?"

-* Your friends just pissed off the Morningstar *- the kid from earlier said. -* They're sending a group to kill you. *-

"Why are you helping us?" I asked. "Wouldn't you be in trouble with the other deckers? And how did you get my number?"

-* The Deckers are fans, they wouldn't mind, and we know what happens when someone pisses you off, *- the kid said to me. -* If it means you don't go on a rampage against us, they'd fully help you if the Luchadores weren't on our backs. *-

"So, take out the Luchadores," I started.

-* The Deckers won't have a reason to mess with you, *- the kid said. -* Also, every decker is a hacker. That's how I got your number. *-

"Okay," I said as we got into the car and turned on the invisibility function. "Thanks for the heads up."

"What was that about?" Pierce asked.

"That kid from earlier?" I asked. "He just warned me about those guys," I said as the Morningstar drove up outside the store.

"So, we should take out the Luchadores first," Pierce said. "Then focus on the Morningstar."

"F*** no," I said. "We take out the biggest problem, which is Morningstar, then we focus on the Luchadores, then the Deckers will leave us alone."

"Alright, then…" Pierce began before looking wide-eyed at the crowd of Morningstar. "What the f*** is that thing?" He whispered to me.

"Oh, shit, there's two of them," I said. "Wait, there's three."

"I can only see two," Pierce said.

"Shaundi and Kaiden killed one earlier," I said, as one of them threw a car out of the way, before I started the car, slowly rising it over the store then flying off.

"Did you see that?" Pierce said. "He threw a car like it was nothing!"

"How many of them are there?" I asked.

"Are they on steroids or something? !" Pierce asked.

"I think they're on 'something'," I said, while Pierce patted over himself frantically.

"Wait, I forgot something," Pierce said.

"I'm not going back there," I said.

"Don't worry, I'll be quick," he said. I reluctantly turned back, setting the car on the ground whilst making it turn visible. We got closer as Pierce climbed up on top, with two SMGs ready. "Drive by!" he shouted, before unloading at the crowd, before I turned the car around and turned it invisible, before flying off. "Okay, I'm good."

* * *

><p>"Hinata's fine, it was just touching that gem that caused her to faint," Ino said, before turning to the first girl. "Angel, can you tell if she's a conduit?"<p>

"No, I can't," Angel said. "Why?"

"Then why did her blood burst into flames?" Shikamaru asked.

"I thought you didn't speak English," Aisha asked.

"He's a lazy bastard," Ino said. "He thought that it would mean he could do less work. Don't worry, I'll get back at him quickly."

"Wait, didn't you take my car?" Zimos asked. "Did she bleed on my seat?"

"Yeah," Gat said, before Zimos started swearing after dropping his cane.

"Hey, she's waking up," Ino said. "Hey, are you okay?"

"…Where am I?" she asked.

"We got you away from the Morningstar," Naruto said. "Those guys who were trying to hurt you."

"I… I assumed that much," she said. "But the last thing I remember before I started running from them… was being in a safe house in California."

"You're in Steelport, Louisiana," Shikamaru said. "Do you have a name?"

"…Manuela," she said, while holding her bandaged arm. "But… why am I here?"

"We don't know," I said. "I guess we should try introductions. My name is Shaundi." I then introduced most of the crew as Zimos stopped swearing. "Is there anyone you'd like us to call?"

"Well, I could try my handler if it's possible," Manuela said.

"Your… Handler?"

"I'm under the protection of the CIA," Manuela said. "A madman had a virus injected into my blood. That's why it can burst into flames."

"But… why do they need to protect you?" I asked.

"Someone called Loren wants a sample of my blood," Manuela said. "I don't know why."

"Don't worry," Gat said. "If his boys come looking around here, we'll take them down. It's not like they can get past us, or anything up here."

A toot from outside instantly drew our attention. "What was that?" Ashley asked, before we all ran outside, then looked at the roof. "How the hell did you manage that?"

"What?" Pierce asked.

"How did you get a car onto the roof?" Kaiden asked.

"We flew," the Boss said.

"Don't f***ing lie to us," I said.

"We're not lying," Pierce said. "Look." He then climbed back inside and did something, before the car flew a few feet off of the ground. "We got a flying car!"

We were all speechless, except for Naruto who ran up and checked the car. "Where did you get that?"

"You've been to Lot's place, right?" Zimos asked. "He's a skilled magical engineer. Bet you didn't notice the elves."

"What?" the Boss asked, jumping out of the car before Pierce landed it.

"How do you think he did everything so quickly? He had a lot of help, and House Elves can't be seen by anyone without magic."

"Look, it's late and we all need to rest," I said as we all nodded. "There are rooms downstairs, I'll stay up here and watch over with Gat."

"No need," Zimos said. "I've been working on magical wards all day, in between deals."

"Where the hell is Elijah, anyway?"

"We set up a club down the street," Laura said. "He's DJing while Tobias works the bar and Kira works as bouncer."

"Shit, I was supposed to be there by now," Gat said as he ran off.

"Bouncer?" Pierce asked.

"Yeah," Zimos said. "Plus, my girls are also working there. Easy way to get a _lot_ of money."

"Let's just get some sleep," Naruto said. "We can mess with the Syndicate tomorrow."

"I'll stay up here with you," Kinzie said. "It should take a while to install everything, but it should be fun."

* * *

><p>"So, what are you installing right now?" I asked.<p>

"StarCraft 2," Kinzie said.

"You're installing a damn game?" I asked.

"We'll need it," Kinzie said. "I've been goading on the Deckers to a few matches. So, then, we can get a backdoor into their network and find out what they're doing."

"Come to think about it…" I said. "A decker kid went to the store Pierce set up, Planet Saints."

"I thought he was joking," Kinzie said.

"Yeah, he called us later, warning us about a Morningstar attack," I said. "We ended up doing a drive-by instead."

"Wait, what?" Kinzie said.

"Yeah, he said he was a new member to the gang," I said.

"The Deckers don't let in 'New members'," Kinzie said. "And all Deckers are loyal to Matt Miller, the leader."

"Why is that?" I asked, before Kinzie looked around, nervously.

"Every single decker, besides Matt Miller and Sunrise, his direct underling, are fiercely loyal to him because he saved their lives," Kinzie said. "It's because… every single one of them, is a homunculus."

"Kinzie, I have no idea what the fu-"

"They're artificial humans," Kinzie said. "They were created by some mad wizard as a personal army. That's why they can't die. They aren't alive."

"Well, that kid must've been really good at hiding his being fake," I said.

"Yeah…" Kinzie said. "Did you see his digimon?"

"Yeah, I even have a name for it," I said. "Dorumon." Kinzie just shrieked in my ear. "What?"

"That kid you were talking to…" she said, quietly. "That was Matt Miller."

.


	36. OL4: Mike Tyson called!

I just want to put in this quick author's notes: Each arc should have their own distinct battle and boss themes;

Operation Odyssey :  
>Battle: Don't Be Afraid<br>Boss: Force Your Way

Operation Hogwarts :  
>Battle: Vicious 1915<br>Boss: Glint of Light

Operation Louisiana :  
>Battle: Dead Fingers Talk<br>Boss: Le Gran Luxe

* * *

><p><strong>July 22, 6:30AM<strong>

* * *

><p>"Okay, I have no idea how to play this game," I said as I looked at the screen.<p>

"There are a few tutorials," Kinzie said. "About the first 4 levels, actually. In fact, I roped Kira into an online match."

"What's up?" he called from the next room.

"When this is done installing, we'll create a account then buy the game," Kinzie said.

"I'm going to turn on the TV," I said. "What channel is Picus?"

"Fox News," Kinzie said, before I switched over. "I think she isn't really human."

"Who?" I asked as the anchor came on.

"Hello, this is Eliza Cassan, thank you to everyone who sent me news stories, the first one is from Vatsefukh in England," the girl said, before we started snickering.

"The local London camp which houses refugees from the drophyd attacks were attacked by a total of 12 mountain trolls earlier today, believed to have been lead there by a Death Eater named Bellatrix Lestrange. Lestrange, who was previously held in Azkaban prison before escaping, lead the trolls to try and kill a large number of refugees. The Fudge magical administration, who was supposed to deal with the incident, were quickly placed under fire due to the negligence of their Aurors, although they blamed it on a time of mourning for the previous Minister of Magic, who was found murdered a day or two ago, as causing a build-up of information. It seems that the people that handled the trolls included a Japanese high school student and a teenage wizard. And yes, I realised what I said, stop snickering, _Kinzie_."

Kinzie screamed when she heard that, before the girl on TV started laughing. "I'm sorry; I was just trying to freak out anybody watching with that name. I did the same thing with the name 'Adrian'. I scared 38 people, apparently. Anyway…"

"I think she's an AI," Kinzie said to me.

"The story about how the drophyds destroyed Mount Rushmore is inconclusive," Eliza said. "I reached out to a drophyd general to ask about the allegations, who was confused as to how I got onto their secure channels. Oh, thanks to the hacker Matt Miller for that. He then responded, saying that the drophyds were not responsible."

"Perhaps it was an idiot with a large amount of explosives," I said.

"Wait… I just got an email here saying that the cause was found," Eliza said. "It seems that… part of the International Space Station fell from orbit and collided with the mountain. Specifically the toilet. May God help all of those poor, poor astronauts."

"Believe it or not, there are actually several toilets on-board for exactly this kind of emergency," Kira called from upstairs.

"What are you doing up there, anyway?" I called.

"Well, I… uh…" Kira began.

"You're using the waterbed, aren't you?" I shouted up. "I called it, f***er!"

"And finally, I shouldn't be saying this, but there is news that Shaundi Rays, the author of the Saints Row novels and main writer for the related games, has been seen around the town of Steelport, Louisiana," Eliza said. "It seems that there are several rumours about why she's here, but one thing is certain about this member of one of the world's most infamous gangs. She has been spotted with several known members of the gangs. So if you see them, get inside, avoid angering them, because Pierce, Shaundi, the Boss and, worse, Johnny Gat, have all been identified. The Saints are back, and they're in Louisiana."

The reaction was… quite impressive to say the least. The screams of panic shook all of the windows as Kinzie stood up in shock. "Did the _entire_ town scream?" Kinzie asked, while Kira ran out of the bedroom, holding the sheet over his body.

"Hey, how do we contact Eliza?" I asked. "Perhaps we could perform an interview."

"What was all that noise?" Elijah said as he came into the room, holding his head. "God, I need some sleep…"

"Did everyone in town just scream?" Angel asked. "What the hell was that?"

"We're on TV," I said, smiling.

"Should the town be _that_ worried?" Elijah asked.

"I'd say they're stupid if they weren't," I replied. "So, how was the club?"

"Well… DJing purists… hate me," Elijah said. "I only just upgraded to vinyl and mixing, but we've got a good techno and electronica crowd."

"We may have to protect it from Deckers," Kinzie said. "I've sent that info to Cassan, so now it's time to learn how to play StarCraft."

"You play StarCraft?" Angel asked.

"_You_ play StarCraft?" Kinzie asked.

"I've perfected using a single Protoss unit in wiping out entire armies," Angel said. "Both Zerg and Terran, StarCraft 1 and 2."

"You've got to show me," Kinzie said.

* * *

><p>I was sitting in a room used by both me and Hinata. Shikamaru and Naruto were currently sharing a separate apartment just across from us and I was sharing one with Hinata. I was currently reading <em>The Shawshank Redemption<em> while waiting for Hinata to wake up.

"Where am I?" Hinata asked me, before I set down my book.

"We're in an apartment just below the penthouse," I said, turning to Hinata. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she asked. "But for the entire time I was unconscious… I've been able to speak to the voice."

"So, it's now in your head," I asked, concerned. "Great. What is it saying?"

"It's asking me to check something," she said. "I can do it later though. What about that girl we saved?"

"She's staying just down the hall," I said, just as someone knocked on the door. "Her name is Manuela, actually. It seems the Morningstar wants her because her blood was special." I then went over to this call button then pressed it. "[Who is it]?"

"It's me," Shikamaru asked. "Can you help me? I can't wake up Naruto."

"He's not sick, is he?" I asked.

"No, he's just a very heavy sleeper," Shikamaru said. "Also, that seal that appeared on his stomach? It's glowing bright red, and there's more all over his right forearm."

"We'll be there now," I said as we both got ready. "Come on in, wait in the living room."

"Coming in now," he said as I let him in from the console. "You mind if I switch on the TV?"

"Go ahead," Ino said. "Any good shows on?"

"Good Morning America, but it's been turned into anti-alien propaganda," Shikamaru said. "By the way, did you hear all that screaming earlier?"

"Actually, yeah," Ino asked. "What the hell was that?"

"Picus TV released a story about how the Third Street Saints, the most infamous street gang in the world, was now in Steelport," Shikamaru said. "It seems that everyone screamed in terror. Oh, Johnny? He once said he tried to leave the US until after the statute of limitations on 600 murders ran out."

"Is there a statute of limitations on murder?" Hinata asked.

"Oddly, only in Norway," Shikamaru asked. "It's 90 years."

"Okay, we're ready," I said as we walked in. "Shikamaru… what are you watching?"

"Brazilian TV," Shikamaru said as the scantily clad women danced. "Believe it or not, this is a kid's show."

"What?" Hinata asked.

"[Clockwise]," she said as she shook her body to make little tassels spin. "[Anti-clockwise]."

"I'm moving to Brazil when this is all over," Shikamaru said as he stood up and we all left the apartment, with me locking the door and walking into the other apartment.

"[Excuse me]?" Manuela said as she ran over to us. "[I didn't get the chance to thank you all for saving me yesterday]."

"[It's perfectly alright, Manuela]," Shikamaru said. "[Are you heading upstairs]?"

"[Well, I need to check something, and the only computers with internet connections are upstairs]," Manuela said as she walked away. "[I'll see you up there]."

"[Okay]," the three of us said, smiling.

"You think she's Brazilian?" Shikamaru asked, before we both slapped him. "Okay, stupid question."

"Yeah, I see why you're worried," Ino said as she touched one of the seals, before pulling her hand back. "It's emitting chakra… except that it's red… Hinata-chan?"

"I'm on it," I said, activating my Byakugan. "Weird… I can detect three different coloured chakra, blue, red and green, all coming out from different tenketsu points."

"Are they causing any harm?" Shikamaru asked.

"No, but it seems that…" Hinata began. "The blue is normal chakra, the red is creating a short-range barrier from the skin, only a few metres, and the green is forming the seals to prevent the red chakra from overwhelming Naruto-kun and causing damage to his body."

"Wait," Shikamaru said. "Something is just… wrong."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Well, three forms of chakra, all completely different," he said. "I overheard some adults talking about Naruto when I was 5."

"About what?" Hinata asked.

"Was it because of that prank where he turned everyone in the town blue?" I asked. "Although that was actually funny…"

"How did he do it to the ANBU?" Hinata asked, laughing. "And what was with those white pants and shoes?"

"Not exactly sure," Shikamaru said. "One adult was insulting him, saying all sorts of swears, but before he said one in particular, another adult stopped him, saying 'It's forbidden'. What exactly the forbidden 'thing' is, I'm not exactly certain. But I have a hunch…"

"Should we really be talking about this?" Hinata asked. "What if, when we get back to the village, we get into trouble?"

"Live or let die," I said. "What do you think it was?"

"Do any of you know when Naruto was born?" Shikamaru asked. "Or whatever happened to his parents?"

"No," Hinata said.

"Well, I went looking for the information, and I discovered exactly when he was born," Shikamaru said. "He was born on October 10."

"October 10," I said, before Hinata and I jumped back. "Wait, you don't mean…"

"He was born just before the Kyuubi no Kitsune attack, by a few minutes," Shikamaru said. "By sneaking around, I found out that under the Fourth Hokage's specific instructions, no-one was to treat Naruto any differently…"

"Despite being the vessel for the Kyuubi…" Hinata finished.

"And that it was forbidden to talk about it," Shikamaru said. "Also, I know what happened the night Iruka-sensei was put into the hospital. Someone told Naruto that he didn't have enough credit to take the Genin exam, and that he would have to take a make-up test if he wanted to be a ninja."

"That person was Mizuki, wasn't it?" I asked.

"Yeah," Shikamaru said. "The make-up exam was to take something from the Hokage's office and learn the technique on the scroll. Mizuki was hoping that he would be fatally drawn of chakra, or drained enough to be an easy kill. Too bad I was suspicious when I heard about this and reported it to Iruka-sensei."

"So, you hearing a few things can prove that Naruto has a tailed beast?" I asked. "So, you use the fact that you're lazy as a cover."

"No, I use the fact that I'm lazy to get out of work and focus on improving my strategy skills," Shikamaru said whilst grinning. "But the thing is that no-one bothers to pay attention to the sloths."

"Okay, what did you find out about his parents?" Hinata asked.

"Well…" Shikamaru said, nervously. "There is a cover-up, but the person who ordered the information hidden… wasn't the Hokage. I don't know who."

"But-" Hinata said, angrily. "He's punished because he's a _victim_? Why would anybody do that?"

"They don't see him as Naruto, vessel for the Kyuubi no Kitsune," Shikamaru said, sadly. "They see him _as_ the Kyuubi and feel they have to take out their rage and anger out on him."

"That's…" Hinata said, while her face went red. "THAT'S **BULLSHIT! ! !**" We all were shocked by that, even Hinata fell over a chair in shock while trying to step back. I helped her up quickly before we stood beside Naruto.

"How did he sleep through that?" Shikamaru asked. "He's… wait, he probably isn't exactly human, is he?"

"So…" I said, looking at him. "How are we going to wake him up?" That question was answered for us as Angel walked in with a bucket of water and dumped it on Naruto who screamed in shock.

"What the-" he began, before Angel put the bucket down. "[What the hell]?"

"[We need to talk, upstairs, in 30 minutes]," Angel said. "[Don't bother about food; Laura's cooking something up for all of us]." He then left, nodding to all of us as he left, as Naruto ran into the shower.

"So, do I have to do laundry?" Naruto asked from inside the bathroom. "I know how… I think…"

"We'll take these with us," Shikamaru said. "We're heading up, don't forget to lock up."

"Got it," Naruto asked. "Wait… what the hell happened to my arm? !"

"We don't know," Hinata said. "Why do you have three kinds of chakra?"

* * *

><p><strong>Operation Louisiana 4: Mike Tyson Called<strong>

* * *

><p>"I have three chakras?" Naruto asked. "Is that normal?"<p>

"Well, having three chakra is normal if you're using separate techniques, but it involves separating out your own chakra," Hinata said. "But the think is… you have separate flames of chakra, all working in tandem. Naruto, do you hear voices in your head?"

"No," he said. "Should I?"

"We don't know," Shikamaru said. "Do you remember anything else?"

"Yeah," Naruto said. "Everyone in the town being blue, for some reason." We all started laughing. "Uh…"

"You did that," I said as he looked around in confusion. "We don't know how."

"Wait… there is one thing I definitely remember… about this… Sasuke…"

"What is it?" I asked, excitedly.

"Well… Sasuke…" he said, as we got into the elevator. "Is actually a girl." Shikamaru just looked at him, Hinata gasped and my smile slowly cracked, all while Naruto looked upward.

"What," I finally blurted out.

"I tried to pull a prank on him when I was 11, but caught him- her coming out of the shower," Naruto said. "And she said…" Horror slowly dawned on his face. "If I let anyone know… aw, I'm going to die now."

"You mean Sakura and I have been fighting over a _girl_? !" I finally shouted.

"Sakura… Pink-haired girl?" Naruto asked. "The only thing I can remember is that she hits me a lot."

"Well, we're here," Shikamaru said. "This is going to be troublesome."

* * *

><p>"Okay, here's how it works," the Boss said. "We're going to split you up between Zimos, Kinzie and Angel, all to learn about the Syndicate's weaknesses, while we go to investigate that alien ship."<p>

"Why?" Laura asked. "Isn't it dangerous?"

"We're more dangerous," Gat said. "We're going to see what weapons we can find, as well as alien tech."

"This is going to end with us levelling a town, isn't it?" Aisha asked.

"Of course not," Gat said. "We're not that bad."

"We'll head over there with Tobias via helicopter," I said. "When Gat, Pierce, the Boss and I get on-board, we'll wait until after we're done to call Tobias back to get out of there."

"So, what do we do?" Naruto asked, cautiously.

"I'll train one of you to be ready to fight the Luchadores," Angel said. "I'll probably need Ino as well."

"I'll check the weed now, then," she said as she ran up the stairs.

"I'm going to need someone who's good at strategy, while also willing to learn how to drive a large vehicle," Kinzie said.

"That would be me," Shikamaru said. "I spend most of my day playing Shogi… It's called 'Chess' in English, right?"

"StarCraft is a bit more complex," Kinzie said. "You not only have different units, but it's in real time, there are no turns. Each unit has its strengths and weaknesses as well, plus roles that they have to fill. Also, you have to maintain your own base."

"Well, I wanted to talk to Hinata, anyway," Zimos sang. "You touched that gem and fainted, right? That's often a sign of a rare and powerful magical ability."

"Yeah, the voice from that crystal is in my head now," Hinata said before Zimos held out his wand. "What are you…?"

"Take it," Zimos sang. "Give it a wave." Hinata took the wand, hesitantly, before flicking the wand. The water in the pool jumped out before landing in a big splash and quickly freezing over, to Hinata's dismay. "I'll have to take Hinata back to my place, so that I can get her a wand."

"So, I'm stuck with the wrestler," Naruto said. "Well, learning how to fight the Luchadores doesn't sound so bad."

"Okay, I'll stay here with Shikamaru and Kira to teach Shikamaru how to play," Kinzie said, as we all left.

"So, it's a good thing we have a helipad here, then," I said as we climbed in. "How are we getting on the alien ship?"

"It's simple," Pierce said. "We get onboard by using a rope ladder if we can't get a good spot to land. As for getting back on, well… now you know."

"As long as I find a laser gun," Gat said. "We could build it into the flying car and blare out 'Rise of the Valkyries'."

"Why not 'Il Dolce Suono' from 'Lucia di Lammermoor'?" The Boss asked.

"You're an opera fan, right?" Pierce asked.

"…No!" The Boss ended up shouting.

"I've heard you singing in the bathroom," Pierce said. "You'd make a wonderful opera singer."

"…Thanks?" She asked.

"I've never heard you sing opera," I said. "Gat, have you heard her?"

"Nope," Gat said.

"Tobias?"

"What do you think?"

"You're going to make me sing, aren't you?"

"Oh, yeah," I said. "I could look up the song if you need music."

"I hate you all."

* * *

><p>"So, that's all of the units," Kinzie said. "Do you think you're ready for a practice match?"<p>

"Sure," I said as Kira got ready. "So, what was that about driving a large vehicle? And why am I practicing?"

"Because StarCraft is a very competitive game," Kinzie said. "It's actually the national sport of South Korea. The top players can make 5 actions every second."

"Okay," I said as I started playing. "Kira's the Zerg, right?"

"Yeah," Kinzie said. "You're Protoss. The most common gameplay tactic of the Zerg is the Zerg rush, where the player creates a large number of smaller units and sends them off to fight in one huge wave. The Protoss are best at preventing this, as well as fighting large numbers of enemies."

"So, you have to prevent the enemy from creating so many units, then," I said. "You gather minerals and vespene gas in order to create buildings and units?"

"Yeah, exactly," Kinzie said. "Wait, what are you-"

"Watch," I said with a smile, while listening for Kira's reaction.

"OH MY GOD! !"

"Do you think I could take a decker now?" I asked.

* * *

><p>"Okay, here's the place," Zimos said as he showed me the back room of the 'carwash'. "I make every wand in here, then take them to my store in New York." He then reached for one wand, took it out of its box then handed it to me. "Give this one a try."<p>

"Okay…" I said, flicking the wand, causing a nearby vase to break.

"Probably not that one," Zimos said as he fixed the vase with his own wand. "Don't worry, you're not the first. I've only seen a person get their wand on the first try only _once_. The worst was this English kid, Vinnie, I think, 4 years ago. He went through 94 wands. Try this one."

I then flicked the next wand, causing the entire collection to fly around before Zimos got me to set the wand down. "No, no, definitely not!"

"I'm sorry.."

"It's fine," he said before flicking his wand and causing most of the wands to float back. "I wonder… Try this wand."

When I took the wand, it immediately glowed around me, causing several withered plants to grow into beautiful bouquets as well as causing a torrent of wind to flow past me. "Wow…"

"Hinata, girl," Zimos said to me. "That was one of the first wands I ever made, over 30 years ago. The last of the first three wands I ever made, and I'm giving it to you. This wand is special to me. Make good use of it."

"'Rose Quartz'?" I asked. "That's the word etched onto the handle."

"Rose Quartz, Kyanite and Jade," Zimos said. "All of different lengths and made of different woods, but are all sisters due to what is used as the core. Dragon heartstrings that have been exposed to a specific substance. Dust form element zero. And from what I've heard, you broke Jade."

"The DeWynters own the other sisters?" I asked.

"Well, they own one more," Zimos said. "And besides… I'm the only person who can repair wands on either side of the Atlantic."

"So… they'll have to come to you to fix it," I said.

"Exactly," Zimos said. "Now, we'll get started on a few basic spells, in order to help you start duelling."

* * *

><p>"The thing about the Luchadores is that their enhanced strength hits you like a car," Angel said as he, Naruto and I stood on the side of the road. "You have to be quick but powerful if you want to take them out quickly. Take the semi, coming down the road. It's slow but powerful, while the motorbikes are fast and weak."<p>

"So, is this philosophical?" I asked. "We just watch as you describe it?"

"Not exactly," Angel said. "This is a physical test."

"You want me to run back and forth while dodging traffic?" Naruto asked, as Angel walked up to him.

"No," he said, before pushing Naruto in front of aforementioned truck, sending him flying down the road.

"What the hell was that? !" I asked, yelling at him.

"Believe me, if I didn't take precautions I wouldn't have done that," Angel said as Naruto kept getting hit by cars. "I asked Zimos to create a potion that would soften the blows he takes, and I have you here to heal him up."

"Oh, so you… push him in front of a damn car," I shouted. "Angel, are you completely crazy? !"

"Yes," he said, calmly as Naruto stood up.

"Relax," Naruto said. "I'm fine." He was then hit by a car and sent flying, landing back on the road. "Jesus, do the Luchadores actually hit this hard?"

"Oh, they're much worse," Angel said as Naruto kept getting hit, flying over the interjection. "Did you hear something?"

"What about Naruto crying in pain?" I asked.

"No, I heard somebody else just there," Angel said. "Strange."

"What the f*** is wrong with you? !"

* * *

><p>"Okay, you're in the match now," Kinzie said to me. "Keep him going while Gatomon data-mines the Decker servers."<p>

"On it," I said, gathering minerals and vespene with my units. "Should I try taunting him? Make him think I'm new?"

"Sure," Kinzie said. "Just draw out the match for as long as you can."

"Kay," I said while putting on my headset. "Hello? Can you hear me?"

"A Japanese player?" the girl on the other end said. "How did you get online? StarCraft 2 isn't sold out there."

"I'm living in the US," I said while creating units and adding an extension to one of my buildings. "A friend showed me the game and I thought… why not?"

"So, you're new?" the girl asked. "It's considered common courtesy to agree on a build time, when we create units and building while gathering." Kinzie nodded enthusiastically while Kira watched from over my shoulders. "How about… 5 minutes?"

"Sounds good," I said. I chose to play Terran to show I was new at the game. "That would explain the angry shouting during the last match."

"What happened?" the girl asked.

"I created several SCVs and sent them to his base while he was gathering minerals in the far-away corner," I said. "He was furious…"

"Well, most players are," the girl said. "They often play on a specific schedule for creating units and buildings because it's often the way they know from experience. How long did the match last?"

"…4 minutes," I said.

"Wow, what's your APM?" she asked.

"What?"

"Actions per Minute?" she asked.

"I don't exactly know," I said. "I can do… three a sec?"

* * *

><p>"You've gotten through that one," Angel said. "Knowing the pain of the fight."<p>

"No shit!" Naruto shouted as I healed him. "What's next?"

"The heat of the fight," Angel said. "The very flame between two people as they clash, the feeling of exhaustion that overwhelms the weak."

"I'm not letting you set Naruto on fire while he's running on a treadmill," I told him.

"Relax, all I want you to do is put this outfit on then get on the quad," Angel said, which Naruto hesitantly did, before stopping just before the helmet.

"I smell gasoline, what are you planning?" Naruto asked.

"You're wearing flame retardant clothing," Angel said. "This will protect you while you drive down the road, while you and the quad are on fire."

"What?" Naruto asked. "What the f*** is wrong with you?"

"You have 1 minute to get from here to a car park with a purple flag," Angel said as Naruto put the helmet on. Angel then poured gas over Naruto, who started up the quad as Angel lit the match. "Good luck," he said before throwing the match away, setting Naruto on fire before he drove down the road. "Perhaps I should've warned him about the Luchadores."

"What the f*** is wrong with you?"

* * *

><p>"Okay, you've picked up the disarming spell, but there are others you'll need during a duel," Zimos said. "Now, we'll try a stunner."<p>

"How come your staff doesn't sing anymore?" I asked.

"I just turned off the Auto-Tune," Zimos said. "Now, do you see that target? I want you to say this spell. _Stupefy_."

"Alright," I said, preparing my wand. "_Stupefy_." A beam of light shot out of the wand and hit the target, forcing it to fly back.

"Use the disarming charm after the stunner to make it easier to take a person's wand," Zimos said. "Do you want to keep practicing?

"Yes, I would," I said, as I went back to an aiming stance. I decided to try something new. Letting my chakra flow to my hand as I would normally do so for a Jyuuken strike, I raised my wand up and waited for the dummy to be ready. "_Expelliarmus_!" The spell shot out like a river running through a dam, only flowing around me.

"Hey, girl, what did you do?" Zimos asked me, amazed.

"I just… used my chakra to boost the effect," I said, as I moved my hand, seeing the spell moved with it. Turning back to the target, I gestured my arm to force the spell forward, causing it to collide with the dummy, knocking it straight into the wall while also blasting it to pieces. I fainted shortly after.

"You shouldn't try something so risky," Zimos said after lifting me over to the couch. "You completely exhausted yourself. You may not be so lucky next time."

"Sorry…" I said. "So, I guess there's more to learn, then…"

"You don't just learn those spells," Zimos said. "It takes a few weeks, actually. I wouldn't have expected you to take so quickly."

"Well…" I said, smiling. "I've got some good equipment."

* * *

><p>Tobias slowly flew over the ship as we took a look below. There was nothing down there except for a few heavily damaged drone crafts and a few fish that must've gotten stuck by a huge wave as it crashed. Tobias eventually lowered down enough for us to jump out of the helicopter before we got ready to head in.<p>

"So, how do we actually get in the craft?" Gat asked.

-* I don't know, look for a window, *- Aisha said from the other end of the radio we were using. -* Oh, wait, it's probably bulletproof… would there be a door on the roof? *-

"Why would there be a door on the roof?" Pierce asked.

"Maybe we could find a hangar," the Boss said as she ran forward. "Guh… I hate fish…"

"Okay, what if we have to split up?" I asked.

"I go with Pierce," the Boss said. "Shaundi, you and Gat go with each other."

"Got it," we all said.

"Wait…" I said, leaning down and putting my head onto the hull or… whatever the outer shell of a spacecraft is called. "Guys, I can hear gunfire."

"There's someone already in there," Pierce said. "Do you think it's the Syndicate?"

"It's possible," Gat said before shots rang off the hull and we got behind cover. "Luchadores!"

"What are we going to do?" I asked the Boss.

"It's simple," the Boss said. "I hit some with biotics, Gat shoots them with a shotgun, you stay away with an assault rifle while Pierce covers with an SMG."

"What if they get too close?" I asked.

"Yeah… I didn't think about that," the Boss said.

"I'll call Angel," I said.

"Good idea," she said, before sending out a biotic shockwave while I reached for my phone.

"Hey, Angel, I-"

-* Shaundi? *- Naruto said. -* You've got to help me! Angel is crazy! *-

"What did he do?" I asked, just as I heard a roar and a scream. "What was that?"

-* That was the tiger, *- Naruto said. -* He stuck me in a car with a f***ing tiger! Oh, shit… Greenpeace? The tiger's not the one in danger here! *-

"Oh…" I said. "Well… good luck with that."

-* Wait, Shau- *- I had already hung up.

"What happened?" the Boss asked me.

"Angel got his hands on a tiger," I said. "He put it in the same car as Naruto."

"He's seen the Hangover, hasn't he?" Gat asked.

"Okay," I said, before running to back cover while Pierce covered me and Gat took out a Luchadore with a shotgun. I then aimed the assault rifle at several of them and fired into their heads, killing them instantly. "We'll handle this eventually."

"Yeah, we should," Gat said, before a large explosion ruptured the hull. "What was that?"

"I think it was an explosion," Pierce said. "Maybe it was a bomb, maybe it was a fuel tank, I don't know."

"Like aliens would use gas," Gat said.

"You'd be surprised," the Boss said. "That takes care of the Luchadores… but I don't think it's only them."

"We should be careful in case of Morningstar," Gat said. "Stunners hurt like a bitch. And when they try and Splinch you…"

"Splinch?" Pierce asked.

"It's when they teleport next to you and grab you, intending to teleport you to somewhere else without a limb," Gat said. "One of them tried to do that yesterday, but some psychic old man ended up killing the guy."

"Guys, the tide's going to rise," I said. "If the water gets too high up, we won't get anything out of there and we'll likely drown."

* * *

><p>"Oh god," I said as I just avoided crashing into a few cars and the tiger hit me with his claws. "Hey, I'm not happy about this either!"<p>

I skidded around one corner as the Greenpeace car pulled up next to me. "[Stop the car and get out of the vehicle]!" the man ordered.

"[I can't]!" I shouted back, while the tiger started swiping at me again. "Well, if you want them to go away, you tell them! I'm shackled to the wheel!" The tiger then started roaring at the truck as it began to pull away. "Well, that actually went pretty well…" I slowly trailed off, as I saw the large hill that lead to the billboard. "No…"

The car flew through the billboard as the tiger and I crashed onto the ground and sped away, before I turned the car around one final bend, as the tiger hit me again. "What is your problem? I'm a victim here as well! Now if you hit me one more time, we are going to the vet to get you neutered!" The tiger went wide-eyed when I said that. "Oh my god, Angel knows what he's doing! Look out!"

I hadn't noticed when we drove into a butcher's shop, but the car eventually slowed down. Nice enough of Angel to include airbags. The tiger, however, groaned in pain as it slowly stood up and licked my face. "Yeah, you're sorry. Can you get me some help or bolt cutters?"

"Naruto?" Ino asked as she ran inside. "Are you okay?"

"I'm attached to the wheel," I said. "Care to help?"

"So that's what the bolt cutters are for," she said as she ran forward and helped me out. "Where did he get a tiger? Steelport doesn't have a zoo."

"I think I have an idea," Naruto said. "There's a number on the cat's collar." Ino took my phone and called the number, speaking quickly as I sat down outside as the Greenpeace vans past me, completely oblivious to what happened in the store. "God, they're idiots…"

Suddenly, I was standing, looking around wildly. I was on edge, but I wasn't entirely sure why. I then gripped my arm, which felt sore before going back to normal. Nervously, I walked back inside to see Ino scratching the tiger's back ears. "I contacted the owner, he'll be on his way now to pick up Tiny to take him home. He's very well behaved actually, all he wanted was some meat… are you okay?"

"I felt something weird outside," I said. "It felt like… I was dying…"

"Wait, you felt Killing Intent?" Ino asked. "I hardly picked it up. Perhaps it was sent purely towards you…"

"Yeah… I wonder…" I said, before I felt it again then saw a vision of… "Get down!" I jumped straight towards Ino, knocking her down as a kunai hit the wall. "That kunai… it was meant for you!"

"Oh god…" Ino said. "I… I hardly noticed anyone…"

"Yeah," I said as Tiny walked over and licked Ino to calm her down. "I don't know why I picked it up so quickly…"

"Wait," Ino said, putting her hand next to my face. "Those markings… the whiskers… they're changing."

"How?" I asked.

"They're becoming more jagged," Ino said, before lifting my sleeve up. "Those seals on your arm are growing."

"You think it may have been triggered by fear?" I asked. "I was actually kind of scared that you'd die… that, and the little ride I took with Tiny here."

"Do you know Hinata has a huge crush on you?" Ino asked me.

"Not exactly," I said. "But now that you mention it…"

Soon, a car pulled up outside. Ino then nervously stood up. "That's probably Tiny's owner. [Mr Tyson]?"

"[Yeah]," a black man with a lisp and a wicked tattoo said as the tiger ran over to him and started licking him wildly. "[How did you find him]?"

"[My friend there was handcuffed to the wheel of the car and was forced to drive around town with your cat in the passenger's seat]," Ino said. "[Tiny should be a bit shaken up, but if he's kept away from any convertibles]…"

"[Thank you]," the man said. "[If you need any help, here's my number]."

"[Oh… I'll only call in an emergency]," Ino said as the man led Tiny away.

"Who was that, exactly?" I asked.

"Mike Tyson," Ino said. "World famous boxer. Disqualified from one match because he bit a man's ear off."

"What?" I asked. "Well, you should probably head back to base. I'm going to call Angel."

"Hell no, I'm not splitting up," Ino said. "Wouldn't that mean that one of us would be killed for drama?"

"Okay," I said as I took out my phone. "[Angel, where are you]?"

"[I see you've passed the last test]," he said.

"[Answer the damn question]," I said.

"[My gym, taking some equipment back to base]," he said.

"[Don't. Move]."

* * *

><p>"It's so weird, being in here," I said as we walked forward. "But… what's with all the pipes of water?"<p>

"Isn't it obvious?" Pierce said. "Those aliens are fish. They need to get around the ship. Why there are walkways is beyond me."

-* Well, have you seen their boss' broadcasts? *- Aisha asked. -* You can only see them on the old aerials, but sometimes on digital TV as well. Kinzie showed it to me earlier. *-

"Well, what does he look like?" the Boss asked.

-* A really ugly bug… *- Aisha said.

"We've got Deckers," Gat said as we got behind cover. "They're pelting us with biotics!"

"I tried shooting them, but the bullets bounced off," Pierce said.

"Damn, they're using barriers," the Boss said. "I'll focus on taking them down, you shoot them after."

"Got it," I said as the Boss sent out biotic attacks to stun the Deckers. "Wait, where are their digimom?"

"What?" Pierce asked.

"They have Familiars, where are they?" I asked, just before a large fish monster appeared. "Well, there's one…"

"We can't fight them," Pierce said. "Boss, your call!"

"F***… we have to run!" the Boss said as we ran over towards a nearby door. Pierce opened it as we all ran through before we closed the door. "Damn, this place is already flooded."

"And that's not all," Gat said as several creatures appeared out of the water. I got behind cover and fired at them, killing two of them instantly while the boss took out a large wave using biotics. "Okay, we should probably hurry."

"Wait… Luchadores, Deckers… the Morningstar are probably here," the Boss said.

"Then we'll take a few hits for you," I said. "Just stay behind us."

"You know I hate that," the Boss said as we went deeper in.

* * *

><p>Ino and I entered the gym to see Angel moving a few weights and training dummies into a truck. "A fucking tiger?" I asked, angrily.<p>

"If you're fighting anyone where the outcome is death for one of the combatants, especially the Luchadores, you have to be ready for anything," Angel said as he threw a weight into the back.

"A **FUCKING **_**TIGER**_**? !**"

"Don't lose the message in the training," Angel said.

"What the f*** is wrong with you?" Ino asked.

"I know it may not be the safest, but-"

"No shit," I said, angrily. "Do you know that everyone is trying to kill me? Did you arrange for someone to kill Ino and me as well? Because someone threw this at me after that little Sunday drive."

"I had no idea about that," he said as he looked at the kunai. "But you still learnt something. You learnt the meaning of true pain, the feeling of the burn on your body when you're exhausted and you mastered your pain. The four lessons that I had to teach you."

"That's three, dumbass," Ino said.

"The fourth lesson was one that goes beyond what I could teach you in the conventional manner," he said. "Know what you're getting into before you act."

"Wow, that actually makes kind of sense," I said. "But that doesn't answer the question… who tried to kill us?"

"And where did you get that awesome tattoo?" Angel asked.

"Yeah… it just grew on me," I said. Suddenly, a large explosion erupted outside, causing us all to hesitate. "What was that?"

"It sounds like a World War II era tank," Angel said as we all ran outside. What we saw was… well…

"Shikamaru?" Ino asked, angrily. He was driving a tank down the road, blowing up cars and causing all kinds of damage, while being shot at by the Deckers and Luchadores. He was also… dressed as Adolf Hitler. "[Are you completely insane]? !"

"Ja, mein Führer," Shikamaru shouted back to us as he fired straight at a Decker car. "Scheisse… I missed."

* * *

><p>"Hey, this looks like a generator," Gat said. "And there's the CIC."<p>

"The CIC?" The Boss asked.

"The Central Intelligence Centre," Pierce responded. "It's the part of the ship where the captain co-ordinates everyone during a fight as well as pass information to the other ships. Why it's in the middle of the ship and not higher up…"

"Damn it," I said as I looked around. "Guys, we didn't enter from the top of the ship, we entered from the bottom."

"Are you saying the ship has capsized?" Gat asked. "Then where the hell is the armory?"

"Hey, I can see the bottom of the river bed," the Boss said. "And there's more digimon out there."

"They'll probably try and blow the glass," Pierce said. "They'll try and drown us if possible."

"Actually, the screens are completely bulletproof," a voice said from behind us. We all aimed at the general direction, expecting a fight. What we got was a two-foot tall robot with green eyes, holding his hands up. "Um… I am unarmed."

"Hey, it beats 'Take me to your leader'," the Boss said. "You work for those fishy-bastards?"

"No, my friend and I were captured by the drophyds," the robot said. "He's currently being kept in a cell, in cryogenic storage. Please, I need your help."

"Well, saving an alien does sound pretty cool," Gat said. "Although, I have to ask… do you know where the armory is?"

"You wouldn't be able to even pull the trigger," the robot said. "All of the weapons are coded by the drophyd's DNA. I've been trying to hack the main gun since this ship entered the solar system. That was… 13 local days ago? In fact…"

"This is Earth," I said, quickly. "Look, this ship is underwater and we have no idea when the tide comes in."

We were all thrown about violently when the ship started moving. "Oh, that's bad, isn't it?"

"Guys, I can hear water rushing in," the Boss said. "Something breached the sides. Where's the brig?"

"It's at the bottom of the ship, just over the hangar," the robot said.

"We came in that way," I said. "I'll call Tobias to pick us up. You all focus on fighting."

* * *

><p>"Okay, that handles the fencing company," Kinzie said, walking up.<p>

"You stole a tank whilst dressed as a notorious war criminal to destroy a couple of pieces of wire?" Ino asked, angrily. "For f***'s sake, that's overdoing it!"

"I know," Shikamaru said as he peeled off the mustache. "It was her idea."

"Not that damn costume!" Kinzie said. "Although, it was a fencing company, in both uses of the term."

"I'm still learning English," Naruto said.

"[It was a fence installation company that was involved in money laundering for the Deckers]," Ino said. "[Where did you even get that costume]?"

"[There's a store down the street called 'Let's pretend']," Shikamaru said. "And Kinzie got me the tank after I shot up a warehouse whilst dressed like Godzilla in a clown costume."

"Another fencing company?" I asked.

"[No, pottery]," Kinzie replied in Japanese, to all of our confusion. "I'm… I'm from Japan. I just use make-up and I had a friend use magic to make me appear Caucasian."

"Why?" Angel asked.

"The Deckers know my old face," Kinzie said. "I went into hiding to take them out."

"What did they do?" I asked.

"They used a computer virus to put my brother into a coma," Kinzie said. "Hey, you've seen Gatomon, and the Deckers with their digimon."

"[I actually believe you, but I'm scared about asking for specifics]," Ino said.

"Ever heard of 'The World'?" Kinzie asked. "An MMORPG was released for the sole purpose of creating an AI called Aura, but CC Corp, the distributor, knew fully well that the game could put people into comas by absorbing their minds into the game. So, a friend and I made sure that the game doesn't hurt anyone again. … I'm not allowed back in Japan."

"What did you do, exactly?" Angel asked.

"A friend and I set fire to a CC Corp building on the eve of 'The World R:2', the next iteration of the game after the servers for the first were destroyed by an insane employee," Kinzie said. "The reason the FBI were willing to let me join is because they've been trying to get The World shut down ever since 50 American players went brain-dead. And those fat-cats over in CC Corp think they can control it… It put their entire administration staff into comas."

"Does this have anything to do with the Deckers?" Ino asked.

"Actually, yes," Kinzie said. "They got their hands on the Black Box, the code that powers the game and makes it so dangerous. We were investigating the Deckers when they used it on my brother. So, now I have to get into the Decker usenet and free my brother."

Soon, we heard a heavy creaking from the harbour as we saw the alien ship beginning to capsize. "Uh… Shikamaru-kun…" I began. "What direction did that stray shot go?"

"It went…" Shikamaru said, before pointing at the ship. "Oh… shit..."

"We've got to get a boat and save the crew," Ino said.

Hinata then pulled up on the riverbed with a large boat with a gun on it. "I saw something hit the ship and breach the hull, we've got to get over there!"

"I just said that!" Ino complained before jumping into the boat. "Where's Tobias?"

"He's on his way but the Syndicate have air support," Hinata said as I tried to get in the boat. "We're trying to save 4 people, there isn't enough space on the boat."

"Then why is Tobias going in?" I asked.

"He's the one taking them out of there," Ino said. "We're there in case we have to save _his_ ass."

"Yeah, good point," I said as the two sailed out. "Oh, [be careful! We still don't know who tried to kill you]!"

"[What]?" Hinata, Kinzie and Shikamaru all asked, as the boat set sail for the ship.

"Well, after I went driving around with a tiger," I said, scowling at Angel, "someone threw a kunai and it almost hit Ino. I was just barely able to push Ino to the ground."

"[Do you have the kunai]?" Shikamaru said, before I held it out. "Hm… [This is bad]."

"[What is it]?" Kinzie asked.

"[I recognize this knife]," Shikamaru said. "[Naruto… this knife was made in Kohona. Our hometown]."

"[Someone from our home tried to kill us]?" Naruto asked.

"Wait, Naruto… those markings on your face are beginning to glow," Angel said.

"Yeah, come to think about it…" Shikamaru said, as I had another bizarre, violent vision, only aimed at all of us. "It seems to be-"

I sweeped down and knocked everyone to the ground as someone flew overheard with a pair of claws, just barely cutting a few threads of Kinzie's hair as we all hit the ground. I quickly stood up and drew my Nocturne and blocked a strike aimed at Angel, as I got a good look at our attacker. But he seemed to be in heavy armour… and in pain.

"Damn, another one?" Kinzie asked as she got up and aimed a stun-gun at the attacker. "It's a human under mind-control. I can free him, but I need a clear shot, someone has to hold him down." Angel then grabbed the attacker and tried to hold him down, but he managed to slip out of Angel's grip and held a kunai at Angel's throat.

Without thinking, I made several slashes onto his back, before smacking him over the face with the blade as Angel threw the attacker away. Watching as the mask fell to the ground, Shikamaru took out the kunai he had and was ready to throw it. "Who the hell is this guy? He's fast." Then, when the last of the mask fell off, he almost dropped the kunai before regaining his grip. "[What the hell]? Kiba?"

"[What]?" I asked, as I saw the attacker standing up. "Kiba-san?" I was then beginning to remember him as I saw his face. The times that Shikamaru and I hung out with him, just lazily watching as the sun set. He's my friend. And he's being made to kill us. I'm going to kill Loren. "[Kiba-san, I know you can hear me. We're going to help you, but until then, I'll kick your ass if I have to]."

"[…Go ahead…]" he said as he lunged at me. Without thinking, I summoned several shadow clones who threw themselves and held him down as I went and caught him in a neck hold.

"Kinzie, hurry," I said as she ran up and held a taser to Kiba's chest, firing it off to cause him to contort. He lashed out and took out most of my shadow clones, but I still held onto him, before he went limp.

"This is going to hurt," Kinzie said as she grabbed the kunai from Shikamaru and ran over to the unconscious Kiba, and pulled back several layers of armour. "Damn, they've stitched it in. Angel, call Zimos, ask him if he knows where we can find a Healer to stop the bleeding."

"What bleeding?" Shikamaru asked before Kinzie plunged the dagger into Kiba's chest. Kiba shot awake, before Kinzie ripped this device from his chest and threw it away while Angel made a call. Zimos then appeared in a flurry of purple feathers.

"…Really?" Kinzie asked, annoyed. "I've seen Apperation before but that's absolutely ridiculous."

"Well, I managed to get a powerful healing potion, so quit your bitching," Zimos sang. "…What the hell happened here?"

"The Syndicate installed a mind-control device onto his chest," Kinzie said as she held it up to show us. "Since I now have it, I can easily back-trace the signal and find the others, if needed."

"Damn, girl," Zimos said as he poured the drink into Kiba's mouth. "You cracked most of his ribs."

"Don't blame me," Kinzie said. "I wasn't the one who screwed it in place. Come on, we've got to get him to a safe place."

"…I'm scared of you…"

* * *

><p>"Okay, this is the holding cells," Pierce said, looking around. "So, what's your name, anyway?"<p>

"My model number is JX-0461," the small robot said. "But most of my friends call me 'Clank'."

"Nice name," I said as we looked around. "So, this 'Ratchet' guy, what does he look like?"

"He looks like a cat," Clank said.

"Found him," Gat said as he readied his gun and was prepared to smash the glass before Clank jumped up.

"Wait," he said. "If you smash the glass, the cryogenic freezer will overload, covering the whole city. I can open it, but doing so will take time."

"Is it possible to carry him out?" I asked. "Get Tobias to fly his ass to the penthouse?"

"I'll check," the Boss said as she took out her radio. "Hey, Aisha, you there?"

-* I heard the entire thing, *- Aisha said. -* It will take a while, the Syndicate sent attack choppers but Ino and Hinata are covering Tobias. Also, Tobias has his own attack chopper so he can fight a few off. *-

"Not again," I said. "Remember what happened last time?"

"This time, we're not trying to steal a giant vault from a bank," the Boss said.

"What?" Clank asked.

"Do you have access to Earth telecommunications?" I asked. "Look up 'Third Street Saints'. Especially in the news."

"…I'm afraid to even think about it…" he said as he put one hand to a chin. "Wait… is it true that Johnny Gat killed well over 6,000 people?"

"Actually, it's much closer to 12,000, with the statute of limitations," Johnny said.

"Johnny, for the last time, there is no statute of limitations on murder," Pierce said. "Look, how are we going to get him out of here, and how long until the power runs out?"

"The power should take… adjusted for local time, 18 Georgian months," Clank said. "And the unit has its own mobile transportation built in. We just need to stay away from water."

"The ship is flooding," the Boss said. "Okay, I'll clear the way with Gat, Shaundi and Pierce, help Clank get this thing back up to the hangar."

"Will do," we said as he hacked a few nearby terminals and allowed the small storage unit to float. "Okay, I'll… Drive, Pierce, cover me."

"Well, since I can hear gunfire, the Boss and Gat are already handling most of it," Pierce said. "I'll create a few pathways."

* * *

><p>"What do you mean 'someone tried to imbed a kunai into your skull'?" I asked as Ino shot down a few helicopters and Tobias flew in overhead. "That's kind of a big deal."<p>

"Naruto saved my life, actually," Ino said. "He picked up the killing intent and just dived to knock me out of the way."

"How did he pick up the killing intent if it wasn't aimed at him?" I asked.

"We both know the answer to that," Ino said, just before I launched over a Morningstar boat. "Besides, picking up killing intent around you is possible, just harder. By the way, the Deckers…"

"What?"

"What is it that they're wearing?" Ino asked. "I mean…"

"I know," I responded. "Neo-cyberpunk went out of style 10 years ago."

"What?" Ino asked me.

"It was insanely popular after the release of Ghost in the Shell, Shadowrun and Snow Crash, all of which are emulated by the Deckers," I said. "By the way, from what I found out, it seems that the Deckers took something from each of those stories."

"What, exactly?"

"The name 'Decker' is the name of a character class that specialises in fighting using computers," I said. "They're also skilled swordsmen and use motorcycles to get around, like the main character in Snow Crash."

"Then what about 'Ghost in the Shell'?" Ino asked.

"Do you see those tanks on the side of the river?"

"What the hell are those things?"

"Tachikomas, but they're usually friendly until you attack whoever they're protecting," I said. Just then, the radio blared.

-* [Girls, the mission's changed], *- Aisha said on the radio. -* [We've got a package now, and it involves someone who's cryogenically stored. Don't let anything happen to it]. *-

"[Yes, Ma'am]," we said before we sailed over to Tobias and Ino waved to him, telling him to get closer.

"You think this is going to be easy?" I asked.

"Not a chance," Ino said. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

><p>"Okay, the Syndicate are retreating," Gat said. "Is that good?"<p>

"Hey, there's an earpiece here," I said, running over and picking it up.

-* Objective complete, *- a voice said in a French accent. -* We have secured the warp drive and mass effect core. *-

"Boss, what the hell's a mass effect core?" Gat asked me.

"It controls gravity, making it heavier or lighter, sort of like large-scale biotics," I said. "But Cerberus has a ton of that shit."

"Maybe because they're special?" Gat asked.

-* We'll have these at headquarters before the end of the day. *-

-* Put Loren on the line, *- another voice said in a light Irish accent.

-* Who is this? *-

-* Cerberus Operative Richards, *- the voice said. -* Put him on the line or else I'll have to get involved in this operation. *-

-* I'm already on the channel, Xavier, *- Loren said. -* And may I point out that you have no obligations to get involved with the Syndicate's actions. *-

-* You knew that Subject Zero was here, *- Richards said. -* You're also directly responsible for bringing her here. I'm the only one who works on the Zero assignment! *-

-* You're getting a little worked up about this, *- Loren said, smugly. -* You need to calm down, relax, or do you want a repeat of the ICARUS assignment? *-

-* What the hell is that supposed to mean? *-

-* I mean that if you hadn't tried to kill ICARUS, you wouldn't have had to spent a year in a Turkish prison, *- Loren said. -* How are the haemorrhoids? *-

"Seriously?" Gat asked. "You've been running from these morons?"

"Believe me, there are worse in Cerberus," I said as Shaundi and Pierce came up with Clank. "So, it seems that the Syndicate are retreating, but we've got another problem."

"It's not big, is it?" Shaundi said as Tobias came down.

"We've got another Cerberus operative in town," I said.

"Wait, Cerberus, the intergalactic terrorist cell?" Clank asked. "Why is there a member here?"

"Cerberus originates from this world," I said. "Pierce, Shaundi, get in, take the guns."

"We're on it," they said as Gat and I attached the cryogenic pod to the helicopter as a boat came over towards us.

"Gat, get in the boat and cover us from below," I ordered.

"Anything you say, Boss," he said as he jumped down and the boat pulled away.

"I guess you want to ride in the chopper?" I asked Clank.

"I'm not abandoning my friend," he said as Shaundi helped him in, as I finished attaching the pod and I climbed into the helicopter.

"Aisha, is Kinzie there?" I asked over the radio.

-* She just got here with Naruto, Shikamaru, Angel and a patient of theirs, *- Aisha said. -* I'll get her now. *-

-* Hello? *-

"Kinzie, I've got a high-tech radio, and I need you to access the frequency," I said. "It's frequency is-"

-* 190.27, *- She said. -* Surprised? *-

"No, impressed," I said. "What, do you know-"

-* The radio model is a 2.21α CODEC, commonly used by military personnel, *- Kinzie said. -* The 2.12 model was used during the Shadow Moses incident 4 years ago. Wow, there's a heated argument. You want to listen? *-

"Hell yeah," I said as I picked up an RPG.

-* Well, what about that whore of a daughter of yours, *- Loren said. -* Is she still dating that boy you tried to hitch her to? *-

-* That is it, *- the other voice said. -*I am taking over right now! All active personnel, I don't care who does it, I want Subject Zero dead, but recover the god damned body! *-

"Is that bad?" Pierce asked.

"We're going to have to fight," I said as I got into position. "Okay, Kinzie, can you tell me when we're in trouble?"

"Well, get to the penthouse and we won't have to deal with any problems," Tobias said. "We've got some anti-air missiles installed."

"You're a street gang and you're this heavily armed?" Clank asked me. "Even in three galaxies, I have never heard of this!"

"Whoa," Tobias said. "Where did you get the robot?"

"Tobias, are you stoned?" I asked.

"No," he said. "A little... A lot..."

"You are in so much trouble when we…" I started before several helicopters flew at us. "Guys, get ready!"

"We're on it," they said as they started firing at the helicopter.

-* The Saints are in sight, *- a voice said over the radio. -* Subject Zero is confirmed to be on board, as well as 4 members. They're also carrying a cryo-pod. *-

-* Capture that pod, and kill all of the Saints, *- the operative ordered just before Gat and Ino started firing from below.

-* Relax, Boss, we've got your back, *- Hinata called back. -* Also, that voice in my head says she has a message for you. *-

"This is a strange planet, isn't it?" Clank asked.

"Yeah," I said as I shot down a helicopter. "You should probably be grateful that we don't have space travel. Well, not one that everyone knows about. Also, don't watch our porn. Like... ever."

-* Boss, stick to the rivers until we're close enough to HQ, *- Gat said. -* We're safer together until then. Someone get a truck ready to get us back there and to take the cryo-pod. *-

-* I'll be waiting, *- Naruto said as we flew over a bridge.

-* What is their payload? *- the operative asked.

-* Not entirely certain, *- another voice said. -* Holy shit, it's a live lombax! *-

-* Capture the lombax, his DNA is valuable, *- the voice said.

"What does he mean by that?" Clank asked.

-* I just heard what he said, *- Angel said. -* One of the projects Cerberus worked on required lombax DNA, I don't know why? *-

"So, they would know where any other lombaxes are?" I asked.

-* I doubt it, *- Angel said. -* Nobody knows exactly where the lombaxes disappeared to, but there have been one or two sightings. *-

-* Get those tachikomas to open fire on the chopper! *-

-* Tachikomas are exclusively defensive structures, *- a British voice said. Soon, several of the Syndicate helicopters were shot down by a few missiles. -* What the bloody hell? *-

-* How about some air support? *- Elijah said as he came onto the radio. -* I'll cover you with the attack drone, just don't f*** up. *-

"When did you grow a pair?" Shaundi asked.

-* Last night when someone jumped me, *- Elijah said. -* Believe it or not, I learnt to fight on set for a movie about football hooliganism. *-

"Yeah, I actually saw Green Street Hooligans," Shaundi said. "It was a really shocking film."

"What about Kaiden and Ashley?" Pierce asked. "What are the two soldiers up to?"

-* Like we'd leave you hanging, *- Ashley said as a large truck drove past, firing a huge gun at a few helicopters. -* Seriously, how the hell does the Syndicate afford all of this shit? *-

-* This isn't just Syndicate anymore, *- Kaiden said. -* Weren't you listening? A Cerberus operative took over. *-

-* F*** *- A missile just barely hit us as Tobias swooped into the streets. -* Hinata, Ino, get back to HQ. Tobias, drop the payload down with Naruto, we'll cover you on the streets. *-

"With one gun?" I asked. "That's a bit risky."

-* We've got an attack drone, as well as some back-up, *- Ashley said. -* Fly Girl, you there? *-

-* I'm already on my way, *- another voice said over the radio. -* Heads up, there are VTOLs after you. *-

"Thanks for the heads up," I said as I opened the helicopter door and grabbed a winch. "Pierce, stay here and cover us with the big gun. Shaundi, you're with me."

"On it," she said as we both descended. Naruto grabbed one of the handles on the cryo-pod and pulled it over to the truck-bed, then used several belts to secure it. "Okay, we're unhooking the pod from the helicopter now, we just need to… what is that?"

"I think it's a giant," I said.

"No, it's a troll," Zimos sang, appearing in front of us in a small explosion of feathers, carrying a rocket launcher.

"Why is it dressed as a gimp?" Shaundi asked.

"Hell, I'm just as confused as you are!" Zimos then aimed his RPG and fired it at the troll, causing it to fall over. "Shit, I only knocked it out. Are you almost done here?"

"We're unhooked," I said. "Naruto, you can fire a gun, right?"

"I'm better at throwing kunai and shuriken," he said.

"There's a big gun on the back of this truck," I said. "Shoot everything that isn't our helicopter or one of us."

"The troll's back up!" Zimos called out, trying to put a rocket into his launcher as I opened fire. It barely affected it. Soon, the machinegun on the helicopter shot into the troll, causing blood to shoot all over the street.

"Pierce, you're meant to be on the _big_ gun," Shaundi said.

-* That wasn't me, *- Pierce said.

-* Since the control for the gun was digital, I thought it would be best to… commandeer it, *- Clank said into the radio, before giving a small chuckle.

"Shaundi, drive the truck back to HQ," I said as I shot back up. She then disconnected her winch which shot back up as I got inside. "We'll cover you by air. They're after me, remember?"

-* Just be careful, *- she said. -* It's not just you in that chopper. *- She then drove onward, down the street.

"Hey, Fly Girl, follow that truck and make sure it isn't attacked," I said into the radio.

-* You got it, *- she said as she flew overhead and we went over the streets, shooting down more helicopters.

-* Have you regained sight on the Saints yet? *- the operative asked.

-* They're in the air now, *- a voice said. -* Payload is missing, I repeat, payload is missing. *-

-* Damn! *- the operative said. -* Take down that helicopter with whatever you have! *-

-* You've just cost me half of my men! *- Loren shouted. -* This operation is over! Not only is it too high-profile, but it has cost me billions of dollars and credits! *- There was a large argument between the two, before…

-* That's enough you two! *- a third voice said on the channel.

-* What? *- Loren asked, confused. -* Sir, what are you doing on this channel? *-

"Kinzie, get me a line to that channel," I said.

-* You do know this is risky, right? *- Kinzie asked me.

"Of course it is," I said. "I'm going to give them a piece of my mind."

-* Loren, you should've informed Richards about this, *- the man said. -* Richards, you can't directly interfere with another operation. Besides, we put the Zero operation to rest for a while until after you handled the mess with Bertrand. *-

-* Sir, Bertrand has already activated HIVE, *- Richards said. -* I've been gathering resources to get to New Marais, let alone take him out! *-

-* I'm onto that already, *- Kinzie said.

-* So, you thought you could waste your time with a whore in Safeword, *- the man said. -* Wise up, Richards! This already cost us severely in Down! You just cost Cerberus several of our most important resources! *-

"If you want to lose more, we'd be willing to take them," I said into the radio.

-* I take it this is Jacqueline Nought, *- the man said.

"So," I said, sitting down into the radio. "You're the Illusive Man." That caused most of the people to look at me in shock, as Tobias flew up towards the penthouse to drop us off. "What, surprised?"

-* No, I'm actually quite impressed with Miss… Kensington's level of skill," the Illusive Man said. -* Since I can hardly trust these two, I'll have to extend an invitation to meet, personally. *-

"Why the f*** would I want to meet you?" I asked, angrily. "You kidnapped me at birth, tortured me until I was 15 then sent an assassin after me. So let me tell you something, Timmy, if you come near me, or any of my Saints, I will find you, then I will rip off your dick then RAPE YOU WITH IT! Kinzie, cut the line!"

-* Done, *- she said as we jumped out of the helicopter.

"You do know," Clank said as we got out, him hovering out with a retractable helicopter blade, "that you declared war on an organisation that single-handedly created a sun? Even by intergalactic society standards, that's a bit far."

"We can take them," I said. "The thing about humans is that we have perseverance in our blood. You just can't kill us off."

"Hey, we just got back," Ashley asked. "Why is there an alien in a f***ing freezer?"

"Do we want to know?" Kaiden asked.

"Do you think he's willing to join?" I asked.

"I doubt it," Kira said as he looked over from the balcony. "It seems that the Saints have a few fans in Steelport, all asking for help of course. I'll give out the assignments when we can. Also, Shikamaru took a friend back after Naruto knocked him out. The Syndicate installed mind-control onto him."

"So, where is he?" Pierce asked.

"He's in Naruto and Kiba's room, right now," Manuela said. "I want to help you. But I don't know how so…"

"I'll ask for your help if we need to," I said. "Hey, that package…"

"Already in the storage room downstairs," Ashley said.

"Clank, get your friend out of there," I said.

"It will take me at least 6 hours," Clank said.

"Kinzie, help him."

"I'm not _that_ good," she said as she walked off and Zimos and Angel walked over.

"Boss, I found something that could excite you," Zimos sang.

"You want to get under Cerberus' skin?" Angel asked. "Well, how about into their Southern US facility? The entrance is under this very building!"

"Sounds fun," I said, rushing for a grenade.

"We shouldn't destroy it," Angel said. "We're going to need it, especially if we're going to get a friend to help."

"And why do we need him?" I asked.

"He could help us activate conduits to help take out Morningstar," he said. "He's also much better at explaining Killbane's dirty little secret."

"Superpowered gangsters," I muttered. "I like it."


	37. OL5: Down the Rabbit Hole

"So, the girl with the VTOL is landing soon?" I asked, sitting down in a reclining chair.

"Yeah," Ashley said as she sat down next to the pool. "She used to serve with us, but she quit after a sergeant sexually harassed her. She sued and won enough to buy a VTOL, and was hired by some rich idiot in town."

"Well, a VTOL's a VTOL," I said, just as she landed and Kaiden ran off to help her.

"So, an intergalactic terrorist cell," Ashley said. "Guess you pissed off the right people."

"Maybe," I said as I got up and walked over to the landing pad. "Thanks for covering our asses out there, Miss…"

"Faridah Malik," she said, shaking my hand. "So, you're the leader of the Third Street Saints? Do you mind if I have a drink?"

"No, of course not," I said. "You thirsty?"

"No, I need to find out exactly how a respected NATO soldier ended up rolling with Johnny Gat," she said. "Wait… is that Elijah Wood?"

"Yeah, we saved him," I said.

"Is that- AISHA? !"

"Wow, we've got a loony fan for two of our homies!"

* * *

><p><strong>Operation Louisiana 5: Down the Rabbit Hole!<strong>

* * *

><p>"Wait, you're SEALs?" Shaundi asked Ashley and Kaiden as we all rested for the evening.<p>

"Used to be," Ashley said. "I could bare the training, the missions… but I couldn't bare my squadmates and my commander, making sexist comments all the time. And my superiors were worst… I actually sued. Malik and I were co-plaintiffs."

"Why did Kaiden leave?" I asked.

"Well, you've heard of BAaT, right?" Kaiden asked. "Well, it was a whole lot worse than what was let out to the paranormal net."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Elijah said.

"Well, it's a special network hidden in the internet used by several unique people, including biotics, wizards who go against the 'no modern tech' taboo, as well as several people with powers," Zimos explained. "In fact, there are bill-boards all over the country that only show messages to mediums and psychics, while others for mages. Anyway, when a biotic found the net and leaked about BAaT, he explained that soldiers with biotic potential were put through a gruelling routine to learn to use their implants. The thing is, the training killed half of the candidates mainly because the implants were faulty."

"That's only half the story," Kaiden said. "It was 'Sink or Swim', and even SEALs cracked. Two of my friends killed themselves as a result. I… I went nuts… killed the instructor…"

"So, you were just… allowed to join NATO?" Elijah said.

"Believe it or not, the UN isn't just a figurehead," Fadirah said. "It's actually quite powerful. When they found out about BAaT, they were furious. There is actually international law about biotics, what is safe, what is forbidden – which oddly enough extends to biotic implants in your crotch," at which Elijah then went wide-eyed, "as well as for conduits. Did you know that the organization that caused the Empire incident was a rogue NSA branch as well as Cerberus?"

"Really?" I asked.

"There's also a separate UN for magical governments, but from what I can tell from these stories from Europe on the BBC News channel, the British Ministry of Magic is going to be made a part of the Muggle – non magical – government due to utter incompetence," Zimos said. "Well, maybe old man Ollivander can advertise on YouTube."

"Hold on," Elijah said, going over to the computer. "Is that with 2 l's?"

"So, who are you working for?" I asked Malik. "Since you're in the private sector."

"There's a business in town, a military contractor," she said. "We have contracts with NATO, Alliance and NERV – that's the hush-hush of the UN – as well as the US Army and the Royal Armed Forces. I can't elaborate."

"I understand," I said.

"You want to steal it?" Malik said, reaching for her gun in her holster.

"Actually, no," I said. "I want to find out what it is first."

"Well, it involves surgery," Malik said. "Believe me, it hurts."

"Are you a biotic?" Aisha asked.

"No, but what I have is special," Malik said. "Anyway, if you need my help, here's my number."

"If you're rolling with us-"

"Purple, right?" Malik said. "I doubt I'll be able to find a suit…"

"Give my boys a few moments," Pierce said. "The outfit will be selling in Planet Saints in a day."

"Believe it or not, I already shop there," Malik said. "Do you guys know where I can crash for the night?"

"Well, in the morning, we'll be heading into a tunnel bound for New Marais," I said. "Shaundi, Ashley, you've got room, right?"

"Sure," Shaundi said. "You're bunking with Ashley."

"Fine by me," she said as Ashley walked her off. She then quickly turned around. "Oh, and don't try and fly that VTOL, it's coded to my biometrics."

"Fine," Gat huffed before she left and Kinzie came up. "Can you hack the VTOL?"

"I can," she said. "I won't, though. But we've got a problem. I need something to hack the pod. I can get it here, but…"

"You need help?" I asked. "What about Clank? He's an alien robot."

"I, unfortunately, cannot interface with the controls properly," Clank said. "That is why we need a soldering kit."

"I just need someone to cover me while I'm hacking doors, picking up supplies, f***ing with delivery orders," Kinzie said.

"How about Pierce?" I asked. "He's trying to acquire a few businesses, a few more Planet Saints… he'd cover you."

"Damn, right," Pierce said. "Don't worry, girl, I'll make sure you're safe."

"Alright," Kinzie said. "We'll work on it tomorrow morning."

"Boss," Kira said as he walked up to me. "Go to sleep. From what I've seen on Picus, you're going to need it."

"Except you took my bed, f***er," I said to him.

"There's a nice room directly underneath," Kira said. "It's all yours, I'm sharing with Pierce, Kaiden and, unfortunately, Angel."

"He's not that bad, is he?" I asked.

"He's turned our room into a gym," he said. "Also, sleeping up here is a _horrible_ idea, an assassin tried to snipe me yesterday."

"So that's what happened," I said. "Alright, then. Goodnight." I then went down to my own room and got into bed, trying to get some sleep.

* * *

><p>That was easier said than done. The first time I have gone asleep since coming here… I was back in that place… I violently shot up and looked out the window. My phone said it was only 4AM… I tried to get some more sleep… just two more hours…<p>

* * *

><p><strong>July 23, 5:30AM<strong>

* * *

><p>I just stood around in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee to keep me up as a sound of footsteps came about. "So, you're the Boss, right?" a voice asked. It was Gatomon, Kinzie's digimon partner. "You're up early."<p>

"I've just been having trouble sleeping, that's all," I said to her.

"Nightmares?" she asked me as she jumped up onto the counter. "Trust me, I know. Call it experience."

"So, what, do you expect me to tell you what my nightmare is?" I asked.

"It's a memory of when you were at your lowest," Gatomon said. "Since it has something to do with Cerberus, I expect it to do with you being trapped somewhere, maybe experimented on."

"You're mostly right," I said. "I'm trapped in a large room, crying after being subjected to surgery without anaesthetics, watching people go about in their daily lives. Banging furiously at the windows to get their attention, screaming for help… and everyone ignores me."

"I can't say I understand exactly why you hate the Syndicate, but if it involves stopping them from doing that again… you have my word that I'll help as much as I can," Gatomon said.

Damn… in going after the Syndicate, I didn't realise that… There are probably others that the Syndicate hurt… both from when they've hurt them directly or indirectly… My own vendetta… I just feel worse off now.

"Alright," I said, sternly. "At first, it was just the Syndicate, one operative. From here on out, I solemnly swear that I will fight against Cerberus and make sure that they shant hurt another soul, human or otherwise, ever again!"

"Here, here!" Gatomon replied.

"Preach the fine word, sister," I heard from a door away.

"Angel?" I asked.

"When biotics have nightmares, they tend to…" he said before trailing off. "We need a new window in our room."

"I'm willing to help," Kinzie said. "Since my brother was harmed by Cerberus, Mum and Dad have been worried sick."

"You know we're willing to go with you, Boss," Pierce said, coming in. "If it's personal or not, we'll back you, anytime." Only then did I notice Gat, Shaundi, Aisha, Laura and Tobias all walked in, Kira coming in from outside with a pair of binoculars and Zimos from the upstairs bar. "See? Not just you. It's Cerberus Vs. the Saints."

"And not just the Saints," Ashley said as she and Kaiden came in with Malik. Malik was wearing a purple jumpsuit and Kaiden wore a purple tank-top. Ashley was more surprising, however. She was reluctant to wear the team colours, but now she was wearing a few purple clothing and even a Fleur de Lis chain, however small it is. "NATO have been after the Illusive Man for years. If it means joining a gang to avenge our squad as well as taking out the most dangerous criminal in history… we're in."

"I'm going to get bullied into this, aren't I?" Elijah said, while he still sat outside. "F*** it, I'm in."

"I can't say anything in behalf of my friend," Clank said, walking in. "However, Cerberus is extremely dangerous. Even if Ratchet won't help you, I will help in as much a capacity as seen fit."

"And don't even think you can forget about us!" Naruto said, walking in with Hinata, Ino, Shikamaru and some kid with shabby hair, who I think is Kiba. "We're trying to save our friends, so we'll fight alongside the Saints!" All four of the others nodded in agreement.

"Alright, we'll f*** with intergalactic terrorists," I said. "What's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

><p>"You want me to ride <em>this<em>? !" I shouted at Angel. "Why does a subway have a goddamn loop-de-loop?"

"I didn't design it," Angel said.

"It's floating in mid-air," I said.

"Boss, I think it's cool," Gat said as he entered the train. "An anti-gravity train… we should patent it."

"Rule 95, if Cerberus created it, they must have a patent for it," Angel said as he and Kira boarded the train. "Are you coming?"

"Sure," I said, as Gat walked aboard. Just before I got on, however…

"Wait!" Manuela said as she ran over. "I just saw something on Picus TV. I have to find someone in New Marais, someone who can help me get into contact with my minder."

"Is it really that necessary to put yourself in danger?" I asked, as she climbed aboard.

"Unfortunately, yes," Manuela said. "Also, my blood has Rosalia antibodies and there's an outbreak in New Marais. I'm the cure, so they need me."

"I'm not happy about this," I said. "You can fight, can't you?"

"I can make enemies weaker and cause minor distractions," she said as she held up her arm. With a swift flick, a dark cloud enveloped the train and hung around Gat and Kira, before disappearing. "I can create spores on my arm."

"Well, as long as you can stay away from a fight, we're good," I said as I reluctantly got onto the train, which shot along an invisible path as I nervously sat down. "How does this train work, exactly?"

"It uses element zero to float as well as to create air torrents to propel itself through the air without using fuel," Angel said. "Also, there's a primitive perpetual power source on board to keep external power consumption to a minimum."

"How does it work?" Manuela asked.

"It uses an alloy of element zero and iron, which is only different when an electrical power source is applied, to create a dynamo system that constantly spins, creating power as well as keeping the dynamo spinning," Angel said.

"Well, you're quite a genius, aren't you?" Gat asked. "And how does this thing stay on course?"

"There are small lights along the cave system, right?" Angel said as Manuela went ahead to look. "Each one quickly communicates with each tram, telling them how to adjust their engines to avoid crashes."

"There are more of these?" I asked.

"Just go look ahead," Angel said. "The view is nice, too." Reluctantly, I walked to the front and sat down next to Manuela, who was looking outside.

"These caves are covered in crystals and gemstones," Manuela said as she sat down. "Diamond, ruby, sapphire… oh, emerald!"

"You know, purple doesn't really suit you," I said, looking at the passing gems. "You look better with white."

"I'm still going to help," Manuela said. "Either you or anyone I can. Wait, there's a large cavern up ahead."

The tram went into a large underground room, surrounded by glowing crystals and platforms. There were a variety of plant life down here, including tropical and vegetables. There was a large lake at the bottom of the cavern, even a few waterfalls, but they were mostly small except for the one at the beginning of the cavern. Pathways showed a facility down here that acted as a connection between our destination and our way back.

"We'll have to get onto another train when we get down," Angel said. "Unfortunately, I think that there are Militia down here."

"Militia?" Gat asked.

"One of the Cerberus operatives here in the South is a man named Joseph T. Bertrand III," Angel said. "After the aliens struck and most people in town turned out to be conduits, he led a few paranoid hicks and created a private army to take over the town. It's completely isolated, but there are members in other states who are performing terrorist attacks."

-* That's not all they're doing, *- Aisha said onto our radio. -* Public executions, hunting down rebels, parading the 'cowardly' police… they're a real piece of work. *-

"How the hell does the radio work?" I asked.

-* Kinzie was already down here with Angel, *- Aisha said. -*Anyway, you should be careful, the transmissions we have picked up shows that they'll shoot to kill, but they're looking for something down here. *-

"We should try and sneak up to them," Kira said. "Kinzie gave me a hack software and a few Nukes and Worms, so we're set for cracking. I've also got a gun if I need it."

"What type?" I asked.

"Shotgun," he said. "Okay, we're here. I'll stay back and cover Manuela."

"And we lead a full-on assault," I said, smiling. "Got it."

The tram pulled into the station as several men in orange and white outfits came out to the platform. The door opened, before I jumped out and sent a shockwave over to knock them into the air before I rolled behind cover. Gat slid out on his knees while shooting at them, causing them to crash down, limp. Angel climbed on top of the train and used his vantage point to cover us as we got closer to the stairs leading to their stronghold.

Giving a signal to Gat, he hurled himself up the stairs and aimed his SMG at the wall, taking out the Militia. I hurled myself over the wall and aimed carefully with a handgun as I snuck up in a crouched position to a wall and watched one Militiaman panicking with a gun. Carefully, I ran inside and punched him square in the face, knocking him out.

"That's all of them," Angel called as Manuela and Kira came out, running upwards towards us. "Are you alright?"

"We're fine," Kira said. "So, how the hell did Cerberus build this huge cavern, and what's with the pillars of gemstone keeping it stable?"

"Actually…" Angel began. "Except for the buildings… everything is how it was found."

"Bullshit," I said.

* * *

><p>"So, what do you need to open up that pod?" I asked Kinzie. I was sitting in the passenger's seat while Gatomon was in the back.<p>

"A few additional motherboards, a few processors, a soldering kit – we can get that at my old place – and a food mixer for Laura," Kinzie said.

"And catnip," Gatomon said. "Don't forget the catnip."

"Remember what happened last time?" Kinzie shouted as she made the turn. "Digitamamon won't let us _near_ his diner after what you did with that whisk."

"Do I-"

"No," she said as she pulled up and all of us got out. "As soon as I open the door, we'll be in trouble."

"Isn't Zimos better at fighting Deckers?" I asked.

"Yeah, but he's really busy right now," Kinzie said. "More of his catalogues got out and he's getting his girls out to work. In fact, Elijah should be coming right now." Just as she said that, a limo drove past, speeding around the corner. "I doubt that the customer knows who's driving. I'm in… and that's the alarm."

"Okay, we've got your back!" I said, drawing a gun. "Uh, oh…"

"What?" Kinzie asked.

"It's not the Deckers," Gatomon said. "It's the Morningstar!"

"I'll just be a sec," Kinzie called back as Gatomon ran up and kicked a Morningstar operative in the face, sending her a good 30 feet back while I shot at a few more pimps and got behind cover.

"How the hell did you do that?" I asked.

"I'm a lot stronger than you think," Gatomon said. "Aw, nuts, I broke a claw."

"I got the motherboards," Kinzie said as she ran out and we got back into the car and drove off. "Okay, one down, now to one of my favourite stores for the processors."

"Why did they send the Morningstar after us?" I asked.

"Maybe they thought that the Boss was involved," Gatomon said. "Hey, do you mind if we put on some music?"

"Sure," I said. "Do you have a preference?"

Kinzie and Gatomon just looked at each other before turning back to me. "Hardcore gangster rap," the both said in chorus.

"Seriously?"

"Okay, I'll be quick, hopefully I lost the Morningstar," Kinzie said as she got out of the car. I just stopped Gatomon before she got out. "Wait here, only get out if we're attacked."

"Ambush them?" Gatomon asked. "You are good!"

"I've learnt from experience," I said. "I don't think that the Morningstar would come after us here."

"You'd be surprised," Gatomon said. "When Kinzie gets those processors, we'll have a limited amount of time before the register pings the Deckers and lets them know what we're up to."

"How'd you meet Kinzie, anyway?" I asked.

"It's a thing we keep to ourselves," Gatomon said. "Here she comes!"

Kinzie opened the driver's car and threw the processors into the back, startling Gatomon who just barely moved out of the way before a processor hit her in the face. "Sorry," she said as she pulled away. "Now we're going to my place, but I expect an ambush there so we all have to rush inside."

"This is going to hurt," I said as she drove along. She then turned down a pier as I noticed a few people running about. "Oh, don't worry about these guys, they're only artists."

"I'm not pretending to be a plushie if the Decker digimon don't have to," Gatomon complained.

"No, we'll just pretend that you're our daughter in a costume," I said with a chuckle, before screaming in pain. "What was- She bit me!" I glared back at her as she flipped me off with her tongue out.

"Dear god, you're both adults!" Kinzie said as she pulled into a warehouse at the end of the pier and shot a luchador square in the face as she pulled up. "Grow up, you two!"

We climbed out of the car and kept behind cover as Gatomon got behind the luchadores while I distracted them, throwing an eezo grenade to take out their powers before Gatomon took them out with melee. Kinzie then ran back over to me and we headed towards the car. "I've got all we need to open up the pod, now we just need to get that mixer for Laura."

"So, we go to a cooking store?" Gatomon asked. "Maybe a whisk…"

"Oh, hell no," Kinzie said as she curved around the corner quickly. "Look, I'll be back in a minute, just don't fight, you two." She then ran into the store as we sat in silence.

"I can't believe you bit me…" I grumbled.

"What did you expect?" Gatomon asked. "You were taunting a cat with fangs! I could've scratched your face off if I wanted."

"Why are you wearing those damn gloves, anyway?" I asked.

"These aren't gloves," was the reply, before we went back to silence.

"What _did_ you do with that whisk?" I asked.

"A feel boss," she said.

"A… what?"

"You don't want to know."

"I've got the mixer," Kinzie said as she got into the car and put the mixer next to the processors. "So, what did you talk about?"

"What's a feel boss?" I asked. Kinzie immediately glared at Gatomon, before starting the engine.

"You _don't_ want to know."

* * *

><p>"So, Kinzie should be back in a minute," Shaundi said, sitting down in the penthouse. "We should get out of here before she gets really excited."<p>

"Are you certain about that?" Clank asked, before the elevator opened up. Kinzie ran down to the storage room with a few small boxes, muttering about 'playing around with actual alien technology' as she ran back and forth and took things from Pierce and Gatomon… before running back and placing a food mixer onto the counter in front of Laura. She then ran into the storage room, grabbing Clank as she went, talking excitedly in a mix of English and Japanese as she went.

"She'll be there for a _looong_ time," Gatomon said, sitting down next to Kiba, who was talking with Hinata and joined the conversation.

"Hey, Shaundi, can I ask for your help with something?" Malik asked as she and I walked over to her. "Ashley got some really juicy information about the Morningstar."

"Alright, spill," Shaundi said.

"There's an island a short distance away," Malik said. "It's where the Morningstar grow some of their drugs, they even grow opium!"

"Oh, I know what you're thinking," Shaundi said. "The Boss did the same thing 5 years ago."

"So, you're up to it?" I asked.

"Hell no, she got so f***ing high and I wouldn't dare try opium," Shaundi said. "If you get a gas-mask, I'll do it."

"So, you drive, she burns?" Malik asked. "You up for this, Ashley?"

"Of course," I said. "But I'm on the damn flamethrower."

* * *

><p>"What are they talking about?" Kiba asked, as I picked up the TV remote.<p>

"Setting fire to a nearby drug garden," I said, sitting back. "Damn, there isn't anything on except Brazilian Kids TV."

-* Clockwise! *-

"What about the news?" Kiba asked. "Try different channels, not just the US. In fact, is there a Japanese channel?"

"Actually, no," Gatomon said. "The only one that shows news about Japan is Picus, and it's exclusively in English."

"Wait, Picus is here in Steelport, right?" I asked. "Why don't we investigate it? Gatomon, have you ever tried to get into Picus TV?"

"No, not even the Deckers can get into Eliza-chan's network," Gatomon. "And that's through both standard hack and by digimon access."

"Digimon access?" I asked.

"Using a digimon to sneak into the system and connect around the security system," Gatomon said. "And if all of the decker digimon can't crack it. I don't like it…"

"Yeah…" I said, before sighing. "Kiba-san, do you want to come?"

"I don't speak English," Kiba said. "But… I can't just stay around here. Do you think the others will come with us?"

"Shikamaru's busy getting a rep on StarCraft," I said. "Naruto could come with us, but Ino's a definite no. She's busy with the weed."

"[Where are you going]?" Laura asked.

"[We're going to check something]," I said. "Gatomon, do you think Kinzie would need you?"

"She can call you, then," Gatomon said, running off.

"[Do you know where Naruto is]?" I asked.

"[Well…]"

* * *

><p>"Wow, these are really tasty," Naruto said, munching into a muffin. "These are absolutely great!"<p>

"Well, I'm selling these in a nearby café," I said, with a smile. "Don't eat all of them, you're only a taste tester since Tobias is busy."

"Yeah, I don't think anyone could…" Naruto said, before trailing off. "Anyone… Any… I don't feel…" Naruto then tried to walk away, before falling to the ground. I quickly ran over to help him and make him lie down on the couch, before looking at the food I gave him, sniffing at the food. Immediately, I ran to the counter and looked at the ingredients, before putting my hands to my mouth in shock.

"Hey, Laura, are those goods ready for delivery yet?" Aisha asked. "Is there a problem." She then turned around. "Oh, Laura, what happened to Naruto?"

"Oh… darn…" I said, slowly. "I used the wrong butter."

* * *

><p>"[You drugged him]?" I asked. "[Laura, you're better than this, how did you manage that]?"<p>

"[I used a different butter, it's too similar to my margarine]," Laura said. "[I was surprised as well]!"

"What happened?" Kiba asked,

"Laura made baked goods using a margarine made from marijuana," I said. "[Okay, we're just going to try something… we'll be back soon]. Come on, let's go."

* * *

><p>"This place… it has a dark history, but it's beautiful," Manuela said. "If we took this for the Saints… I'd spend a lot of time here, caring for the plants."<p>

"I take it you get along with Ino, then?" Kira asked as we crossed a bridge.

"Except for her growing drugs," Manuela said while trailing off. "Why are people so obsessed with something so destructive?"

"It's addictive," Gat said. "Enough people start taking it, they convince others it's the best thing in the world… It's a poison to society…"

"And yet you sell it?" Manuela asked.

"Yeah…" I said, guiltily. "Now that you mention it…"

"I guess that drugs ruined the life of someone you know?" Angel asked.

"…My dad was a dealer…" Manuela said. "Actually… he was a drug lord…"

"So… you've seen a drug war up close?" Gat asked.

"No, I've seen what he would do for power, money… me…" Manuela said. She then held up her shirt, showing off several dozen scars. "The thing I hate the most about my father was how many lives he destroyed to save mine…"

"I… I see it's hard for you…" Kira said.

"I'm sorry," Manuela said. "I'm getting in the way of the mission… It's just that…"

"If it helps, Laura only uses a really small amount," Gat said. "She cuts it with all kinds of spices from the kitchen. In fact, we've gotten people addicted to parsley." Manuela giggled at that. "Alright, then. Angel, how far away is it to the exit?"

"It's right over there, but there are quite a few guards," Angel said.

"I think I can help, but I have to sneak up to them…" Manuela said. She then went over towards a bridge and lowered herself underneath it, before we all got into position.

"What is she doing?" Gat asked.

"I don't know, but seeing as her blood is combustible…" Kira said as I looked outward to see what Manuela was doing. Getting into a safe place, her arm was surrounded by darkness which she sent at the guards, causing them to go into a blind panic, literally as they waved about blindly. Getting out from cover, we all opened fire and took out the guards before they could attack. "Nice work, Manuela. Anything else you can do?"

"I can cause my spores to combust remotely, but I don't want to hurt people…" Manuela said. "So, where does this lead in New Marais, anyway?"

"It leads into the swamp," Angel said. "After we get out, we may have to fight off the Militia in the swamp, but we should keep a low profile when we're actually in town. Then we can search for my contact."

"Who is this guy, anyway?" I asked.

"He's a professor, doctor and physicist who worked with the First Sons, a branch of Cerberus," Angel said. "Well, they weren't always a branch, they were a secret society that went back to Salem times…"

"Let's just hurry," I said. "I don't want to be out of Steelport for too long, I can't have Shikamaru having all the fun with that tank."

* * *

><p>"This is Picus?" Gatomon asked.<p>

"No, this is Fox News, but Eliza Cassan is somewhere in there," Ino said. "Look, there are lights on at the top of the building, right?"

"Yeah, you're right," Kiba said, standing next to us.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"They kept me under control, but I heard everything they said," Kiba said. "Whoever took us-"

"The Syndicate," Ino said.

"Right," Kiba said. "The Syndicate talked about how they were trying to control people to create these things called 'husks' to act as foot soldiers. Apparently, I was a prototype. But, hell… I have to admit one thing I'm glad of."

"What's that?" I asked.

"I got some sweet toys," he said, raising his arm up. Two sharp blades shot out of it, the blades forming a forked claw on his arm. We both screamed in shock. We both screamed in shock. "I like them. And they're great for an ambush. I can't wait until the Chuunin exams…"

"Wait until the Genin exams first," Gatomon said.

"Well, if you're going to fight with augments, you shouldn't flaunt them like that," a voice said from behind us. "If you're going after people with augments, however, be careful, they may have a lot of tricks up their sleeves."

"And you are?" Ino asked.

"Just a passerby," the man said, as he began to walk away. "Also, Shabby, if you can, get those removed. The reason the Deckers don't use augmentation is because rejection syndrome will cripple you."

"Rejection syndrome?" Kiba asked. "Yeah, come to mention it… they gave me these nanites for 'gene therapy'."

"If your augments start causing you searing pain, get Neuropozene," the man said, before walking off.

"I've never heard of neuropozene," Ino said as we all walked down the road. "Could it be found in a hospital?"

"Hold on," I said, before reaching for my phone. "Kinzie, it's Hinata-"

"[Excuse me, Miss… what is it… Hinata]?"

"[Clank, isn't it]?" I asked. "[Can you please put Kinzie on the line]?"

"[There are… complications…]" Clank said.

"[Is she still excited]?" I asked. "[Just tell her that Kiba was augmented and we may need something called 'neuropozene']."

"[I'll be right back]," Clank said. As Ino looked at me, I shrugged as Clank tried to talk to Kinzie, before a small amount of shouting could be heard.

"[Hello, Hinata]?" Kinzie asked. "What are Kiba's symptoms?"

"None, but someone who said he was augmented when he saw blades shoot out of Kiba's-"

"Is he coughing?" Kinzie asked. "Convulzing? Bleeding from the mouth?"

"No… we were just wondering…"

"Get back, now," Kinzie said. "If they augmented him… this is very serious. In fact… where are you? I think if I can locate any biochips…"

"We're outside of Picus TV," I said.

"Found you," she said. "I'll be able to track Kiba now. Also…" Kiba then jumped with shock. "I can communicate with him in his head. Don't let him know exactly what I did, I'll give you his number later."

"Later, then," I said, before hanging up. "We need to get back, now. Just in case your condition gets worse, Kiba-san."

"Fine, then," he said. "We should hitch a ride with Shika-san."

"He's not nearby," I said, before I heard a large explosion. "Oh dear god… he has the tank with him…"

* * *

><p>"Okay, the VTOL has a missile launcher with a remote controlled bomb," Malik said as we flew overhead. "Since we're inside, we shouldn't breathe in the smoke but… the gas masks are just to be safe."<p>

"Fine by me," Ashley said. "Just one question… why is it connected to a game controller?"

"Sorry, my friend added it on the fly and we couldn't get a decent control input," Malik said. "What console?"

"360," I said as she flew overhead.

"Use the left analog stick to control the actual aim, press up and down on the right to control zoom, although I wonder why you would," Malik said. "Use the Right Trigger to fire a missile and the Right Bumper to detonate it so that the phosphorus goes everywhere."

"There isn't anyone down there, is there?" I asked.

"No, don't worry Shaundi," Malik said to me. "They'll be out in about 30 minutes. Oh, and if you want to switch to SMG, that's the right trigger."

"Thanks," Ashley said as I started firing and she got some work done with the flamethrower. "So… how can you see?"

"I'm using a special device," Malik said. "Aim for the gas tanks. That will cause a big fire."

"How much do you think this will cost the syndicate?" Ashley asked.

"A lot," Malik said. "Believe it or not, there are a lot of people after Cerberus, including my boss."

"Who is your boss?"

"David Sarif," Malik asked, "head of Sarif Industries."

"The medical supplies company?" I asked, amazed. "God, it was a long time… Wait, are you…?"

"Augmented?" Malik asked. "Yeah, CASIE mod and a mod that works with the VTOL."

"What the f*** is a CASIE mod?" I asked.

"Computer Assisted Social Interaction Enhancer," Malik said. "Basically, I have a lie detector built into my head. So, who did you screw in SI?"

"Sarif, the old security chief," I said, "he retired, right? As well as this guy called Pritchard…"

"I… didn't think he had it in him," Malik laughed. "Okay, that's all the weed, change to homing missiles now. We're going after some boats."

* * *

><p>"The augmentations were severe, and the damage and nanites show that the syndicate have very powerful healers," Kinzie said. "Not only did you have those blades installed, but most of your skin was replaced with synthetic skin that allows you to take more damage, reinforced steel for bones in your arms… in fact, the only thing that's left is your torso and head, and they still played about with a lot of stuff."<p>

"Wait… what are you saying?" Kiba asked.

"Your eardrums, eyes, some of your teeth, jawline, parts of your skull, part of your spine… it's all artificial," Kinzie said. "In fact, by back-hacking the nanites, I've determined that they're rewriting your DNA to avert rejection syndrome so that the augments don't _kill_ you in the long run."

"Kiba-san…" Ino said, sympathetically.

"Well, this is bad," Shikamaru said. "Kiba-san, I know you're upset-"

"You don't know crap," Kiba replied. "You're not the one who only just found out that most of his body was cut off and replaced with wires and motors!"

"Yet you were perfectly happy with the retractable blades?" Naruto asked. "We can work with this-"

"Screw you!" Kiba shouted, before running off.

"Kiba?" I called as we ran out. "Oh no… he's going to do something drastic, isn't he?"

"You should go talk to him," Kinzie said. "I'll track his bio-chip. …Weird, he's moving quite fast…"

"He's a ninja, we're trained for speed," Shikamaru said. "Kiba, however, is much more of a speed fighter as well. Oh, [what about the lombax]?"

"[Ratchet]?" Clank asked. "It should be by the end of the day before we get him out of here."

"How did you…" Naruto asked, before pausing. "Oh… you downloaded Japanese translations…"

* * *

><p>"So, this is New Marais," I said, looking around the swamp then into town. "How do we get there?"<p>

"We could just take a boat," Gat said.

"Not an option," Kira said. "From what news does get out, from the refugees that do escape, we know a few things."

"Like what?" Manuela said, putting her feet into the water.

"Sentries that attack anyone trying to run, guard towers with large automatic machine guns and RPGs, random executions…" Kira said. "That's why we should keep a low profile."

"We should also be careful near the water," Angel said. "There are stories about monsters in the water that come into town and the swamps to attack and hunt people."

"Well, we should be fine," Gat said. "There are a few branches we can walk across in the water or climb in the trees."

"Something's wrong," Manuela said, taking her feet out of the water. "I can… feel something."

"If you can feel it, can you avoid it?" Kira asked.

"Whatever it is, it's asleep," she said as she walked off. "They're making a path into town. I can lead us there."

"Or lead us into a trap," Gat said.

"Someone is singing to them," Manuela said. "It's outside of human range."

"And you can tell…" I began, before she started singing.

"There was a friendly, but naïve king,  
>Who wed a very nasty Queen,<br>The King was loved but the Queen was feared.  
>Till one day, strolling in his court,<br>An arrow pierced the Kind King's heart,  
>He lost his life and his lady love."<p>

"Manuela, what was that?" Gat asked.

"That's the song that they're hearing," Manuela said. "I've never heard it before."

"I have," I said. "Manuela… that virus… is it the Veronica virus?"

"… How did you…"

"A couple of years ago, I was trapped on an island where that virus was created," I said. "That lullaby was sang by the virus' creator."

"Wait, we've got trouble," Angel said as we got behind cover. "There's a few Militia up ahead. We've got to be careful."

"Sure, we wouldn't want to piss off Ennis and Billy Bob," I quipped.

"Hey, Ennis," one of them said. "There's a boat in the distance."

"That's the one we have to look out for," the other said. "The one with the Electric Man."

"Electric man?" Manuela asked, quietly, before Angel silenced her.

"We have to stop McGrath and that NSA woman from getting here," the man said. "Let's move out, Billy Bob."

"Shit," Angel said. "Kuo… Boss, we _have_ to stop them."

"Why?" she said. "This is our chance."

"Agent Kuo is a friend of mine," Angel said. "I'd be dead without her. Also, she's the only one who can find our specialist."

"Well, that's a good argument," I said. "Get around them, I'll provide a distraction." Gat and Kira got into the tree and walked along the branches as Manuela got into the water and swam around, occasionally going under as Angel got behind a generator. I calmly walked up to the guards who aimed their guns at me. "Looking for a good time, boys?" I asked, before flashing them.

"Whoa," they both said as the others got ready to take out the four guards. "She's got bigger tits than my sister!"

"What is _wrong_ with you?" the other said, before all of them were attacked. Gat and Kira dropped down and choked two of them. Angel grabbed one of them from behind a log and held him down while cutting off his breathing. And Manuela…

Surprisingly, she jumped out of the water and kicked one guard with a sweep, bringing her leg over her head then into the guard's neck. Another came at her, which Manuela blocked by rolling backwards, putting her feet onto her attacker's torso and throwing him face-first into a tree, knocking him out.

"Okay, let's go," I said, drop-kicking a guard who was just about to wake up. "You didn't hold him properly, Kira."

"Damn."

* * *

><p>"Why would Kiba-san run into a warehouse?" I asked, as we stood outside.<p>

"I don't know," Naruto asked. "Let me get more of that space cake and ask me again."

"What was that like?" Shikamaru asked.

"Oh, I saw the most fantastical images," Naruto said, smiling like an idiot. "I could taste colours and smell happiness. Then it got _really_ freaky…"

"Well, this will be fun," Ino said, just as my phone began to ring. "As long as there isn't anything dangerous like black magic."

"Ino-chan, don't be ridiculous," I said, before answering the phone. "[Hello]?"

"[Hey, Hinata Girl]," Zimos said. "[I just got word from the ACWP]."

"[The what]?" I asked.

"[The American Conference of Wizarding Pimps]," he said, as I snickered. "[I just heard that there's a warehouse used by dark wizards. Stay away from it]."

"[Wait, what warehouse]?" I asked, before Zimos gave me the address. "[Kiba just went in there]!"

"[Just wait there, and don't move]," Zimos said, before a dark fog whirred around us.

"[I don't think that's an option]," I muttered as we walked backward.

"[Okay, listen]," Zimos said, without his Auto-Tune. "[Try and stay calm and ignore the voices you hear. If you lose control of your suppressed selves…]"

"[Okay]," I said, before hanging out. "Guys, Zimos said we should stick together…" But they were already gone. I had no idea what was going on, but I was in a foggy area. I had trouble seeing where I was. I tried to call Zimos again, but… there was no signal…

It was only a few seconds later that I heard a lot of muttering. I tried to ignore it as I walked along… trying to find someone else. Slowly, the fog seemed to clear… but…

It was the Hyuuga residence, a perfect replica. Well, except that it was devoid of colours. "It's just a replica," I said, walking along, hopefully to the exit. "This is powerful dark magic, it isn't real."

_Hinata is a failure to the clan_, an older female voice said as I kept walking. _She can't perfect the Jyuuken, she isn't the top of the class, how can she lead us?_

"Ah," I said as I kept walking. "I get it… this is a form of torture. Play on someone's fears and insecurities…"

_She takes too much from her mother,_ a similarly aged, male voice said. _It's good that she died. Then she won't taint Hanabi-san with her 'kindness'._ I stopped dead when I heard this. _It was wise for Hinata-baka to be forbidden from mentioning her mother._

"What?" I growled.

_Hinata-chan_, a voice said. It was Nanako-chan, the branch member who acted as my hand maid. She was like… like a mother to me ever since… _Your father, the elders expects too much from you. You're only a small child who is still learning._ But I wasn't a young girl anymore. I was close to taking the Genin exam… I should've… I should've fought back…

"No, this isn't real," I said, walking along. "This is completely fake."

"Of course it is," a voice said, causing me to whip around. "This world twists and turns based on whoever is trapped here." As I got a good look through the fog I saw… a large teddy bear?

"Who are you?" I asked, confused. "What… are you?"

"I'm Teddie," the bear said. "Who are you?"

"Oh," I said, before bowing. "My name is Hyuuga Hinata. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"I guess this is your world, right?" Teddie asked. "When someone is trapped here, the environment changes. For example, a popstar who was trapped here had a world based on a strip club because she was afraid people would want her to be more risqué."

"…" I was momentarily quiet. "This is my ancestral family home. Everyone in my clan lives here, from the main family to the very reaches of the branch family. But…"

"You don't particularly care about them, do you?" Teddie asked. I was silent once more.

"They're constantly telling me how to act, how to walk, how to talk, criticizing every little mistake…" I trailed off. "I… I…"

"**I absolutely despise every last one of them!**" a voice said from behind, causing us both to look at it. "**What do they know? A stupid eye mutation? A goddamned martial art? And they **_**honestly**_** think that they're the best thing since sliced bread? What a load of crap!**"

"Oh, I messed up," Teddie said. "You've lost control of your emotions…"

"**What does that old fool know, anyway?**" the other voice said, turning into a form that looked just like me… but her eyes were glowing yellow. "**All he's ever bitched about was how I'm supposed to me 'the Paragon of the Village', 'the best ninja in Kohona', yet he keeps undermining me because he hates how soft I am. How could he call himself my father?**"

"Wait… this is… you're…"

"Don't deny it," Teddie said, panicking. "Shadows always tell the truth, but they twist the wording about to make it sound like ranting."

"'**The pride of the Fire Nation', 'the best warriors in the world', what a bunch of bullshit!**"

"How… how dare you…?"

"**He keeps treating Neji like the son he should've had,**" the shadow shouted. "**Yet he also treats him like a servant, an attack dog. Pick how you're going to treat the bastard, Hiashi!**"

"Shut up…"

"**Oh, did I hit a nerve?**" the shadow asked. "**Oh, just because I pity Neji due to how his dad was executed in place of my own father due to being the younger, **_**expendable**_** twin, and I've been **_**strictly**_** forbidden from telling anyone, especially Neji, about the truth.**"

"I didn't have a-"

"**YES YOU DID!**" the shadow screamed. "**You've had 10 years to tell him, but you've let him hate you since **_**you're the reason his dad's dead**_**!**"

"No!" I shouted. "Shut up! SHUT UP!"

"Hina-chan, stay calm!" Teddie shouted.

"**Yet you also won't tell him about the circumstances of his heritage,**" the shadow said. "**You think you're so pure when you won't tell your own brother about his mother being f***ed by your dad under the orders of the elders! But don't worry, I'll make sure to tell him. He'll never know otherwise. He won't be able to tell the difference between us. We're still the same person, right?**"

"No!" I lashed out. "We're not the same person! And you want to know why?"

"Hinata, don't!"

"Because you're _not me_!" I shouted.

Darkness shot past me towards the shadow, who was now laughing insanely. "Hinata, get behind me!" Teddie shouted, getting in front of me.

"**Hahahaha… finally! I can be my own person… Haaugh!**" the shadow turned into a dark mist as I felt my legs give way. I could do nothing else except… except…

"AAAAGH!"


	38. OL6: Danger Zone

I fainted when the fog set in after we got trapped by that dark magic. I didn't understand why, but I was now in a large dojo. Looking around, I steadily stood on my feet while drawing a kunai.

"You're safe in here," a woman said from behind me. Turning, I saw her standing by the doorway. "Your friend, however, isn't so lucky."

"Then where are they?" I asked, as she raised her hand.

"Time has currently stopped," she said. "I need to talk to you about something. If you want to save your friend, you're going to need to tap into a forbidden power. That's why I was pulled here."

"What kind of power is this?" I asked, nervously.

"I won't lie to you," the woman said. "It can bring either salvation or destruction at the whim of the user. Either the power of an angel who protects those you care about… or a demon who will strike down his foes. But there is a promise that must be kept. You have to sign a simple contract."

"I give you the right to my immortal soul, right?" I quipped, as a piece of paper appeared before me. _I, _, hereby swear that all decisions and choices I make are my own responsibility and I will accept the consequences._ "This seems… quite simple…"

"Both my master and I are tasked with helping those with the potential to use great power," the woman said. "You still have the power, but if you wish to use it to its fullest…"

"Got a pen?" I asked, before one appeared in front of me. I then placed my name on the paper. "So, it's done, then," I said. "I, Naru Shikamaru, hereby solemnly swear that all decisions and choices I make are my own responsibility and I will accept the . How troublesome."

"By accepting your own responsibility, you will allow your own power to grow," the woman said. "Now go. Your friend needs you." I then ran towards the door, thinking, _which of them is it? Kiba? Ino? Hinata?_ "One more thing," the woman said, before handing me a key. "You'll need this. And my name is Margeret."

"Thanks, Margeret," I said, before running out of the dojo.

"AAAAGH!" Wait…

"Hinata-chan!" I shouted, running towards the scream, leaping over the roof as I ran to help her.

* * *

><p><strong>Operation Louisiana 6: Danger Zone<strong>

* * *

><p>When she got into view, I gripped the kunai and threw it at the monster, then got near Hinata and… a bear?<p>

"Hinata, are you okay?" I asked.

"She's delirious," the bear said. "She's lost control of her emotions. Now they've formed into a Shadow."

"**I am a Shadow,**" the monster shouted, "**the true self! And you think you can protect someone who can't protect oneself?**"

"Shut it," I told it. "I'm not here for you. Hinata, just hold on…"

"She can't hear you," the bear said. "She's trapped in an illusion."

"**If you want to protect her, let's see what you've got!**" the monster said, in a bastardised version of Hinata's voice as I picked Hinata up and got her away from the monster. _I am thou_, a voice said in my head, causing me to grip it. _Thou art I_…

"What the hell…" I muttered, before I dodged a fireball aimed at my face. _From the sea of thy soul, I cometh… it is time to awaken…_ I then looked down at my hand, which had some sort of card on it. Turning the card over, I saw it was blank, but started glowing into a silhouette.

"Call your Persona, now!" the bear said, causing a card to form overhead. "Like this! Bear-sona!" He struck the card with a claw that seemed to shoot out of his hands, before some sort of spirit appeared and threw an ice block at its leg, tripping it up. "Do it, now!"

"P…" I started, feeling something swell in me. "…er…" It was growing. "…so…" It wanted out. "…NA!"

Well, this was troublesome. The card was now burning in my hand, then flowing upward. Attaching a kunai to a wire then throwing my card outward, I swung the kunai before shooting it forward and pulling it back, before the power that the card locked away shot outward. I screamed to let out the tension as a large, black-winged bird appeared, occasionally sending off sparks of electricity. _From the sea of thy soul, I cometh! The beats of thy wings call lightning! I am Thunderbird,__ Kw-Uhnx-Wa!_

"**Oh, you think some songbird is going to help you?**" the shadow said, before jumping back. "**Agi!**" The fireball struck me, but it didn't hurt nearly so bad.

_This being uses fire magic_, Thunderbird said inside my head. _The bear uses ice magic. The monster is weak towards ice, especially on the back._ "Hey, bear!"

"My name's Teddie," the bear responded.

"Use ice spells on its back," I ordered, rolling out of the way of an attack. "Thunderbird, what can you do?" _My powers include Agi, Zio and Thunderous Clap._ "I have no…" _Fire, electricity and a powerful throw. Also, be wary of Bufu, it hurts us more to be struck by it._

"Bufu!" Teddie shouted, as his Persona struck the monster on the back, causing it to go limp. "Let's go for a bear-pile!" _Don't, it will counter!_

"It's waiting to counter if you do," I ordered, as Thunderbird flew forward. Grabbing the Shadow in its claws, it flew upward and soared, before diving down, releasing the shadow just before it collided and flew over besides me. _It's too stunned to counter. Attack it with all of your conviction!_ "It's safe to attack it now!"

"Grr!" We both dog-piled it and attacked it with whatever we could, before we were pushed away. _It's on its last leg. Defeat it now!_

"**Paradigm Shift,**" the creature shouted, causing the ice spell to bounce off. _It's changed its weakness to electricity and its strength to ice._

"Thunderbird, shock her!" I ordered, causing the electricity on its wings to build up before discharging them, causing the monster to scream in pain.

"**Damn you!**" the monster shouted, before exploding into darkness, turning into a copy of Hinata. That was the first thing that went into my head. I didn't notice Thunderbird disappearing as I ran over to Hinata and helped her up.

"Oh… Shika… what…" She then turned her head, looking at her Shadow. "You're… you're not…"

"What the hell is that thing?" I asked.

"I guess you're one of the ones that don't have to face their shadows to use a Persona," Teddie said. "Hina-chan, that's your Shadow. It's everything you hate about yourself… but you don't want to acknowledge."

"He's right," I said. "I didn't face my shadow… but it would probably say that I'm a lazy bastard. Everyone has a side we don't want to admit. Naruto, Ino, even Kiba. I bet that Jack would completely freak out, actually."

"Yeah…" Hinata said, close to tears. "You're right… she's right… there are things I want to say… no, _have_ to say… but I didn't because doing so would make me out as more of a failure in the eyes of my clan."

"What did it say?" I asked.

"It said that…" Hinata started. "She said that I had to tell Neji that… he's my half-brother… his mother slept with my father under the orders of the elders of our clan. He's the rightful heir of the clan… but when she died and his father thought it was his son… he was denounced as a bastard."

"Hinata, you need to tell this to Neji," I said. "Even if you'll be punished by your clan, there are people who will protect you."

"Thanks," Hinata said, before turning to her Shadow. "I think I get it now. That hatred for the clan… it's because the clan has dictated my entire life but… never cared about me, just clan traditions…" Hinata then walked forward and hugged her Shadow, as tears streamed down her face. "I'm sorry for ignoring you for this long. All these years, I've put the clan first, but never you. We've got a lot to catch up on. You are me, after all."

The Shadow's eyes went wide as a light blue light bathed the two. The Shadow faded away as a woman wearing thick armour over her body, wielding a spear and wearing a headdress, with plant life over her body. "Lenusia," Hinata said, with a smile. "This… is me. This is my Persona." Lenusia faded away as a card appeared, falling towards her. "Shikamaru-san… thank you." She then collapsed to the ground.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said, as she stood up. "Just a bit tired."

"You should go back to your world," Teddie said.

"What? No!" Hinata said. "We have friends around here. We have to find them-"

"Which is going to be difficult if we don't get help and you're exhausted," Teddie said. "More Shadows will attack you to keep you from interfering between the others getting attacked by their Shadows. Don't worry, come back tomorrow and I'll be sure to tell you where everyone else is."

"I already know," I said. "Naruto is in that direction," I said, pointing in one way, "Ino is that way and Kiba is that way."

"How can you do that?" Hinata asked. "My byakugan failed here."

"It's a magic fog, you can't use jutsus in here," Teddie said.

"Come to think about it, I do feel weaker in here," I said. "I think I know where they are… because of Thunderbird, my own Persona." _You are entirely correct._ "Are you sure you're my Persona? Because you seem like a pain in the ass." _What does that say about you?_ "Hey, I'm not a pain in the ass! …Am I?" Hinata was now laughing at me. "Well, at least you're feeling better."

"Just go back and rest until tomorrow," Teddie said, before a large stack of TVs appeared. "If you ever need to come back, jump in through a television set, but make sure it's the same one every time, or you'll get lost."

"Thanks," I said. "But… how do we go back through?"

"Your Personae should tell you where to go," Teddie said. "Don't worry, I can go back through one portal and get some friends to help us."

"Thank you, Teddie," Hinata said, as we climbed through the screen, shooting through a portal, before…

"Aagh!" We heard a scream. "[Hinata, Shikamaru… how did you do that]?"

"[Hello, Aisha]," I said. "[Um… do you know where Zimos is]?"

"[I'm right here]," he said. "[What the hell happened]?"

"[That's what we wanted to talk to you about]," Hinata said.

* * *

><p>"There's a boat coming in," Manuela said as we all walked over. "Wait, there are people getting out."<p>

"Two of them are conduits," Angel said. "There's one more on the boat… no, maybe a few more… they've got a biotic with them. It's messing with my readings."

"Well, we should meet up ahead," Gat said.

"Something's wrong," Manuela said, taking her feet out of the water. "The singing's stopped. They're waking up."

"Stay away from the water," I ordered. "There's an encampment up ahead, how do we get there?"

"I could throw you," Angel said. "Cushion your fall with biotics, or cause a power blast."

"Wait, there are people there," Manuela said. "We don't need to hurt them."

"Throw me over," I said, as Angel lifted me and threw me over towards the camp, kicking a militia man in the process and picking up two handguns, just as several guns were aimed at me. Well, thank god for biotic shielding. "I saw a weird show that reminds me of this… what was that saying? Oh yes…" I then struck a pose, arms crossed over while aiming. "Murder Time! Fun Time!"

* * *

><p>"Cole," Zeke said as he pointed at a large explosion. "What the hell is that?"<p>

"I have no idea," I said. "Whoever it is, they're throwing around the Militia."

"Looks like that weird thing that Liara can do," Nate said, flowing through the air while trying to get a look. "Hey, have any of you played Devil May Cry?"

"Why?" I asked.

"The attacker just did an air barrage," Nate said. "Spinning while shooting downward."

"Do you think you could do it?" Zeke asked, as we went over and looked a watch platform.

"Hell, no," Nate said.

"Guys, something else killed these guys," I said. "See? They've had pieces bitten off…"

"So, you think it was gators?" Nate said.

"Nope," Zeke said. "Gators tear off flesh by twisting. This was a clean cut, but dishevelled. I'd be careful."

"You think this is like Florida?" I asked.

-* What's like Florida? *- Elena asked.

"A year ago, there were some really weird deaths, linked to missing people and monsters appearing in Miami," Zeke explained. "God, that was the best trip to Disneyland…"

-* Do I want to know? *-

"No, Liara, you don't," I said, before pointing at the water. "Look, there's something in the water…" We saw a snake slither out of the water, looking for food, before a monster shot out, grabbing it and pulling it underwater, with a splash of red quickly shooting out. Zeke and I both looked at each other, before shrugging.

"Corrupted."

-* Do you want me to get you across the water? *- Chloe called on the radio. -* I'll be there in less than a minute. *-

"Will you cheat in our next sparring match?" I asked.

-* It was _one_ time, *- she complained. -* It's like how you shocked me when you said you wouldn't, you sore loser. *-

"I can handle it," I said. "I can send a bolt to lower the bridge."

"I don't think a normal bolt would cut it," Nate said, before I grinned at him. "Oh, right." I sent a single spark over towards the power generator and bridge control, before controlling the electricity and expanding it remotely. "That's it, no more using blast-cores in large bundles."

"Hey, since we've got somewhere with an internet connection, you want to check with the others in England?"

"Ezio, Lizzie and Raph?" I asked. "Yeah, wonder what they're doing?"

"Probably fighting a dragon and saving a maiden," Zeke said. "Who do you think is the maiden?"

"Probably Hermione," Nate said as the bridge began to lower. "There's no way Liz would allow herself to be a maiden and need rescuing. I just hope nothing bad happens…"

"Like what?" Zeke asked. "Raphael turning into a demon? Although with a name like that, it would be kinda funny…"

"Why did you think of that?" Nate asked, while looking funny at Zeke.

"The bridge is ready," I said as we ran across. "If there was a large tree, I'd blow it up."

"That wouldn't work," Zeke said as he took out a combustor and shot a militia man before he could sneak attack the woman, before she turned around, apparently appalled.

"What the f***?" she asked. "I totally had it."

"No you…" Nate said, before he noticed the gun she had aimed behind her. "I guess you did. Might as well help."

"So, who are you?" Jack asked, as we all walked forward.

"Zeke Dunbar," he said. "This is Nathan Drake and Cole McGrath."

"They were trying to stop you for some reason," the woman said. "Don't know why."

"Well, seeing as the Militia were gunning for me before…" I said, walking forward. "So, who are you?"

"Not important," she said. "Look, there are other guard towers around here, and I got to get back to my friends. So, if you want to get your friends here, take those out."

"Got it," Nate said as he got up into a tree and looked around with a pair of binoculars. "There are about three of them… we should hurry, it seems there's a boat sentry."

"Another one?" Zeke complained as we all ran off.

* * *

><p>"Damn, girl," Zimos sang as Hinata had her Persona summoned. "I've never seen a Persona before. So what was it like? Facing your Shadow?"<p>

"Terrifying," she chuckled. "But the others are in there… they're possibly going through the same."

"We'll save them tomorrow," Shikamaru said. "Teddie said we were drained when we awakened."

"So, what's your Persona called?" Gatomon asked.

"Lenusia," Hinata said.

"A female version of the Celtic God of War and Medicine, similar to the Roman god Mars or the Greed god Ares," Kinzie said. "I looked it up on my computer."

"You're not even near your computer," Clank pointed out, before Kinzie smacked him with a tablet. "I asked a stupid question, didn't I?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Aisha said.

"Don't you mean Kratos?" Kaiden asked, getting a slap from Ashley.

"Hey, Shikamaru has one as well," Hinata said, as everyone turned to me.

"Guys, I don't think it would fit in here," Shikamaru said. "It's pretty large."

"I doubt it," he said, before I summoned my card.

"Alright, then," I said, getting my kunai ready. "Thunderbird!" I then called forth the large bird, who immediately tried to prevent itself from brushing against the walls.

"Well, better in here than out," Zimos said. "Native American mythological creatures that have the power to cause lightning strikes and are large enough to lift away giants."

"How big is a giant?" Laura asked, as she took out a tray of baked goods and finished wrapping up another set in small plastic packages.

"Roughly 20 feet, and dumber than an inbred hick with autism," Zimos asked, before being smacked by Ashley. "What was that for?"

"Not only does my sibling live with a mental handicap," Ashley said, "but so does the author!"

"Really?" Laura asked. [A/N: Yup.]

"That would explain why the first few chapters were shit," Kaiden said. [A/N: HEY! ! DO YOU WHAT A HIT IN THE BALLS! ? !]

"Hold on, Zimos, you need to be tested, I think you have Chlamydia," I said.

"Oh, don't worry," Zimos sang. "A simple potion will clear that up."

"Wait," Shikamaru said, before looking at Hinata. "Hinata… that voice you said you were hearing… can you force it to interact with your Persona?"

"Dear god, that sounds so stupid…" Hinata said.

"People summoning monsters based around their whole psychological profile, monsters appearing around town, monsters born from _computer code_," Clank said. "This is a _strange_ little planet."

"Well, there's only one thing about it," Tobias said, holding up a beer bottle. "Blame it on magic."

Hinata, standing still, allowed it to happen, causing Laura and Tobias to watch as her Persona shifted.

"No way…" Laura said.

"F*** me," Tobias said.

* * *

><p>"So, those are your friends," I said as we ran over. "All 18 of the guard towers are out, so-"<p>

"No way," a guy with sunglasses said. "Zeke?"

"Johnny?" Zeke said before the two ran up and hugged each other.

"You know him?" Nate asked.

"Cole McGrath, Nathan Drake, meet Johnny Gat," Zeke said.

"Wait, the Saint?" I asked. "You're friends with _Johnny Gat_?"

"From high school," Zeke said. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, the Saints are after some nasty people, and we're starting with their fronts, as well as looking for some help here," Gat said.

"Who are you after?" I said, taking out a bottle of water and drinking it.

"Ever heard of a group called Cerberus?" the bald, tattooed woman said, causing me to spit up my drink.

"You're going after _them_?" I asked. "What did you do to piss you off?"

"You want to know?" the woman asked. "Maybe I'll tell you."

"Don't tell me she's the Boss," Zeke asked, before being hit in the shoulder.

"Yep," Gat said, looking around. "So, what are you doing here?"

"We're after the head of the Militia for war crimes as well as for an association with terrorism," Cole said. "Also, we're looking for a guy called Wolfe."

"Sebastian Wolfe?" Angel asked.

"Wait," I asked, horrified. "You're taking me to meet my _stepdad_?"

"Perhaps I should've been more open about this," Angel said, worried.

"What the hell are you doing here, Angel?" a woman asked, in a bizarre sleeveless outfit, wearing blue eyeliner and some heavy mascara. "I thought you were supposed to be in hiding from the Luchadores?"

"Someone put it on a computer," Angel said.

"Goddamn it," the woman said. "The Deckers… I told them not to… so, why are you after Wolfe?"

"We're taking down the Syndicate," Angel said. "We need a specialist who can explain Killbane's secret, and he's our guy."

"Wait…" I said. "Angel de la Muerte? The wrestler? And… what's this about Killbane…?"

"He's a conduit and former First Son," I said. "Also, he has a really dark secret."

"I f***ing knew it," Zeke said. "He's probably used his powers during his matches!"

"So did I," Angel said.

"We've got trouble," some Japanese guy shouted as he started shooting into the water as the girl ran backward. A monster then jumped out before being blasted back in.

"Called it," we said, before joining the fight as the boat pulled up.

"We'll need a lot of help with this!" Zeke shouted back as everyone got out. Chloe stayed on board but shot about with an assault rifle with Sully, who was also shooting tequila. Elena was on the ground with a knife, flashing in place while cutting down more monsters.

"So, Angel, you ready for some fun?" Kuo asked, as Angel grinned at her.

"You've just recently awakened," Angel said. "Are you up to this?"

"Hell yeah," she said, before putting her feet on his cupped arms and was quickly thrown into the air. Several ice crystals formed above before quickly shooting down towards the ground, impaling several of the monsters.

It seems that some of our alien friends were getting involved. Oh, perhaps I should explain that.

* * *

><p>When we were sailing down the US coast on our way to New Marais (We couldn't get a plane as all the airspace was closed and there was nowhere to land it), and after we set sail from Empire… it's still hard to think about… we ran into an alien ship that had crashed in the ocean. Liara and Tali were apparently from this galaxy (Zeke was raving about how he knew the government were hiding the truth about aliens and Sully had to be restrained because he got <em>really<em> interested in… galactic relations) and Angela was from a different galaxy altogether. And things got weird on the way down.

Liara T'Soni was a species called the asari, which meant she was from a species that could breed with anyone via telepathy (as in, a real-life blue-skinned space babe) as well as a natural with something called biotics, which allows them to control the flow of gravity as well as cancel the flow of ray fields, rendering a conduit's powers mute. We discovered that the hard way, since Nate didn't heal nearly as fast, Elena was causing random paradoxes and… well, we had a lot of fish, that's what I can say.

"Wait, biotics?" Zeke said, the first time she mentioned it, about three days after we picked her up. "Ezio and Lamar both said that I showed up as a possible biotic under Shadow Eyes."

"Shadow Eyes?" Liara asked.

"It's a Conduit power, commonly found in mentalists," I explained. "It allows them to see things that normally can't be seen but cuts down their field of vision significantly."

Tali'Zorah, however, was definitely stranger. As a quarian, she was from a species that were kicked off their world and forced to travel the galaxy in some large fleet called the 'Flotilla'. They've been forced to wear environmental suits since 300 years of living (earth years are surprisingly close to galactic years, down to the day we add for leap years) in a sterile environment has destroyed their immune systems, and they're also heavily discriminated against due to unleashing robots called the geth on the galaxy.

However, she was quite shy, actually. She mostly stayed down below but slowly connected to Zeke, helping him with a few projects, including my new amp as well as a gun mod for Chloe. Don't know what it was, though.

"So, Tali," Zeke said, a week into our trip. "That's a nice name."

"Thanks," Tali said.

"How do quarian naming conventions work?"

"It's quite simple, really," Tali said. "Our given name, in my case it's Tali, is combined with our family name, for me it's Zorah, and separated by a simple small dash between them. That gives the personal name, Tali'Zorah. Then we have two additional names, where we were born, which is often the garden ship where we're raised, such as the Rayya for me, but is proceeded by the symbol 'nar'."

"So, you're full name is Tali'Zorah nar Rayya?" Zeke asked.

"Yes," Tali replied.

"You said you get two more names," Zeke said.

"I'm still on pilgrimage," Tali said. "When I complete my pilgrimage by taking something back to the flotilla to convince a ship's captain to take me on, either a skill or item, maybe a ship, whatever will help my people, then I take on the name of the ship I'm serving on, preceeded by the character 'vas'. Only minors use the birth ship name, adults use their current ship name."

"And since this boat, or ship, is the 'Rising Dawn'," Zeke said.

"Tali'Zorah vas Rising Dawn," Tali said, before breaking into giggles.

Angela was… well, we found a file about her, recently, back in Belfast. When we showed it to her, she started panicking badly, before we calmed her down, before showing her a few more files, getting her opinions about them.

"Ratchet and Clank… they're good friends, but I haven't seen them for a while," Angela said. "In fact, I'm here looking for them. They were captured by the drophyds and were on their way to the Polaris galaxy, but something caused them to detour here."

"We think it was may be related to conduits," Sully told her. "Some weapon that awakens conduit powers."

"Well, we're definitely gunning for them," Cole said. "Whatever they want here, they were willing to kill around 2 billion people for it."

"Well, you saw my report… and here's Apollo's," Angela said. "He's smart, but can be immature. He's a qualified diagnostician and surgeon, but sticks to diagnosis because it's easier. Although… you did mention that conduits have unusual powers…"

"Teleportation?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah," Angela said. "How did you…" She then got a serious, disapproving look on his face. "Oh. What did he do?"

"Stalked someone we knew for the original of these files, traded with us for a lot of blast cores and blew up an evil wizard," Elena said before Angela, Liara, Tali, Kuo as well as the reporter Chloe met up with, started chuckling, before we all looked at her.

"We wouldn't believe that a few weeks ago, either," Elena said.

"…You're serious…" Liara said, eyes wide. "You mean that… magic exists on this planet?"

"We were just as shocked as you," Nate pointed out. "Especially since a dark wizard just appeared behind Zeke and would've killed him if it wasn't for a younger wizard disabling him in the nick of time."

"And this last record…" Angela said, looking at the copy. "I know who this is. Azimuth. He's a rebel fighter who goes after drophyd forces and those who serve Tachyon."

"One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist," the reporter said. "Local proverb."

"Well, Tachyon is a ruthless bastard," Angela said. "He turned a _planet_ into a prison. That's extreme. Anyway, Azimuth and I met once but it wasn't under the best circumstances."

"Did it involve a paternity test?" I asked.

"No, he isn't my father," Angela said.

And then there was the reporter, who didn't say much about herself, but was desperate to get to New Marais. She mostly wore practical clothing, jeans, sneakers, a vest, jacket, and carried a bo-staff, and outfitted herself in green. I guess to fit her name… Jade.

We were still fighting when Liara and the Saint's boss got near to each other. Liara trapped a monster in a biotic field before the boss attacked it with a shockwave attack.

"You're a biotic," Liara said as they got back to back.

"Yeah, and you're an asari, but I can hide the fact that I'm strange," the boss said, before launching a monster away past me, causing me to unwillingly shoot out electricity that severely hurt a monster.

"Hey, watch it!" I shouted. "Some of us are allergic to biotics!"

"Got it," she said, while moving away.

"Johnny Gat?" Jade asked, as she dodged two monster's claws. "My name is Jade, I'm a freelance journalist. I would like to- hold on…" she then jumped upwards and landed with her feet on the heads of the monsters, before taking out her Bo-staff and jumped up, letting the monsters collide before shooting downward, knocking the monsters out. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I would like to ask about your opinions about how Aisha faked her death and married you in secret?"

"No comment," Gat said, knocking a monster away. "Manuela, how many more of these are there?"

"There's not that many," the girl said as she tried to dodge attacks, staying low to do so. Smart girl. She also emitted some darkness from her right arm and hit several monsters with it, causing them to attack blindly. "Look out!"

"Got it," Tali said, rolling out of the way as one monster ran forward. "What else can you do?" Tali asked. As she asked that, the darkness turned into fire, causing the monsters to scream in pain before dropping dead.

Soon, they were all dead, and we regrouped. There was some quick introduction of everyone, then Sully went and put one monster up to a tree to get a look at it.

"What the hell?" Sully said, taking a look at the monster. "Cole, Zeke, you said that these were Corrupted? You mean corrupted _humans_?"

"Yeah," Zeke said. "Over in Miami, a conduit was creating monsters from kidnapped people and sending them after people around there and Orlando."

"And you said that these things were in Disneyland?"

"Yeah, I remember looking over that file when I transferred to Nexus," Kuo said. "That big monster that was converting people, but wasn't itself a conduit."

"We never found out who it was," I said. "Whoever it was must be here, creating more monsters. Hope we stop him this time."

"What's Disneyland?" Liara asked. "And Nexus?"

"Nexus is a branch of the Alliance, a secret global government that polices other countries from behind the shadows," Zeke said. "Nexus deals exclusively with conduits. If stuff like that got out… mass hysteria."

"And to answer your question," Chloe said, "Disneyland is a world-famous amusement park owned by the Disney Corporation which has been in the cinema business since the founding of the company over 80 years ago. Perhaps when we get some free time, I could show you one of their movies, like Snow White, Earth's first ever feature length animation, maybe Sleeping Beauty, or Anastasia."

"Anastasia was a Don Bluth movie," Elena said. "Nothing to do with Disney."

"I keep making that mistake," Chloe said.

"I have no idea…"

"Snow White are based around fairy tales, while Anastasia is based around a real life princess and the rumours that she was mistaken for killed during a rebellion led by a man named Grigori Rasputin," Nate said. "Look, we've got to stay focused and from what we can tell, we're both looking for Wolfe. Sully, you can sail this boat and hide it?"

"I'll help," Elena said. "Nate, make sure no-one dies, okay?"

"I've got a rifle, don't I?" Nate said. "Angela, you're going with them?"

"I think it would be better if I stayed away and helped through a scope," Angela said. "Also, since Tali can't digest the food here, I'd have to create a small lab to create dextro amino food for her."

"Thank you," Tali said. "I'll stay with the boat as well. My shields would protect me, but if they get damaged in the slightest, I'll be so sick that I'll be a hindrance. I can also work on a few things that Zeke was making."

"And I'm also a bit too obvious, myself," Liara said. "I don't think that the head tentacles would be normal here."

"No shit," the Boss said. "That's like saying that by shaving my head and having a shitload of tattoos, I might be an unsavoury character."

"Just for clarification," Jade said, "those two are the longest serving members in Earth's most notorious street gang."

"Four ladies, and they'll never be interested in me," Sully said. "Oh well, I could always look for a ho."

"Again with the hoes," Nate said, as we began to walk off.

"I wonder if Zimos is still around," Sully said as he, Chloe, Tali, Liara and Angela got onto the boat and sailed away. Most of the people we ran into here were holding back laughter.

"Okay, who is Zimos, and what's so funny," Chloe asked.

"He's working with us," Kira said. "Zimos, the magical, Auto-Tuned pimp."

-* I heard that, *- Sully said from a radio. -* I knew he was a wizard, but what was that about being Auto-Tuned? *-

"He has his voice-box removed and replaced with one of those electric get-ups to allow himself to speak," Kira said, "and he installed Auto-Tune so that everything he says sounds groovy."

-* Typical, *- Sully said as we got nearer to town.

"Kuo, can you call Wolfe?" I asked.

"Sure," she said, taking out her phone. "Dr Wolfe, this is Agent Kuo."

-* Ah, Kuo, *- an older man said on the other end. -* You are definitely in New Marais, the Militia have recently hacked the phone towers and put signal blockers around town. I assume that… *-

"Yes, I've got McGrath here, as well as a small team from Nexus," Kuo said. "Dr Wolfe, I just ran into Angel de la Muerte in the swamps, he said that he needed to speak to you immediately."

-* I've heard Bertrand ranting about how some gang were attacking the Syndicate, *- Wolfe said. -* Luckily, he doesn't know about my implant. Kuo, I'm at my lab, but it would be better to take out those signal jammers. They're nearby and attached to the walls of several buildings around the edge of town where I guess you came from. *-

"Look, if the Militia are guarding you, we'll take them out," Kuo said. "We've got enough numbers."

-* I don't like it, *- Wolfe said. -* But if it's necessary, make sure Cole and Angel are here. *-

"I'm on it," Kuo said before hanging up. "Cole, Angel, I'll lead you to Wolfe."

"I'm coming as well," the Boss said. "I just found out that we were looking for someone I consider family," she said, glaring at Angel. "I need to make sure he's safe. Also, I'd doubt they're expecting a biotic."

"Good point," Kuo said.

"You lot okay?"

"I can look for this person by myself, but I'm going with Kira to be on the safe side," Manuela said.

"Gat, go with her," the Boss ordered to Gat.

"You got it," he said as they walked off.

"I guess the rest of you are okay getting signal?" I quipped.

"Sure," Jade said. "I need to meet someone in town, but I'll be able to get something to find the blockers and shut them down remotely, and then ambush anyone who comes to fix them."

"You're good," Elena said as she, Jade, Zeke and Nate walked off.

"Are any of you okay with travelling by roof?" Cole asked.

"I'd need practice, but I could do it," Angel said as we all ran off.

* * *

><p>"You really gave Tobias and Kinzie a fright," I said as I walked down the hallway to our rooms. "And Aisha had a pure panic attack. When we show that to Gat and the Boss, they're going to try everything to keep you in the Saints."<p>

"Yeah," Hinata smiled. "Yeah… Shikamaru-san… I wanted to ask… should we keep this secret?"

"Our Personae?" I asked. "Yeah, I would. The idea of such a power that goes against expectations… It would make us formidable shinobi… but we should use it for the good of other people, but keep it hidden."

"Human or otherwise?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"You do know," a voice said, causing Hinata to turn around, "that you shouldn't make promises so lightly?"

"Hello, Margeret-san," I said, turning. "Good to meet you again but… how did you…" I then went wide eyed when I was what was behind her, a door and archway that was two inches away from the wall.

"Who are you?" Hinata asked, confused.

"A friend," Margeret said. "I'm sorry, but I need to speak to speak to Shikamaru-san in private."

"Is that why there's a magic door there?" I asked.

"What door?" Hinata asked.

"You can't see it," Margeret said to Hinata. "Only someone who signed a contract can, and only those with the potential to use such power are even given the offer. Although… Shikamaru, your conscious mind will be taken from your body as my master speaks to you."

"Don't worry, Hinata-chan," I said. "I'll be quick." I then walked forward, as the key started glowing, before the door forced itself open.

* * *

><p>The next thing I knew, I was sitting down in a… sort of Japanese Dojo, sort of strategy room and… sort of bar. Margeret was standing on the other side, holding a large book in her hand, next to a man in a large, extravagant seat.<p>

His suit seemed to make him appear eerie which his facial structure didn't help with at all. His nose was quite large, his head was balding and his ears were quite pointed. His back was humped and his gloved arms seemed longer than normal. He had a sort of rat-like look to him. Then, he opened his blood shot eyes, while grinning at me.

"Welcome, to the Velvet Room," he said to me. "My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

"Shikamaru," I said, looking around. "This is an interesting place you got here."

"Well, you are partially responsible for this as well," Igor said. "This place is similar to the Shadow World, twisting and turning to fit the mind of our guests."

"So, why am I here?"

"There are two requirements for guests to be welcome here," Igor said. "The guest must have an intriguing destiny that is yet to be set in stone, and they must sign a contract of some sort."

"Like the one Margeret gave to me?" I asked.

"Surprisingly, no," Margeret said. "You are aware of the meeting with the Saints this morning?"

"Yeah," I said. "We all agreed that we'd…" I then trailed off. "We would do our best to take out Cerberus."

"What I asked you to sign was an agreement to upkeep any promises," Margeret said. "The two you made, including the one you just made with Hinata, seem enough to allow the contract to be fully comprehensive, but please remember the condition."

"I take full responsibility for my actions," I said. "This is going to be troublesome… it's my own stupid fault, though."

"Well, at least you are a man of your word," Igor said, as six cards appeared before me. "Do you believe in fortune telling?"

"Only if it allows me to make choices for the better," I said.

"A wise choice," Igor said, as he flipped one card. "The Fool, in the upright position. This card is representative of you."

"Are you calling me an idiot?" I asked.

"Not at all," Igor said. "It can be either a complement or an insult, but since it's upright, showing a positive outlook…"

"I take that comment back," I said, with a groan.

"This card shows adventure, and endless possibility," Igor said. "It's like the number 0, worthless by itself, but holds infinite possibilities. Have you gotten a good look at your Persona card?"

"No," I said, before I got it to appear in my hand. "So, this card does represent me…"

"That is why you have an uncertain future," Igor continued. "As a bearer of the Fool Arcana, you have the potential to experience the Fool's Journey, experience the entirety of the Major Arcana, through your everyday life. For example…" Igor then flipped another card. "If you weren't a Fool, you would be a Hierophant. You are destined to be head of the Nara shinobi clan, correct?"

"Yes," I said. "So, Margeret said you could help me reach my potential?"

"Ah, yes," Igor said. "The one reason I asked you hear and I strayed from it… how foolish of me…"

"Was that pun intentional?" I asked.

"Very," he said with a chuckle. "Basically, by utilising the bonds you form with people as the foundation of your power, you can wield multiple Personae in battle. These bonds, or Social Links, will give you a boost of power every time you acquire a Persona in the Velvet Room. The power is directly proportional to how close you are to your Social Links and they to you. It is mutual trust and friendship between two people."

"I can use multiple Personae?" I asked. "Am I the only one?"

"Absolutely not," Igor said, pleased with himself. "There are currently four awakened Fools as well as yourself, who are working to help as many people as possible. Such a possibility is rare, in fact, but it has happened before. Thus, you may run into another Fool once or twice and the foundations of the Velvet Room may change."

"Take a form that's a compromise between the two?" I asked. "I'm willing to share."

"To receive new Personae, you must sacrifice a minimum of two to create a new Persona, who will inherit the skills of the two preceding Personae," Igor said. "It's not impossible to summon a fire spirit who can use ice, or an angel that uses the power of a demon."

"So, I have to be careful with how I want to create Personae, or else I'll run out quickly?" I asked.

"That's where I come in," Margaret said. "Each Persona user has a book like this tied to your fate. This…" she said, holding up a thick tome, "is the Persona Compendium. Every time you receive a new Persona, it is automatically added and you can withdraw it, for a fee, to use in Persona fusion or to yield for battle. When a Persona becomes stronger, you can update the Compendium in order to keep your Personae strong, but doing so will make the Personae more difficult to recall and this require greater payment. There is one more thing…"

"I can take over now, Margaret," Igor said. "Since your promises are now contracts with the Velvet Room, you can only use your Personae – this includes Hinata and any Persona user you help awaken as much as you – if it involves fulfilling your contract or to defend yourself. You are strictly forbidden from trying to use it to deliberately hurt someone unless they are trying to hurt another, or to use your Persona in a flimsily manner. If you are sparring with your Personae or if you are fighting Shadows, it is acceptable."

"So, no summoning my Persona to roast marshmallows," I said. "Fair enough. People would get jealous and it would draw unwanted attention."

"However, you are now bound by fate to protect as many people as possible," Igor said. "There are times when you _may_ save or take a life, and there are times when you _must_ save or take a life for the greater good. Knowing what will lead to the greater wellbeing is a daunting task that can be easily strayed from. _My_ job is to make sure that such a possibility does not happen. And 'using a Persona flimsily' means it has to be for a good reason that doesn't upset it. You are fully capable of flying around on Thunderbird, and can do so freely. However, using it to cook or clean will result in that Persona locking itself away for 24 hours."

"I'll never be able to back out of this, will I?" I said.

"Believe it or not, at such a young age, you are already fairly mature enough to be considered a young man," Margaret said. "Most of our guests are 16 or older. Our youngest current guest, however, is 10. I would like to point out that this isn't like you signed onto some great crusade. You are still able to live a normal life, so please don't rush into any situation to be a hero. Remember those words."

"So… it's the little things that matter," I said. "Am I right?"

"Perhaps it's better to compare you to medicine," Igor said. "The right dosage at the right time can be a wonderful thing, but-"

"It is also a powerful poison otherwise," I said. "I understand."

"Now, let's see what else is in your future," Igor said. "There are three cards before me, all representatives of your friends Ino, Naruto and Kiba. Whatever order these cards appear in-"

"Please don't," I said, smiling at Igor. "I like surprises."

"You have a key to this room," Igor said, smiling. "You can freely enter this place from now on. Until next time."

* * *

><p>"Shikamaru-san?" Hinata said, as I found myself back in the real world. "Are you okay?"<p>

"Hinata, we need to talk," I said, leading her into my room. "Our power, Persona… there are rules. And we just made them."

"I-" she began, before she caught her breath. "I understand."

"We can't use it to hurt someone unless it's to save a life," Shikamaru said. "Also, no messing around with your Persona, or you'll lose the power for a whole 24 hours."

"I understand fully," Hinata said as I opened my apartment and let her in. "By the way… um…"

"Hm?"

"I wanted to say… that I'm grateful that you saved me, but…" She then trailed off. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" I asked. "That you needed me to save you? We're friends and comrades, Hinata-chan. I would gladly do it for you if you'd save me from my Shadow. And hopefully, we'll be able to save the others by tomorrow."

"…Thanks," Hinata said. "You're right." She then sat down on my couch, looking out the window. "When I get the chance, I'll tell Neji about what the elders did… what my father did… but I don't know how he'll react… how the clan will react… will they want my head or…"

"Are you okay?" I asked, before she stood up.

"In fact, I know what they'll want to do," Hinata said, loudly and angrily, causing me to jump back. "They'll demand that I commit suicide, saying it's the '_honourable_' thing to do. What my clan has done over the years has been mistake after mistake, an insult to everyone. If it comes down to it, I will gladly renounce my clan."

"Isn't that a little… extreme?" I asked her.

"They feel the best thing they can do is to shame their opponents while creating an air of superiority around themselves," Hinata said. "The Hyuuga clan deserves to learn humility."

"You could tell the Hokage," I said.

"That's always the possibility, but…" Hinata said, before looking at the floor. "I may not want to go back to Kohona."

"Are you that scared of what your father might do?" I asked her.

"…is it okay to lie to that?" she asked me. I'll take that as a 'yes'. "I've never felt love or compassion for my clan, for my father, only fear of them. I don't want to go back there…"

"I understand," I said, with a flaky smile which Hinata returned.

_*SMASH* I am Thou, Thou art I… Thou hath created a new bond… Thou art blessed when creating Personae of the High Priestess Arcana…_

Time seemed to slow down when I heard that, and flow when it was gone. "Shikamaru-kun… are you okay?"

"Hinata-chan, the card you use to summon your Persona…" I started.

"The High Priestess," Hinata said. "Zimos said that Persona involves a lot of Tarot motifs. Why? Is it important?"

"I just heard a voice in my head," I told her. "I am Thou, Thou art I…"

"I heard something similar when I accepted my Shadow," Hinata said. "From the sea of thy Soul, I cometh."

"Thou hath created a new bond," I said. "Thou are blessed when creating Personae of the High Priestess Arcana."

"Wait, you can create Personae?" Hinata asked. "How? Can I get a new one if I need to?"

"Sort of," I said. "I need help to fuse them together and the new Personae receive a power boost, but it's dependent on the mutual bonds between us, but it means I – only I – can wield multiple Personae. So… I guess it is now official." She looked confused when I said that. "We're friends, comrades and allies."

"…I guess we are," she said, with a smile.

* * *

><p>"Why are we heading here?" Chloe asked as we snuck around the alleyway.<p>

"This is an orphanage that my uncle runs," Jade said. "I help occasionally, as well. I send back money and visit often."

"You're here for some kids?" I asked. "I wish you spoke up about it… we wouldn't have daunted off, focused on keeping a low profile."

"Pey'j can take care of himself," Jade said.

"You're his niece?" Zeke said.

"You know Uncle Pey'j?" Jade asked.

"He lost a bet to me, and he had to deed-pole his name…" Zeke said, innocently.

"Believe it or not, but he really likes the respelling of his name," Jade said, as we walked up the steps. "Wait…" she then put her ear to the door and listened in. "Something's wrong… there's heavy breathing." She then threw the door open and ran inside, looking around. "Uncle Pey'j? Pey'j? !"

There was a splutter of coughs from upstairs, which Jade ran upstairs. "J… Jade… is that you?"

"Oh, god," Jade said as Elena ran up ahead, while we looked around. I tried to run ahead, before Zeke stopped me.

"This is an orphanage… but where are the kids?" I asked, causing his sunglasses to slump. "Your eyes are heterochromatic?"

"They're gone," Jade said, panicking. "The M-militia… they… they…"

"We'll get them back," Zeke said. "How's Pey'j?"

"Chloe's giving him a potion," Jade said. "He's been badly beat up… it wasn't too long ago… only a few hours…"

"That's good," I said as we ran upstairs. "That means they're still possibly alive. Jade, we'll get them back, I promise."

"Sure we will," Zeke said. "And we'll make sure that the Militia regret messing with them."

"Zeke Dunbar?" Pey'j asked as he walked over. "I haven't seen you around here since Katrina hit and you helped keep the kids safe from looters. How have you been?" Pey'j was old and fat, with a small goatee and a shaved head. But aside from the severe beating he took, he still looked quite healthy.

"Better than you," Zeke said as he knelt down. "Pey'j, we'll get the people who did this, but can you answer some questions?"

"The guy behind this…" Pey'j said as Elena poured a potion into his wounds, using her powers to speed up the effects.

"We know," Nate said. "Bertrand."

"Son of a bitch is behind everything," Pey'j said. "He organised those monster attacks with some conduit, using the local population as livestock, as well as the missing mercenaries…"

"What mercenaries?" Jade asked.

"Some guy managed to escape and was found by the rebels," Pey'j explained. "He said that his company, Vermaak 80 or something, was hired by Bertrand, but they were captured and experimented on… he died shortly after. We're hopefully going to recruit them so that they can get payback."

"Well, at least someone's fighting," I said. "Do you have an idea – any idea – of where those kids are?"

"They're being kept somewhere in the warehouse district," Pey'j said. "It's at the north of town, but I don't think you can get there."

"Well, if we got a boat, like one the Militia use," Chloe said, "keep the kids underneath and get them somewhere safe."

"Johnny said that there was a tunnel that led to Steelport," Zeke said. "We could take the kids there."

"Just be careful, then," Pey'j said. "Upstairs… there's an office with most of my inventions… you'll find a sensor for the signal jammers and a map of the boat routes. Better to steal one before it leaves."

"Got it," Chloe said. "Let me see your arm," she said, while looking at it. "What the…"

"They say that conduit powers express themselves in a range of ways," Pey'j said, holding up his arm, showing that it was turning into a hoof or something. "Kinda appropriate that I'm turning into a pig… I eat like one…"

"And bathe like one," Zeke said, before being kicked in the shin by Jade. "Don't worry, I've worked with conduits for three years, I can get you help to reverse the changes if needed."

"As long as I can still invent a few things, I can live with it," Pey'j said as Jade helped him up and onto a seat. "Dang, that's some good medicine."

"Thanks," Chloe said. "It took me a few days to make this potion."

"You're a witch?" Pey'j asked.

"No," she said. "Why? Is there one here? I'll probably need to buy a new recipe book since someone lot the other one."

"I can find out," Pey'j said, as he took out a handgun. "Jade, go find those kids, make sure they're safe… then get out of here before the Militia find out you're here…"

"No way," she said. "When we get them to a safe place, we're coming back for you!"

"Okay," Pey'j said as he tried to stand up. "There's something I've been working on… I think it can help you…" he then led us upstairs, as a dog walked over to us.

"Hey, Gruff," Jade said, as she stroked the whining dog. "They didn't hurt you, did they?" The dog then set something down on the ground then barked at her, panting with a grin.

"That…" Nathan tried to say while suppressing laughter. "That looks like… like a piece of underwear…"

"I… didn't think dogs actually _did_ that," Chloe said.

"Gruff here saved my life," Pey'j said. "Anyway… let me get that…" He then entered a code that caused the door to open up, as we all walked inside.

"Looks a lot like your homemade lab on the boat," Elena said to Zeke. "Should I be impressed or worried?"

"Pey'j is my old shop teacher," Zeke said. "Taught me everything I know about inventing stuff. In fact, that grapple application to the Amp, aside from what Tali did with the shielded eezo to send it flying, was part of a design by this fella. He even taught me about how to make homemade batteries!"

"Didn't Cole mention those batteries explode?" I asked. "The ones that you also use as bombs?"

"That was a one-time thing," Zeke said. "The exploding, not the bombs."

"Wait, Cole McGrath?" Pey'j asked. "You came here with Cole McGrath? The Militia are after his head!"

"Why?" Chloe asked. "What do they have against him? Apart from the racism against conduits, I feel a little like Malcolm X…" Nate just looked at her with an annoyed look on his face.

"Well," Pey'j said, as he looked through a drawer. "Bertrand is telling people that… he's the devil…"

"Oh," Zeke said, smiling. "He's going to enjoy hearing this."

"Here's the sensor," Pey'j said. "It should beep louder when near a disruptor, but there's an inner ear headset so you can do that stealthily. All you need to do is change the fuse and the system will fry itself."

"Zeke, you up for this?" Chloe asked, throwing it to him. "I can cover you, stop time and knock out the Militia."

"It's better than what you did with the chainsaw to that poor bastard," Zeke said.

"I'll go with Jade and find the kids," I said, as Pey'j set something down on the counter.

"Jade, attach this to your belt," Pey'j said. "It's something I call 'Secundo'. I designed the hardware, but I got help with the software."

"What does it do?" Jade asked.

"Very good question," a voice said in a thick accent, as the device booted up and a hologram appeared in the room. "Digital Anti-Matter Storage Device – Software Version Secundo, at you service, Mia Bella."

"D.A.M.S.D.," Zeke repeated. "D.A.M.S.D.… You got the blueprint on the black market, didn't you?" Pey'j just scratched the back of his head.

"Bacon Breath here wouldn't be smart enough to know how to properly use a Pocket Inducer," Secundo said, causing Pey'j to snort angrily. "I'm basically a device that acts as a personal computer, cellphone, media storage device and I can also store physical items for you. Try it. Hold an item near the device and I'll download it." Jade held her camera near the device after removing from her neck, before it disappeared in an instant, and reappeared just as quickly. "I'll be at your service whenever you need me."

"Secundo also comes installed with GPS, Google Maps, Thunderbird, iTunes and even Adobe software for your camera and to help with your job," Pey'j said. "He also has a HDMI port as well as 6 USB ports, a multicard slot and can play Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs as well as CDs and DVDs. Oh, and he has a storage capacity of 10TB."

"As well as holographic screen and keyboard, Yade," Secundo said. "I hope I can be of assistance."

"Let's hurry," Jade said, as she drew her staff. "The sooner we find the kids, the safer they are."

"That's true," I said as we waved Pey'j off and left.

* * *

><p>"So, who are we looking for, anyway?" Gat asked as we followed Manuela.<p>

"A woman named Claire Redfield," Manuela said. "She was sent here to help treat the Rosalia Virus which recently broke out here."

"Rosalia?" I asked. "Yeah… wasn't there something on the news about that? An outbreak in Portland?"

"Which one?" Gat asked.

"I can't remember," I said as we got near the medical clinic. "Militia, up ahead."

"I can handle this," Gat said, putting his gun away and walking up to two patrolling Militia. They gripped their guns when they saw him, but a raised eyebrow from Gat caused them to run screaming.

"Your reputation precedes you, Johnny," Manuela said as she opened the door for us.

"I didn't expect it to work, actually," Gat explained. "I was picking for a fight."

"Please don't cause any problems," I said. "If you, the best fighter of us three, get killed, which is still likely I should point out, then we're screwed."

"What, you've never been in a fight?" Gat asked.

"No," I said, "but I did suffer a nervous breakdown and claw a teacher's throat out when he threatened my younger sister."

"Are you looking for treatment?" a young Japanese girl asked. "Sorry, but with the Militia hanging around, we've been unable to treat any Rosalia cases."

"That's sort of why I'm here," Manuela said. "My name is Manuela, I'm here so that I can give blood."

"Look, I'm not a medic," the girl said. "I'm here because I won a trip to the US, and I've been helping the medics."

"I'm the cure to Rosalia," Manuela said. "I have the antibodies that can fight the symptoms. I'm looking for a specific woman who can use it to create a serum."

"Dr Redfield?" the girl asked. "You're looking for her, so are the Militia. They don't want the cure to go out. If you can, save her. You'll find her in a mansion near the swamps. She's being accompanied by-"

"Dr Sherry Birkin," Manuela said. "I know."

"Look, just be careful," the girl said. "Don't antagonise the Militia, they'll just execute more people if you do."

"You're Japanese, right?" I asked. "[What do you mean, they'll execute more people]?"

"[The Militia are trying to discourage the rebels from fighting back by holding hostages]," the girl said. "[The rebels took back 9 prisoners… the Militia killed 90. So, you are…?]"

"[My name is Kira]," I said. "[This is Manuela and Johnny]."

"[Call me Chie]," the girl said. "Oh, [if you get to a clinic in flood-town, can you ask a guy named Yosuke to get in touch]?"

"On it," I said as we walked out, where I explained what she just said.

"I've seen similar disproportionate retribution in history textbooks," Gat said. "There was one time when a single German officer was killed by the resistance in World War 2. In retaliation, the Germans trapped an entire village in a church, boarded up the exits then set fire to the church."

"We should try the swamp, though," Manuela said. "If I listen to the song long enough, I think I could get some of the monsters to follow me. Wait…"

Manuela pointed down the street to Zeke, who was listening to some sort of device in his ear while being followed by Elena. "What are you doing?" Gat asked while face-palming.

"We're looking for signal blockers," Zeke said. "Then when we find them, we set up explosives, break them and wait until the Militia comes to fix them. We shoot the survivors."

"Oh, come on," Gat said, angrily. "Show a little showmanship, Zeke! Take them on with nothing but a handgun!"

"I'm not as stupid as you," Zeke said while taking out a PVC pipe.

"A pipe bomb?" I asked. "Seriously?"

"This is powerful stuff," Chloe said. "In fact, I'm scared just by being _near_ you, Zeke."

"Blame Ezio," Zeke said. "He showed Finn the recipe, Finn showed me, and big booms applied. At least it isn't the one with mustard gas."

"Why would he know this?"

"Apparently, his science teacher was… less than sane…"

"How do you make mustard gas?" Manuela asked.

"I can't say," Zeke said as Elena held a knife at him. "But, uh… you want some bombs? I can spare three, but you're going to need to change the remote detonator's frequency. It's set to 140.85."

"So, what was that about a signal blocker?" I asked.

"Jade's uncle said that you can't make calls around New Marais with cellphones because of a signal jammer," Zeke said. "On the way, I stole a map of phone lines. Bertrand has control of land lines. It's just the aerials he can't get to since they're too deep in the swamp. Otherwise, the Corrupted would kill anyone who gets out there."

"So, we'll be able to make calls after you take the rest out, then," Manuela said. "I should try and call Kinzie when the phones get taken care of."

"Well, this is the last jammer so get a phone ready, and wait for the fireworks, little lady," Zeke said as Elena set the last bomb. "Okay, get behind cover." We ran behind a car and set up sights as Elena took out a chainsaw, before waving at Zeke. "Uh… we really should avert our sights."

"Why?" I asked.

"Chloe's a temporal," Zeke said. "Rare power that lets her stop time, but if we watch her as she tears up that cable, we'll go blind."

"I think we should avert our sights," Manuela said as we all turned away. The flash of light was followed by a bolt of lightning, as Chloe appeared next us with a smile.

"I love it when that happens," Chloe said. Several Militia walked up to inspect the damaged device, as I leant over towards Zeke.

"_How_ did those bombs avoid detonating?" I asked. "Shouldn't they have gone boom?"

"PVC," Zeke said. "It's not conductive. There's a battery and a stripped wire inside so that it causes a spark." The Militia were all standing around as an engineer looked at the damage.

"What can you tell?" a guard asked, as Zeke took out a radio.

"The cable's been heavily damaged, that's what I can tell," the engineer said. "Is that… a damaged chainsaw?"

"Someone cut it up with a chainsaw, then," the guard replied, while Zeke prepared the button. Wait… is that a label that says 'Doom!'?

"Who wants to press it?" Zeke asked while holding out the detonator. Agitated, I took the button and looked at him. "You just need to press it."

And press it I did, causing a loud explosion that caused the car we were hiding behind to shoot over us and into the swamp. "Zeke, what the hell?" Manuela asked, horrified.

"Damn, I got the ammonia concentration wrong," Zeke said. "There isn't enough…"

"Wait, that was _small_?" I asked.

"Believe me, when we mean big," Chloe said, "we mean _big_."

"I need that recipe," Gat said with a smile.

"Later," Chloe said. "Look, that's all of the jammers so-"

A phone was ringing. Manuela took her phone out of her pocket and answered it. "Hello? Oh, hi Kinzie. We're in New Marais, we're just looking around and helping. Angel and the boss are looking for this doctor as we speak. Oh, sure… oh, by the way… can you put Clank on for me? Thanks." She then turned to Gat, with a serious look on her face. "Something bad happened. Kinzie said her access to the pod was locked. Not only that, but… most of the kids…"

"They're not dead, are they?" Gat asked.

"No, it's hard to explain," Manuela said. "Look, we've got phone contact with the others, try and call the Boss."

"Oh, right," Gat said, before taking out his phone. "She has it turned off… perhaps because she's not done with the guards."

"Anyway, Malik asked us to secure something for her," Manuela said. "After we're done, we'll have to take out a few missile platforms."

"Well, finally," Gat said with a smile. "Let's hurry then."

* * *

><p>"So, this is where Dad is set up?" I asked, looking over a few buildings.<p>

"So, you're Subject Zero, then?" Kuo asked me. "He's only working for Bertrand, and by extention Cerberus, because of you. Did you know that?"

"…What?"

"Cerberus knows where you are," Kuo said. "The only reason he's working for them is because they'll go after you if they don't. Hell, the only operative that's actively after you was sent on a wild goose chase. He thinks you're a bouncer at Afterlife."

"I'll be shot at if I go back," I said. "Aria wasn't impressed with that trick with the shot glass."

"That was you?" Angel asked. "I heard it was a quarian."

"What are you-"

"Cole, I'll tell you later," I said, smiling. "I bet Zeke would like it, though. So, how do we take out the guards?"

"Not exactly guards," Kuo said. "Bertrand probably knows we're here so he'll have Dr Wolfe moved to a more secure area. We take out the guards, collect Dr Wolfe's research and take him to a secure location… maybe the boat."

"Yeah, good idea," Cole said. "Okay, how do we do this?"

"I've got a few grenades," Angel said. "And a few mines, as well as mine kits. Attach a grenade and…"

"Wait," Cole said, taking a look. "Give me one of those motion trackers and wait for a minute." As Angel gave it to him, I turned to Kuo, who had her hand on her face.

"I hate those bombs," Kuo said. "One went off near the boat as we sailed down the coastline. By the way, water freezes near me. Including water droplets."

"That must've hurt," Angel said. "So, how did you…"

"Conduits are awakening left and right, and I happened to just get my powers when I was threatened by a drophyd," Kuo said. "I… I accidentally hurt my boss badly by touching him… freezer burn."

"Yeah, I accidentally hurt Dad when he first took me from Cerberus," I said. "I accidentally dislocated his arm, but he stuck with me and taught me how to use my biotics."

"I kicked a football so hard I destroyed a bus," Angel said. "In Nevada. From New York."

"Sweet," Cole said as he got back up. "Okay, we just need to stay here until the Militia come. The first bomb should keep them from the labs, the second will only arm when the first is triggered. They're also gas grenades, so we can make sure they can't see for a while. And with all of that water and puddles from a burst fountain…"

"We don't have to do much except let you shock them," I said, with a smile. "No fair, I wanted to have some fun."

"Here they come," Kuo said. "Cole, when you think we can, I'll set some Cold Mist down there, all you need is to use a bolt."

"Got it," Cole said as we watched. There were two trucks coming… from opposite sides. "This is great… we won't have to do anything, as long as the second truck is slower than the first, then…"

The first bomb was triggered, but the second one went off immediately as it was right next to the second truck. Both trucks flipped, causing all of the wounded Militia to wince in pain. With a flick of his fingers, Cole allowed a small amount of electricity to stun the Militiamen before we all got down on the ground, walking across the street to the lab. "So, who wants to lead?"

"I'll do it," I said as I pressed a button next to a call machine. We waited while watching out for more Militia, just in case.

-* Who is it? *- a familiar face said as we made sure the coast was clear.

"Martha F***ing Washington," I replied, before we heard a rushed flurry, as the door swung open. "Hey, Dad. 'Sup? Well, except for the fact you're working for a madman. Oh, I brought some friends. Angel, Lucy, you already know. Oh, and this is Cole."

"Cole McGrath?" he asked, taking a look. "Wait… your face… you look-"

"Like Kessler," he replied. "I know. Can we get off the street now? There's bound to be another patrol around here soon."

"Of course," Dr Wolfe said. "We have a lot to talk about."

* * *

><p>"Okay, there's the boat," Nate said. "We just need to worry about the uniforms."<p>

"I still think we need a plan," I said, nervously.

"Yeah, plans and me… don't really get along," Nate replied.

"Are you saying we should wing it?" I asked him. "Dammit, this isn't an Indy movie. We're not fighting Nazis here."

"Next best thing, actually," Nate said. "We don't feel bad about watching Nazis getting killed in those movies, and we don't feel bad shooting the Militia."

"I don't use a gun," I said. "Just… make a distraction while I steal a pair of uniforms."

"There are two guards up ahead," Nate said. "We knock them out, tie them up and leave them in a trashcan or dumpster."

"Like we can take them," I said.

"Relax, I can heal instantly, remember?" Nate said, before he walked off and hid behind cover. Giving a signal, we knocked the two Militiamen out, Nate by choking him and I grabbed the other and slammed his head against a wall, knocking him out cold. "Okay, I'll carry them around a corner… do you want to get started with the disguise?"

"I'm on it," I said, as I helped pull a floating guard into an alleyway. Taking off his clothing and putting them on as Nate did the same, I was trying my best to get them to fit properly.

"You'll have to put the boots on," Nate said. "That's what all of them are wearing."

"Damn," I said, looking at the shoe in question. "The sickest asshole in the South, and he wears smaller shoes than I do."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Nate said as I put my feet into another pair. "Well, we shouldn't waste time, then. Come on."

We walked onto a pier, brandishing our guns in a similar way to the other Militia, as we made our way to the boat, barely raising an eyebrow.

"When I give the word, drop to the ground," Nate whispered to me, as I carefully walked forward to the boat.

"Hey, it's not your shift," one of the guards said, before Nate reached for his gun. I got onto the floor as he pulled my gun near him, taking a few hits as he did so, but most of the Militia were already dead.

"Nice one," he said as he helped me back up while his own blood flew back into his body. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, as we ran onto the boat. "You can sail one of these, right?"

"Sure I can," Nathan said. "Just like a car." Oh, great.

"I'll drive," I said as I ran to the compartment. "Just set us off and I'll be okay."

"Fine," he said, disappointedly as I got ready to set sail. "You have all the fun…"

"There's a gun on the front that shoots grenades." That got him smiling. "Wait until we save the kids, though."

"You got it."

* * *

><p>"So, that's the house?" Zeke asked as we walked up to it.<p>

"I think so," Kira said as we walked forward. "Gat, you're on full frontal, I'll go round the back, Manuela, you climb into the window and find this Claire woman."

"Got it," I said as I started climbing a pillar by the vines and the others got into position. Waiting for a commotion, I looked into a window to see that it was clear. Then, the shooting went on as I climbed in and made my way to the hallway, being careful that I did not run into any Militia as I looked around, but Johnny was having a lot of fun.

"Mind telling me what you boys are doing here?" Gat asked.

"F*** you, you Asian shit!"

"You want to dance, motherf***er?"

Eventually, I found a room being held up by two Militia, as well as a woman who was tied up. Sneaking over towards the door, I got a good look at the door before spotting a possible way to get to them and save that woman. Walking over to another room, I entered carefully and got beside the wall, looking through the small hole in the wall which the Militiamen weren't paying attention to. Creating dark spores, I sent them forward, causing the Militia to become disoriented before I ran out of the room I was in and burst into the room, pushing one man over before I hit the other with a stray piece of wood, before running over to the bound woman and took off her blindfold.

"Manuela?" she asked me. "What are you doing here?"

"Later," I said, before going to release her binds.

"Behind you!" Claire shouted at me, before I jumped out of the way. The first Militiaman tried to choke me, string my neck, before Claire wiggled her foot free and kicked him in the side of the head, causing her to release me. As I tried to get up, gasping for breath, I felt a hard jolt between my legs, causing me to scream in pain.

"I'll teach you to mess with me, bitch," the man said as he took out a knife. Claire was screaming for me to get out of the way, but I could hardly move.

A shot rang out, and the man above me fell down, dead. As I crawled over, I saw Kira in the doorway holding a gun forward, shaking hesitantly. "Manuela, are you okay?"

"What do you call it…" I began as Kira helped release Claire, "when a woman gets kicked in the nuts?"

"… It's kind of rude…" Kira began as Claire stood up.

"It's called a **** punt," Claire said, as she took the gun from Kira. "Thanks for finding my magnum."

"I thought this was a desert eagle," Kira said.

"That is a desert eagle," Claire said. "Manuela, what are you doing here?"

"The Militia blocked all telecommunications in the area, so I need to get into contact with Leon here," I said. "Also, I heard that there was an outbreak of Rosalia, so…"

"You thought I could use the antibodies," Claire said. "Manuela, the strain here is different. It may mean you getting infected again."

"So I'll be sick for a day or two," I said. "Fine by me."

"So, Manuela can actually produce the antibodies after a few days?" Kira asked. "Wow… do you…"

"I receive viruses into my body to create antibodies that the WHO use to treat different diseases," I said with a smile. "The Rosalia virus is one of them."

"That's…" Kira started before shaking his head. "Listen, we need to get out of here, quickly. The Militia have a tank and-"

"Good enough for me," I said as we went to the door. "Claire, what are you doing?"

Claire had a radio out and spoke into it. "Don't worry, I'm calling some people I know. Get ready, we may need to get somewhere safe."

"Wait, where's Johnny?" I asked.

"Oh, you know him," Kira said with a smile, "having fun fighting at impossible odds. He said we had to bail, he got his hands on a large gun to cover us."

"Through the window?" Claire asked, before it was shot out. "I'll take that as a 'no'."

"Well, at least the house is clear," Kira said. "So, how do we get out of here?"

"We can't," Gat said, running into the room. "There's no way out of here!"

"I've called in reinforcements," Claire said. "We just need to hold on for a while. Set up a barricade or something if you can."

"I doubt it," Kira said, looking out the window. "Damn, there's a lot of Militia down there… just hold them off."

"Got it," Gat said, taking out a gun. I looked around and picked up a handgun, ready to shoot if I need to. "Do you know how to use one of those?"

"I've had time on a shooting range," I said, nervously. "I know that it won't count in a real fight but…"

"As long as you know how to properly shoot, then we're good," Gat said. "Get up beside that window on the next floor up and take shots at anyone who gets too close."

"On it," I said as I ran up the stairs, before they collapsed behind me after a large crashing noise rang out. "What was that?"

"I think that was the tank," Kira said as he climbed upward. "I'll cover the back, Gat, stay below."

"On it," Johnny said.

"Wait, you're Johnny Gat, the Saint?" Claire asked, as she took a few shots at the Militia outside before getting behind cover and reloading. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, the Boss has business around here," Gat began, "and we're kind of helping."

"Since it's the whole gang, can you help me get into contact with Shaundi?" Claire asked. "I want to know why she's still alive even though she has, like, 500 STDs."

"At least she's not a zombie," Kira joked. "Or are those real as well?"

"Actually…" Gat, Claire and I were about to say before a large smashing sound came from another room.

"They're coming in through the swamp," Claire said. "Look, there are guns here, a lot of guns, but… the door is locked and I don't have the key."

"Who does?" I asked.

"The guy who was interrogating me," Claire said. "Bertrand."

"Why did he-"

"I was trying to treat the Rosalia virus," Claire said. "For whatever reason, he doesn't want it treated, so he's going after any of the medics that came here due to the outbreak. But that's the thing…"

"He's working on a cure?" Kira asked. "He's monopolising on the virus."

"That's what I think," Claire said as she took a pot shot at a Militiaman. "Damn… they're rushing us."

"I got that," Johnny said before opening fire with a machinegun. "Can someone get to those weapons?"

"I think I can pick the lock, but don't hope on it," Kira said before jumping downward and running to the door leading to the basement, while I looked around the other rooms for anything that could help.

"Hey, Doctor," Johnny said as he shot one guy through the head. "You got anything that could help?"

"How about a prescription of some F***ING SHOOTING? !" Claire shouted as she took a few more shots.

"Could these help?" I asked, throwing some grenades down on the ground.

"Phosphorus…" Johnny said as he took a look at the grenades. "We've got incendiaries here."

"Then throw them through a broken window," Claire said as she started climbing upward and started throwing the grenades, causing a gas tank to explode and setting several Militia on fire. "My boss is going to kill me…"

"Why?" Kira asked as he worked on the door. "You're defending yourself, right?"

"Use of phosphorus as a weapon is a war crime," Claire said. "I work for the UN."

"And you're here for treating the sick?" Kira asked.

"Yeah," Claire said. "Actually, from what I've learnt, this could've been a biological attack, so I came here undercover. If you can find some people from my squad…"

"Got names?" Johnny asked.

"Alenko, Williams, Shepard…"

"Kaiden and Ashley?" Kira asked. "We met them when we arrived in New Marais."

"They got those people out in time?" Claire asked. "Are they okay?"

"They're kicking ass," Johnny said. "What else would they be doing?"

"I think their air lines burst," Zimos said as I helped him put Shaundi and Ashley onto the sofa while Malik was moved to the spare chair by Hinata. "What happened?"

"I took a quick look at the VTOL," Shikamaru said. "It seems a glancing bullet cut the main air-hose… how much drugs would they have taken?"

"There's a lot, there's a _lot_, then there's Shaundi level," I said. "I think they topped it."

"Hey, guys?" Elijah said as he came in from the elevator. "What do you do when someone's been poisoned with LSD?"

"What the hell happened to Kaiden?" I asked.

"Guys, we're in the armoury," Kira said as he pulled the door open. "What should we try first? The RPG or the anti-tank rifle?"

"We need to take out the tank," Claire said. "Throw me the rifle, Gat, you focus on blowing things up."

"Yay," Johnny said as he ran to get a few rockets, while I kept taking pot shots. "Manuela, are you okay up there?"

"Yeah," I said as I reloaded. "I'm fine, just… we've got a problem! The tank is coming closer!"

"Get down from there, now!" Johnny shouted as I got out of the way, just as the tank fired and destroyed the upper front wall. Claire ran over to a window with a rifle, aimed it and fired at the tank, causing it to explode.

"I guess studying where the ammo is kept in a tank was actually a good thing," Claire said as Kira helped me up and handed me a shotgun.

"Stay around back, they'll try a back attack if they can and that's where the door is," Kira said. "Put these mines down if you can."

"I'm on it," I said, as Gat fired off a rocket. "How's it coming?"

"Good," Gat reloaded as he began to reload. "I think the cavalry has arrived." Several rockets came down and struck the Militia, causing them to shout in pain.

"Laroche, I owe you," Claire said into her radio.

-* As long as you get that cure out, we're even, *- the man on the radio said.

"Listen, there's a huge cache of weapons here," Claire said. "Grenades, guns, rockets… give these out to the rebels and use them on the Militia."

-* What about the cure? *- Laroche asked. Claire briefly looked at me, as I nodded to her.

"It's going to take slightly longer, but a serum should be ready in about 2 days," Claire said. "My lab was destroyed though with my equipment… do you know anywhere else I can go?"

-* All I can say is a hospital, *- Laroche said. -* That or the university, but the next big ones are in Steelport. *-

"If we took out the anti-air defences Bertrand has set up…" Kira said. "Let's get working on it. It may be a while…"

"Laroche, I'm going to need a sample from an infected individual," Claire said. "AB+ if possible."

-* I'll see what I can do, *- Laroche said. -* Listen, if you can, I think I know where Maria is. *-

"I'll pass it to some friends I know," Claire said. "Oh, did you know that the Saints are in town?"

* * *

><p>AN: How about some interaction time? I'll take a look at my reviews now to determine any side missions to add to the story in an omake collection. Either set before or during events in the story, I'll hope to expand on anything that I haven't covered. Such as…

* * *

><p><strong>Omake 1: Tag Team<strong>

**22/07/11**

* * *

><p>"I don't need another hero," Sirius was singing while standing in front of a portrait.<p>

"How can you dare annoy me with music by a… a… Muggle?" the portrait asked, as I walked into the room.

"Sirius…?" I asked, as I looked at the man looked at me. "What are you doing?"

"Ah, Ezio," Sirius said as he walked over and turned off the CD player. "You look… different."

"Save it," I said, flipping him off.

"You let a creature into my home?" the portrait asked, as my eyes went wide.

"You're dead, mother," Sirius said to the portrait, while still looking at me. "Don't worry about her, she's just a nuisance."

"I bore you," the portrait said, "and this is how you repay me?"

"Ah, Sirius, I never knew you were Jewish," I said, smiling.

"And who are you?" the portrait asked.

"I'm a shape-shifter, but unfortunately, I've been trapped in this form," Ezio said. "And you are…?"

"Walburga Black," the portrait said, stuffingly. "You should be grateful to by presence, _cat_."

"Oh, I'm just wandering why Sirius hasn't taken you down," I asked.

"Permanent sticking charm," Sirius said. "I usually avoid this room, letting Kreacher use it as he pleases."

"…Kreacher…?"

"The House Elf," Sirius said. "We have a sort of… animosity. We avoid each other as best as we can, but-"

"If he didn't have to obey your every command, then he would throw out every single one of those disgusting creatures!"

"Sirius, can't you shut her up with a spell, or a stripper?"

"Oh, I've tried magic," Sirius said. "Although a stripper would be good…"

"You f***ing pervert," I said.

"Coming from the guy who auctioned off a cop as a sex-slave."

"I am never going to live that down, am I?"

"Oh, hell no." Sirius said.


	39. OL7: Here There Be oh crap

Short chapter here, but I'm working on larger storylines. And Borderlands. Does anyone know a strategy for killing 9 Toes who has 3 Balls?

* * *

><p>"Okay, there's the pier," Nate said as we docked. "I thought that the Militia were in complete control here."<p>

"Yeah, something seems weird," I said as I tied the boat down. "There! It's a corpse."

"Human," Nate said, looking at it. "Nothing to indicate Militia, well, by clothing. African descent, female… at least we're certain it's not a skinhead."

"Why is this place abandoned?" I asked, looking around. "Wait, where are the kids?"

"We should try the obvious places first," Nate said. "We'll look around the warehouses first, then the other buildings."

"Good idea," I said, as I ran forward. "So, how'd you run into those others, anyway?"

"Long story short, we ended up fighting against the aliens with each other," Nate said. "Weird thing is, the Militia were starting up there as well, going after conduits."

"What?" I asked. "And you don't see anything weird about that?"

"Well, I knew there was a hate rally, but…" Nate began, before trailing off. "Oh, this is much worse than we originally thought."

"Yeah," I said as I opened up one warehouse. "A few crates, not that surprising, but… is that a cage?"

"We've got a lead," Nate said as he walked over. "Hm… I smell crap, so something has been living in this, recently."

"It's too large for a person," I said, passing through the bars. "See? Too easy to escape. And look at the size of this thing?"

"Yeah," Nathan said as he looked at it. "It's roomy for an elephant…"

"Let's keep looking," I said as we left. Running over towards another warehouse, I opened the door and looked at a large wall made of shelves. "What the…"

"Let's push something down," Nate said as he went over to a box and started pushing. "It's not like there's anything he- AAGH!"

Nathan fell over while screaming as a large shot of flames went forward and set his face on fire. Grabbing a fire extinguisher, I sprayed it on his face and he instantly stood up, already healing. "I;m fine," he said. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," I said as the other crates came crashing down. "What the f***?"

"Is that a dragon?" Nate shouted in my ear. "What the hell is wrong with these people?"

"Wait, would that explain the first…" I said, before trailing off.

"I wouldn't be too scared, Yade," Secundo said. "From data-mining, I can tell that dragons do not eat human flesh. It tastes horrible."

"So the signal blockers are down?" Nate asked. "Can you see what you can find out on enemy chatter?"

"I've checked," Secundo said. "Warehouse 13."

"I love that show," Nate said.

"There are hostages in warehouse 13," Secundo said as we walked down the street. "And for some reason, the Militia are avoiding this place like the plague."

"You want to bet that a dragon escaped?" I asked.

"If you're looking for the kids, look at the train yard," Secundo said. "There's only 1 or two warehouses there, but…"

"That's a good point," I said as we ran towards the warehouse.

* * *

><p><strong>Operation Louisiana 7: Here there be… oh, f*** no.<strong>

* * *

><p>"So, that's the missile platform?" Gat asked.<p>

"It's one," Claire said. "There's two, one on the North side and one on the south. We only need to worry about this one if that VTOL pilot you know can get here. As long as she avoids going past flood town…"

"Where's Sherry?" Manuela asked.

"She's been working on the Rosalia cure as well," Claire said. "She's being held somewhere else, I don't know where."

"We'll have to look for her, then," I said as I looked forward. "Hm… I don't usually know much about missile platforms… but it's using a type of computer that would easily be disrupted by power output."

"So, we cut the power?" Gat asked.

"No," I said. "We start it up."

"What?" Gat asked.

"The power is coming from an emergency generator," I said. "But if we start up another generator, then…"

"It damages the hardware too much for the platform to work," I said with a grin. "Believe me, I know."

"How?" Claire asked.

"…If anyone from this group called the New World Order comes looking for me, kill them," I said. "If a girl dressed as a Goth comes looking, kill me."

"Got it," Gat said. "So, how to we start the power?"

"We could use a few car batteries and a jumper cable," Manuela said. "Or is that interrogation?"

"I don't even want to know what Leon taught you," Claire said. "Okay, let's find some power sources. I think there's a generator on the rooftops around here."

"Why?" Manuela asked.

"Because there's no personal power and the people need the cool circulation," Kira said. "Okay, we find a portable generator then connect it so the power starts up around here."

"Then the hardware fails and we prevent the Militia from firing any missiles," Gat said.

"Why do they have a missile platform?" Claire asked. "What the hell kind of person are we dealing with?"

* * *

><p>"Someone who has a burning passion for anything that isn't perfectly human," Dr Wolfe said as we helped him gather up his research. "Joseph Bertrand is a fanatic and a homicidal madman. He personal believes that he is on a mission from God and that makes him think he's in the right no matter what he does and that is the main problem here."<p>

"And he targets conduits because…" I asked, as Jack (nice to know her real name) sat a box next to me.

"Joseph T. Bertrand is himself a conduit," Dr Wolfe said. "He's even received a warrant by Nexus, under the name of 'the Corrupter'."

"Son of a bitch…" I said, involuntarily.

"But why is he targeting conduits?" Kuo asked.

"Because his powers are a direct violation of his beliefs," Angel said. "When he first awakened to his power, turning into a gigantic monster, he freaked out, wanted research done to receive new powers. Eventually, he learnt about biotics and wears element-zero bracelets everywhere except when he actually uses his powers."

"Why not become a conduit?" I asked.

"Becoming a conduit isn't as simple as asking for it," Jack said. "First, you need a natural build-up of element zero around your nerves and synapses, then invasive surgery to put special hardware to allow you to create mass effect barriers that are strong enough for practical use."

"Also, unlike magic, which is a bridge between conduit and biotic powers and can be used by either, if a conduit becomes a biotic, they'll die," Dr Wolfe said.

"So, we know Bertrand's dirty little secret," Jack said as she set another box down. "What's Killbane's?"

"As a Nexus agent, are you aware of some of Cerberus' busted projects?" Dr Wolfe asked.

"Only one or two," Cole said. "It's mostly NERV stuff, only when it concerns conduits."

"There's one project that was developed over 50 years ago, used to create shape-shifters," Dr Wolfe said. "Project CHIMERA."

"Killbane's a chimera?" Kuo asked, shocked. "You mean… he's…"

"A genetic experiment," Dr Wolfe said. "Spliced with DNA from a human, his default form, agorian and krogan, his alternate forms."

"Wait…" Jack asked, looking at Angel. "You mean you're-"

"Another prototype," Angel said. "I can shift, but it hurts like hell. It's one of the main reasons why I don't, as well as the medication to counteract the pain being hard to come by."

"Killbane's main symptom is that he is homicidally insane," Dr Wolfe said. "His alien DNA comes from two different species that have a pre-occupation with war and fighting, but even then he is extreme. You can negotiate with a krogan and agorians take no honour in fighting anyone who won't fight back."

"What about you, Angel?"

"Me?" Angel said. "Well, I know I can turn into a turian, but one other species I don't know about… I've had the transformation stopped because the turian release can kill me."

"How many more chimera are there?" Kuo asked. "And are they in danger?"

"Well, hopefully not," Dr Wolfe said. "The only scientist who perfected the technique was apparently killed back in Belfast."

"What a coincidence," I said. "I was there just a week or two ago."

"Bad coincidence, actually," Kuo said. "Since NERV would probably want to know more about this…"

"Oh, no," I said, quickly. "I am _not_ letting that asshole Ikari get the edge. Are you aware of the softball games?"

"The ones in the Geofront?" Kuo asked. "Yeah, I saw that. What was with passing out like that?"

"The pitcher was probably a biotic," I said.

"Are you f*** buddies?" Jack asked, before Kuo and I dropped what we were loading into the truck onto the ground.

"No, but I'd hit it," I said, causing Kuo to slap me. "Dammit…" She just gave me freezer-burn.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Kuo said, as Jack got into the truck with Dr Wolfe. "Look, just get somewhere safe, where Bertrand won't come after you."

"There's that boat we came in on," I said. "Get back there, but be careful."

"Of course," Dr Wolfe said. "My stepdaughter is extremely dangerous."

* * *

><p>"Hello?" I asked, pushing the warehouse door open, before walking back and retching into a nearby trashcan. "Oh, god…"<p>

"All of them are adults," Nate said as he looked inside. "They… they were…"

"Let's hurry," I said, as I stood up. "We've got to hurry… then we get out of here…"

"Okay," Nate said as we started running. "Are you sure the train yard is this way?"

"I'm following the tracks, actually," I said as we went to the train yard. "There are Militia here. We should be careful."

"You should be careful," Nate said, taking his guns, "I should be the distraction."

"Thanks," I said as we ran separate ways. I got near a wall and waited for the commotion before a large crashing noise went off. "Maybe he dropped a train…" Hopping over the wall, I ran through the yard, looking into several train cars, looking for the kids.

All of the trains had monsters… corrupted inside them, all biting at each other or trying to break out. I was getting frustrated, looking at the cars full of monsters, I just wanted to-

"You looking for the kids?" a voice asked causing me to turn around. Several wispy noises later as well as smoke, a woman was stood in front of me, looking at me from the wall. "They're here, but unconscious. I'll help you put them into the back of a truck."

"And you're helping me… why?" I asked.

"I know what's gonna happen to them," the woman said as she walked over to me. "I hate Bertrand and his boys… but I don't want anything to happen to kids."

"Thanks," I said as she led me over to a train compartment, with all of the kids inside.

"I'll open it up," the woman said, "you look for a truck or something."

"How about a bus?" I asked, running over towards a school bus. Starting it up, I moved the truck over to the carriage. "Okay, how's it coming?"

"Its gonna be a second," the woman said before she got the cage bars falling over. "Nix, by the way."

"Jade," I replied as we started lifting in kids. "So, what was Bertrand planning to do?"

"Turn them into monsters," Nix told me. I just looked at her with horror. "He's doing it to as many people as he can. Start an arms race, I think."

"Oh, I am going to…"

"Can I help?" she asked as she helped carry more kids into the bus. "I've got a bone to pick with that bastard."

"Okay," I said. "There's a boat up ahead. I can sail it into the swamps then move the kids somewhere safe. What about you?"

"I've got business here," Nix said. "I'll mess up a buy for you." She disappeared as quickly as she came as I got into the bus and drove it off. I got a glancing look as Nate was captured, about to be shot in the head before shouting 'surprize' and throwing grenades around, causing himself to explode into a bloody pulp.

I didn't notice the guy I hit head on, but I hit the brakes and got out of the bus and looked over the guy, while still panicking. His blood was splattered over the windshield and he was a good 15 feet away. I just got back into the bus and drove off, trying not to panic.

I got out of the bus, next to the boat… then broke down… I didn't notice Nate walk over towards me.

"Are you okay?" Nate asked as he sat down next to me. "I saw you hit that guy… it's never easy the first time…"

"You just blew yourself up," I said. "And why are you naked?" It was true, all he was wearing was a pair of jeans.

"I just blew myself up," Nate said. "…I killed my first guy at 15… I was running from these people who were after me for stealing a ring…"

"That all?"

"It belonged to some secret agent for Queen Elizabeth, back when pirates were common," Nate said. "And it involved a lot of weird things when it came back to bite me in the ass. I'm getting off topic… I had to push someone off of a roof and watch them hit the ground."

"So, you can see Thestrals, then?"

"What?" Nate asked, confused.

"Oh, you wouldn't believe me," I said as I stood up. "We've got to get out of here… before more Militia come."

"Okay, let's hurry," Nate said as we got back up and started helping with the kids. "Why are they asleep?"

"I have no idea."

* * *

><p>"So, there are guards around the generator," Gat said as we hid behind a wall. "How do we take them out?"<p>

"It's simple," I said as we waited for Claire to find jumper cables. "We just lure them away one by one then knock them out. Like in Batman: Arkham Asylum."

"We need a better distraction," Manuela said.

"What were they planning?" Claire asked as she threw a jumper cable at Gat.

"Stalker gameplay from Batman," Gat replied. "Perhaps we need something more convincing, like a shotgun blast."

"How about a fight?" Claire asked. "Manuela VS me in a cat fight."

"That is incredibly stupid," I said. "We may not even cause a distraction, and even then-" I was then confronted by two words I never wanted to hear for a long time.

"YAGAMI RAITO! ! !" My name… and then there's who said it.

"M-Misa?"

"[You ran away to sleep with some Hispanic slut]?" Misa asked, pointing accusingly at Manuela.

"[I… I never slept with anyone]!" I said, raising my arms. "[I swear]!"

"[I am not a slut]!" Manuela shouted back, in Japanese. "[Who the hell are you to accuse me of that]?"

"[The name's Amane Misa]," the woman said, throwing her hand downward. "[One of the best up and coming idol singers in Japan. Look me up]."

"And that's the distraction we're looking for," Gat said as he carted the generator off.

"We'll handle the platform, keep putting on a show," Claire said, as she walked off.

"Don't leave me here!" I called out, before I felt something grabbing at my legs.

"[Oh, no you don't]," Misa said as her shadow shot over towards me and tripped me up.

"[What the… you still have that thing]?" I asked, as the Forbidden Beast held me down.

"[She's gone absolutely crazy when you left]," Marshal whispered into my ear. "[She read your letter, but she thought you ditched her. What the hell were you thinking? She's been giving everyone hell]."

"[Goddammit, Misa, I'm fighting the NWO]!" I shouted at her. "[They've got business ties here]!"

"[I bet that's the excuse for running to that harlot]!" Misa shouted, glaring at Manuela.

"[That's it]," Manuela said as several Militiamen came around the corner. "I'm taking you down, bitch!"

"Bring it, slut!" Misa replied, as the Militiamen looked around each other and lowered their weapons.

"Cat fight!" they cheered, as Marshal pulled himself over to Misa… after destroying my balls… bastard**.**

**MANUELA V S MISA**

**HEAVEN OR HELL!**

**DUEL 1!**

**LET'S ROCK!**

Manuela and Misa ran at each other, raising their feet to kick each other in the chest before falling to the ground, gasping for breath. The Militiamen then realised this wasn't a staged fight.

As they both got back up, Manuela flung some of her blood over at Misa which burst into flames, before Misa blocked it with Marshal's wing. Misa then sent a claw forward to grab Manuela and pull her over, hitting her with a few well-placed punches before kicking Manuela into the air at the end. Manuela burst out of the combo by covering herself with spores then igniting them, sending Misa crashing down as Manuela pushed off of a wall and kicked Misa in the face, stunning her.

"So, who's winning?" Gat asked as he sat down next to me.

"You're done?" I asked, as the girls kept fighting.

"No," Claire said as she sat down. "The local generator is starting up, but it will be a while, so we knocked everyone out."

"That was quick," I said as Misa and Manuela cross-countered each other.

"I didn't think there were such things as Forbidden Beasts," Gat quipped. "What, is there a Gear running around?"

"Well, Sol Badguy is my half-brother," I said.

"Is that a joke?" Claire asked.

"Yeah, it is," I replied. "We should do something."

"I know," Gat said. "Listen, who do you think will win?"

"We are NOT taking bets," I replied.

"Well, from personal experience against a Forbidden Beast user-"

"What?"

"I expect Misa to be quite dangerous, plus her 'Woman Scorned' attitude, she will be in a very dangerous state," Claire said. "Although, since Forbidden Beasts are acquired by sacrificing something, I have to wonder what Misa gave up."

"She didn't," I said. "It's one of the reasons why Marshal can peacefully bond with her. _She_ never made the sacrifice, her brother did. He was about to be forced to sacrifice her to become an assassin. He stabbed himself instead to save her life. Also, something about a gem they made a man named Nicholas to make for them and how she accidentally swallowed it."

"I get it," Gat said. "Zato-01 bound to a Forbidden Beast for selfish reasons and it drove him insane. But, what about Millia, again?"

"Zato tricked her into binding with a FB," Claire said. "I never liked the bastard."

"You do know he was a real person?" I asked.

"Yup," Claire responded. "Why do you think I know about Forbidden Beasts?"

"The Guilty Gear games?" I asked sardonically. "Whatever happened to Eddie?"

"We trapped him in an artificial body," Claire responded. "Oddly enough, he's actually quite happy about it, although being a big name in Japan may help. Anyway… as for Manuela, she's a formidable fighter with her Veronica spores and blood, but she's using her own blood to fight, so she may become drained if she's over reliant. As for fighting styles, Misa would avoid getting near someone because she's very skilled at attacking at range while Manuela could do serious damage with her Capoeira style."

"Sweet," Gat said.

"Look, we should stop this before it gets too out of control," Claire said.

"They're using their powers," I said. "They're bloody and bruised. This isn't a damn cat-fight!"

"Hey, they're stopping," Gat said as I stepped forward.

"So, are you done beating each other up?" I asked the two. Bit stupid, actually, since they ran forward and…

**CLASH!**

…Knocked each other out with a kick to the face. Putting my head in my hand, I took out two potion bottles and poured them over their wounds as Marshal sprang upward. "[Marshal, how did you find me]?"

"[Well, it was mainly Ryuzaki-san, although Matsuda was a big help]," Marshal said. "[I tried talking her out of looking for you, but…]"

"[But]?"

"[The New World Order tried to assassinate her during a concert]," Marshal revealed. "[She thought that maybe you'd be in trouble]."

"[Who is she here with]?" I asked Marshal.

"[Matsuda, Takada and…]" Marshal said before he trailed off.

"[Do I have to get the nasty stuff]?"

"[…Sayu…]"

"Guys, do you know where I can go off and swear?" I asked the others. "Maybe tell me where I can shoot a few bullets off?"

"No, but you could go and smash a few windows with some bricks," Gat said as I walked off.

* * *

><p>"Whoa, he is really angry," Claire said as she helped Misa up and I picked up Manuela. "What did she say? I can't speak Japanese?"<p>

"Neither do I," I replied. "I don't know what the f*** he's saying."

"He just found out his sister and old friend were here," the Forbidden Beast said.

"How old is his sister?" I asked.

"14, but she's a mean fighter with a war scythe," the FB said as I carried Misa over.

And then, the missile platform exploded.

"Why is there a missile platform in Redneck Country?" the FB asked.

"I have no idea, but I think this one guy is crazy."

"Marshal, I assume that Matsuda is the one in charge?" Kira asked, as he came back around.

"…He's the oldest," Marshal replied.

"Find him and tell him we have to meet up," Kira said. "I'm going to get a katana… so that I can murder him."

"He was roped into it by Sayu," Marshal said.

"_Where are they?_" I demanded before a large blade landed next to me. "[Hello, sis]."

"[Light]," Sayu said from behind me. "[We need to have some words, brother]."

* * *

><p>-* Hey, brother, *- Zeke said as he called me on the radio. -* Listen, it seems that the power is out all over the city. Not only that, but we've got a HQ in town. It's an orphanage being run by Jade's uncle, Pey'j. *-<p>

"Pey'j, Pey'j… why does that name sound so Oh wait," I said into the radio. "The batteries."

-* Not my fault, *- Zeke said. -* Listen, the Militia are apparently ramping up their patrols, so it would be safe to stop using the boat as our base. *-

"Alright, I'll pass it on," I said. "Oh, you'll never believe this."

-* What? *-

"Killbane? _Third_ human hybrid," I said to Zeke. "He's barely the same species as his fans!"

-* I knew there was something up with him! *-

"Just give me the address to the new hideout?"

-* There's a GPS marker on the ARI, *- Zeke said. -* Head there when you can. *-

"Got it," I said, taking out the sunglasses. "Zeke made it a GPS marker, so we should warn Dr Wolfe and the Saints."

"I'm on it," Kuo said, taking out her phone. "Well, we should stake out a few places, so-"

"Whoa," I said, looking upward. "Is that a…"

"Dragon?" Kuo finished. "Oh, hell no."

"Is it too much to ask for a ride?" I asked.

"Yes," Kuo said. "Great, a missile platform just exploded."

"Nice explosion," I said, as I got a look. "Wait… the missiles exploded-"

"No, it seems they're firing off," Kuo said. "Since the targeting system was damaged, they must be firing off wildly. Wait… one of them is heading for-" Dr Wolfe's lab, which just exploded with several dozen glowing rocks flying over the air, before one landed next to Kuo and absorbed into her.

"Hey, Blast Shards," I said to Kuo as she looked at me. "They'll increase your natural power's capacity so you don't wear yourself out. You should look for more."

"Maybe later…" Kuo said as we walked off. "Look, we should scout around town, maybe find a way to get the others to the new base."

"Yeah, you're right," I said as we walked onward. "So, how do we do this?"

"Perhaps we could free a few cops?" Kuo said. "Dr Wolfe said that the Militia took them captive, right? Maybe get the rebels to help."

"How?" I asked.

"Well, the Militia are pounding down heavily with the boats, so we could take them out, maybe freeze the boats in place near the docks then get you onboard."

"Oh, you are speaking my language," I said as we ran towards the dock. "Is that the only ship?"

"No, but the others attack different parts of town, but take it in shifts," Kuo said. "Basically random firing whenever the Rebels get rowdy. Not only that, but there are people trapped in metal cages around the water. So I could freeze them to death, or you could electrocute them. Your choice."

"I got an idea," a voice said from above us. "You want the key to the cages?" She then threw something down to us. "Here. It will open the cages, but the Militia will shoot when they see you. Luckily, there's a large pile of dry ice that can be released with a single spark on one of those pieces of wood."

"All a generous donation from our concerned benefactor?" I asked. "May I ask who from?"

"The name's Nix," she said, smiling at me. "And you're Cole McGrath, the Demon of Empire."

"Who said that about him?" Kuo asked before I could.

"Bertrand," Nix responded. "He's saying you're responsible for what happened, saying that you're the Devil himself."

"Oh, he is beginning to piss me off," I said.

"He already pissed me off a long time ago," Nix said. "Of course, I want something in return. Two things, in fact."

"Name it," Kuo said, again, before me. "What?" Oh, I was glaring at her. Damn.

"Show you one of Bertrand's dirty little secrets," Nix said as she jumped down, "and help me deliver this." She held up a shotgun shell which had 'Joseph Bertrand' written on it. "It's express delivery."

"Got it," I said as Nix threw it up and caught it. She then disappeared in a puff of smoke as I saw the 'target' waiting for us. "Wait, doesn't dry ice only make a mist that big if it's really big, especially underwater?"

"Well, it could be in chip or ground form," Kuo said. "Bigger surface area means more reaction." I sent out a small spark, causing a mist to quickly form from the dry ice beneath the water.

"Okay, create a small raft and get them out," I said. "I'll see if I can float over and take out the boat."

"Why can't I take them out?" Kuo asked.

"Because if I touch the water, I'll kill them," I pointed out before Kuo disappeared into a puff of smoke. Running over towards the water, I jumped then floated over towards a piece of wood on the water, before jumping over onto a broken pier's support and then getting onto the boat. Moving through the mist, I quickly knocked out the Militiamen before moving over to the main cabin then docked the boat near the broken pier. "Are they okay?"

"…" Kuo didn't say anything at first before… "They're already…"

"What happened?"

"I… I-I don't know," Kuo said. "They were dead before I got here. There was a hole under the water and-"

"Did you look _under_ the water?" I asked. "Because if I'm right…"

"The Militia have-" Kuo began in shock. "They've been _feeding_ people to the Corrupted?"

"These guys are sick…" I said as we walked away. "That woman already knew…"

"She's after the Militia, but not to help people," Kuo said. "She said it herself, she wants to give payback to Bertrand."

"We need to find her and talk about this," I said. "Where do you think we'll find her?"

"Well, she wants to show you something," Kuo said. "If Bertrand was involved with the First Sons, as I suspect, then we can find that woman by locating areas with a large amount of RF radiation."

"One problem," I said to her. "RF radiation is lethal in large enough dosages. Where would the First Sons keep experiments going on without people dying or becoming conduits?"

"You're right…" Kuo said, as we walked away. "Perhaps we should head to the new HQ. See what the others know."

"Good point," I said.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, in Steelport<strong>

"Why are we meeting the governor?" Pierce asked as we walked into a building.

"Senator," I said as we walked in. "And from what I hear, she's looking for help organising the police here."

"Elijah, are you certain this is a good idea?" Pierce asked. "I mean, helping the cops would be good, but…"

"There's a big reward for helping out," I said. "Specifically, if we can help take out the Syndicate in specific areas…"

"We can both up our publicity while taking care of the Syndicate," Pierce caught on.

We were led through the building by an assistant up to the higher floors. We were eventually led to an office that had several people inside, including the woman in charge, Governess Monica Hughes.

Monica, the former mayor of Stillwater, managed to move onto the position of Governor of Louisiana after I last saw her. From what I can tell, she worked with some organisation called STAG to help stamp out gang violence resulting in her election to the senate.

"Ah, Elijah," Monica said as she came over to me. "Is this the representative from the Saints?"

"Yes, it is," I said. "Miss Monica Hughes, meet Pierce."

"I am perfectly aware of who you are," Monica said to Pierce. "Before I was Governor I was the mayor of Stillwater. I've… hired out work to the Saints in the past."

"I understand you require our services again?" Pierce said while holding out his hand.

"Actually, yes," Monica said as she returned the handshake. "I doubt that you've noticed… but the police are being worked to the bone by both the fallout of the alien attack as well as the organised criminal gangs."

"You mean 'Gang'," I said to Monica. "The Morningstar, Deckers and Luchadores are all one criminal organisation."

"Yes, I am aware of that," Monica said. "There's another, although they're laying low. We… we believe them to be the same gang responsible for the trouble in nearby New Marais."

"The Militia, right?" Pierce asked. "You want us to take out some rednecks? That's fine."

"This isn't an assassination," Monica said. "This is a rescue mission… because the Militia are keeping my children hostage."

"Okay, this is serious," Pierce asked. "Why would they want your children?"

"Both my husband, my new husband, the chief of police in Steelport here, as well as myself were investigating possible crimes along with three organisations under the control of the United Nations, NERV, Nexus and Philanthropy," Monica replied. "While I am unaware what NERV and Nexus were involved with, I do know what Philanthropy were involved with… and that is why my husband is in a coma and my children are being held captive."

"I'm sorry," I said. "I guess we've all lost someone."

"I know," she said, mournfully. "I'll give you the address of where they're keeping my children, but don't cause a ruckus, they'll kill all of them."

"We'll keep all of them safe," Pierce said. "You have my word. Do you know how many Militiamen there are?"

"About three or four, I think," Monica said. "I hope that you can save my children. There are three of them. Please, bring them back to me."

"You'll be reunited with your kids by the end of the day," Pierce said. "I promise."

"May I ask one other favour?" Monica asked. "There's a large crate of medical supplies around town. Some nutcase took them from a hospital."

"We'll keep an eye out for them," Pierce said. "You're looking good, by the way. You appear younger than when I last saw you."

Monica gave us the address as well as a few blueprints before we left. We got into the elevator, before Pierce turned to me.

"I don't know about you, but I doubt that we'll be able to do this one on one," Pierce said. "Although, if we get some knockout gas we might be able to handle this."

"Or a sniper that can act as a distraction for us," I said. "Maybe send in a midget."

"Yeah," Pierce said. "Or maybe a cat and a robot. Are you pondering what I'm pondering?"

"I think so, Brain," I quipped. "But where are we going to get rubber pants our size?"

"I don't we're the ones who need them," Pierce said. "Come on, we need to prep."

* * *

><p><strong>30 minutes later…<strong>

"Elijah and I are in position," Pierce said as we got to the third floor of the apartment. "We'll kick the door down when everyone's in position. What about the rest of you?"

-* I'll patch you through to Gatomon, *- Kinzie said.

-* Hey, guys, *- Gatomon said over the headsets. -* These guys have a broadband account, and I have names for these guys. I'll send them to Monica Hughes so that she can get their friends that are in the city round up after we're done. There's one in the bedroom with the kids, one in the kitchen with a bomb and one just went into the toilet. *-

-* I noticed, *- Clank said, shyly, over the radio. -* I've delivered the smoke bombs. I hope these can be of use. *-

"More than enough," I said as I got the infra-red goggles ready. "Where do you buy these, anyway?"

"Ask Gat," Pierce replied.

-* Sniper in position, *- Shikamaru said over the radio. -* From what Hinata says, she could make the shot at the guy in the bathroom, but only after someone takes out the guy in the bedroom. Since this isn't even semi-automatic, we can't have it hit the wrong guy. *-

"15 second head start," Pierce said as we prepped the guns. "Make sure that at least one of these guys is taken alive so we can deliver him to the cops. At zero seconds, Clank, deploy the smoke bombs."

-* Ready to detonate, *- the small robot said.

"At that time, we kick the door down then I take out the guy in the first room," Pierce said. "Where, in general relation to the blueprint, is the second guy?"

-* He's got a clear line if sight at the door, *- Hinata said. -* He's got an SMG, though, so be quick or be dead. *-

"Oh, so you're the one who's been listening to my music," I said.

-* Oh… *- Hinata said. -* S-sorry… *-

"I'm actually happy that they were alphabetized by artist," I said. "Johnny keeps sorting it by album name, which I find really annoying."

"He can't be that bad," Pierce said.

"He doesn't get that numeric numbers are alphabetically before the letter 'A' as well as putting them around the shelves at random," I said.

"Anyway, after we take out the first two guys, we get the children to lie down so that Hinata gets a clear shot," Pierce said. "When the clock strikes 15, you take the shot."

-* Got it, *- Hinata said.

-* Uh, should you be talking about this outside of the apartment? *- Shikamaru asked. -* Won't they hear you? *-

"No," Kinzie said. "According to this, two of them were made deaf in one ear, the other completely death, while messing around with fireworks. Also, they're not outside the apartment yet."

"Okay," I said as we got outside the apartment. "T minus 10 seconds. Shika, what about locks?"

-* A few, but a battering ram would easily break them, *- he said.

"As soon as the clock hits zero, I smash the door open and you make the shot," I said.

"On it," Pierce said as I held the weight up.

-* Three, two one, *- Clank said before he muttered Zero. I smashed one end of the door before Pierce pushed it open, stepping in and making a single shot at the guy in the room as smoke filled the air.

"Pierce," I said, annoyingly. "You could'ev shot him in the leg, not the f***ing neck!"

"My bad," Pierce said as he trained his gun on the door.

-* He just got up! *- Shikamaru said. -* He's walking over towards the bedroom door, he's getting ready to open! *-

Without thinking, I ran over to the nearby sofa, climbed over to it then kicked the man walking through the door with both feet striking him in the face, causing him to collapse to the ground. Pierce followed me through with his gun, telling the 18 year old girl, 16 year old boy and 13 year old girl to lie down. As the bathroom door opened, a window collapsed in on itself as the man fell over as Pierce made his way over to me.

"You do your own stunts?" Pierce asked me.

"Do these _look_ like squibs to you?" I asked, annoyingly.

"Elijah Wood?" the oldest girl asked. "I'm grateful for the rescue but… why is a Hollywood star fighting terrorists?"

"Oh, here I was thinking it was another gang," I said as I helped untie the kids. "Pierce, you handle things here, I'll take these kids back to City Hall."

"Wait," the boy said, looking at Pierce. "Holy shit, a Saint?"

"Louis, how can you idolize gangs when that's what got your dad killed?" the oldest girl said.

"My dad caused a gang-war for a property scam!" the boy snapped. "I think that makes him less like someone who should be martyred."

"You're stepsiblings, right?" Pierce said. "Senator Hughes hired us out to take out the men who had you captured. Although, she didn't cut a deal with us, and I bet she'll hang us out to dry when Gat gets wiled up."

"I'll get going and tell her the job's done," I said. "Just get back to the- oh shit."

"What?" Pierce said, before looking at the guy Hinata shot. "Is he alive?"

"Yeah," I said as the man tried to grabbed his now destroyed crotch, before Pierce ran over to the window.

"Hinata, girl, you can't just shoot someone in the balls with a high-powered rifle!" Pierce shouted. "IT! IS! WRONG!"

* * *

><p>"We're setting up in an orphanage," Kuo said. "Subtle, lots of room… I like it."<p>

"How about we move into the church?" I quipped. "Since we're working with the Saints now and all…"

"I don't think highly of people who desecrate religion or the dead," Kuo responded. "If we're setting anything up in the church, it's a refuge centre. The Militia wouldn't dare to-"

"These aren't soldiers," I replied. "They don't care what war crimes they're breaking."

"You're right," Kuo said. "We've got to find a way to protect the people when we're busy…"

"How about an unmanned turret?" Angela said as she opened the door.

"You're already here?" I asked.

"Yeah, and I don't want to cause a scene, so please come on in, before the Militia come," Angela said as we rushed inside. "We've got a basic barracks set up, with beds on the next floor up as well as Pey'j's lab upstairs."

"Welcome," a short and rotund man said. "The Demon of Empire City himself. Bertrand will set this place ablaze if he finds out you're here."

"Cole, we've got a bit of a problem," Elena said as she walked over to me. "The Militia are cutting power around the city. I know that you need it, so stay around here for a while until we can get the generators up and running."

"You need to be near power?" Jack said as she walked over. "Bummer. But if it helps, I got a call from one of my boys, Kira, saying that he got a power outlet running after the Militia destroyed it. He even blew up a missile platform."

"Why is there a missile platform here?" Angela asked, annoyed.

"To keep the military out," Zeke replied. "What was that about unmanned turrets?"

"Oh," Angela said. "I work as a research scientist for a company in my home galaxy called Megacorp. I also received commando training, but I had to pay to sign up… anyway, high-tech attack drones, while expensive, are an excellent way of protecting civilians in battlefields. We'd need a way of getting them here, but a powerful AI interface would easily help it differentiate between friend and foe. Although the larger turrets would be pushing it… if we can acquire the funds…"

"Elena, you could check with Grummel-net," I said. "That deal still good?"

"Yeah, but we'd need to find a vendor," Elena said. "We get discounts for life for helping with an assassination."

"I already know about defensive structures by Grummel-net," Angela said. "Holoshield structures are their specialty, while offensive outposts are the specialty of Gadgetron. Megacorp are best for robotic builts, such as AI-driven foot soldiers as well as blade balls."

"Anything that has a dual purpose as a pet?" Sully asked, causing Angela to put her head in her hands. "What?"

"Some idiot actually did that and marketed it as a pet," Angela said. "Almost caused galactic genocide."

"What happened to him?" Tali asked.

"He was apparently tortured for a year before he escaped and went feral in his home galaxy," Angela replied. "But apparently, a certain phrase can cause flashbacks."

"Okay, we need to get some vendors set up," Zeke said. "How? I don't know how… oh, right! The ARI."

"ARI?" Pey'j asked, scratching his head with his left- is that a hoof! ? "What the hell is that?"

"It's a cellphone mod I made," Zeke replied. "Modifying it so that you could use a pair of goggles or even a helmet. Which I really need to buy… hold on."

Zeke then put on a pair of goggles and looked around, before taking them off. "Good news, there's a Grummel-net vendor nearby. Bad news…"

"Heavily guarded?" I asked.

"Swamp," Zeke replied. "And it's _moving_."

"Oh, a large Corrupted," I said. "Already sounds like fun."

"Corrupted?" Pey'j asked. "Is that what they're called?"

"Yup," Zeke said. "I think if we feed it some heavy explosives, it would crap the vendor right out. Just wait here so I can make some batteries."

"Hey, do any of you hear something?" Tali asked, as we looked carefully out of the window.

"Hey, it's Kira," Jack said as she took a look outside. "I wonder who he's chasing."

"MATSUDA! !" Kira shouted as he chased a man with a katana. "BAKA DESU! !"

"GOMENNASSAI! !" the other individual shouted, while running away.

"MATTE, RAITO-KUN! !" a girl shouted, following the two men while… while…

"What is she carrying?" Liara asked as she looked onward.

"It's called a war-scythe." I said. "It's a very hard weapon to use, but in the right hands… okay, cutting a car in half is extreme!"

* * *

><p><strong>Omake:<strong>** First Meeting **_(Suggested by CrossOverFan97)_

**13th of October, 2007  
><strong>

Sitting next to Jake, I look over my work as I wait for the teacher to begin the school day. "Hey, Elizabeth," he said as he looked at his own notes. "Is this right?"

"I'm your tutor, not a search engine," I replied. "But your working is pretty consistent. Anything else you need me to check?"

"No," he replied. "I hate maths... why is it so hard?"

"Well, if you actually studied at home and didn't leave it to the night before," I replied as June and Caitha walked over to us. "Oh, hey girls. What's up?"

"Did you hear?" Caitha asked. "There's a new student coming in today and Mr Burns is meeting him right now."

"So, he's going to be in this class," I replied. "Big deal. Perhaps it's some punk who got expelled from his own school for being an asshole."

"Not really," June replied. "He moved into that big house just outside of Newcastle. Some guy called O'Malley."

"Wait, you mean the one with three floors?" I asked. "That's an expensive house! At least £750,000!"

"Apparently, his parents are loaded," June replied. "And get this... He's American!"

"Why move to a crappy place like this?" I asked.

"Hey, we've got a lot of good things here," Jamie replied. "There's a nice view, the forest park, the arcades..."

"There's a good disco only a few towns away," Caitha said. "And we could always go shopping in town or head up to Newry."

"Yeah, we could keep him company," June replied. "Have a lot of fun to show him."

"Yeah, depending on where he's from," I replied, as the teacher came into the class.

"Okay, everyone settle down," the old man said as he entered. There was some boy with him, blonde hair tied in a braid, wearing the uniform and blazer in the correct manner, pretty rare in this area. "As you can all obviously see, we've got a new student joining our class. Go ahead, speak up."

"Good morning," he said, smiling. "My name is Ezio O'Malley. just moved here from New York City."

"New York, huh?" June said as she sat next to me. "And that's one hell of a name... he sounds like a badass."

"I know that it's typical for students to rib the new boy but don't do so in class," Mr Burns replied. "There's a spare seat over there. You have the timetable, as well as a map."

"Thank you," the boy said before sitting next to Jamie and starting a conversation. Hm... perhaps he is actually interesting.

* * *

><p><strong>10:20 am<br>**

"So, why did you move from the US?" June asked.

"Well, it has to do with a cop," Ezio said as we sat down outside. "Relax, I didn't do anything, the cop was crooked. He's been harrassing me for over a year."

"So, what do you think of Ireland?" I asked, trying to be friendly.

"It's good," he replied. "Just like when I used to live here. My parents wanted to move back to Derry, but there were no houses available."

"So, what's it like living in New York?" Jamie replied while leaning on the wall.

"Lots of cars and noise," Ezio said. "Perhaps I can sleep at night. My brother is still in New York, though. He's studying there."

We just got to chatting for a while before classes started again.

* * *

><p><strong>1:05 pm<strong>

"So, that's why I'm not allowed back in China," Ezio said. "So, since I've given enough about myself, mind if I ask about you guys?"

"Go ahead," Caitha said.

"Okay," he said before turning towards me. "You've never said anything about yourself, while everyone else has said anything. So, what's your story?"

"She's the girl who's dated the most guys," Jamie said, before June slapped him. "Hey, sis, what the hell?"

"That's rude," June replied.

"I've dated 3 guys," I replied annoyingly. "And Finn cheated on me!"

"Out of the way, slut!" the asshole said as he pushed me out of the way, causing Ezio to stand up and catch me.

"Speak of the Devil," I said as I stood myself up. "Relax, he's just pissed since I dumped him in front of a crowd."

"Yeah," Ezio said as he backed away. "I don't buy it. Hey, shit-face!"

"What you just call me?" Finn said as he turned around.

"Shit-face," Ezio replied. "It means your head is a giant f***ing turd."

"I don't like your attitude," Finn said.

"I don't like yours," Ezio said. "You cheat on her and you take it out on her since she broke up? It was the right thing for her to do. So you can get out of my face before I shove my foot so far up your ass that the water on my knee quenches your thirst."

Finn just chuckled at himself, before lashing out and punching Ezio in the face. "Mr Loughlin." a teacher said as she walked forward. "Come with me this instant."

"F*** you," he said.

"You are close to being suspended," the teacher said. "If you don't come with me-"

"Fine, you old bitch," Finn said before storming off.

"Are you okay?" June asked as Ezio wiped the blood from a cut on his face.

"I used to hang out with a friend of mine in the Bronx," Ezio said. "Believe me, he hits like a bitch."

"Why did you defend me?" I asked. "You didn't have to help me."

"I don't like that asshole," Ezio said. "I knew a guy who got shot by an asshole like that. He survived but... anyway, it hit a hard nerve."

"..." I didn't say anything as Ezio sat down, continuing to eat his lunch. "... thank you..."

"It's fine," Ezio said. "I can get back at him later, since I can easily get my hands on food dye. Your food's getting cold, you know?"

* * *

><p><strong>3.30 pm<strong>

"So, what did you say to that teacher in Italian?" Jamie asked we walked through the town.

"I told him that he kept mispronouncing words and messing up his grammar," Ezio said. "Nothing major. I learnt it from my mom."

"You're bilingual?" Caitha asked.

"No, tri," Ezio said. "I'm learning Japanese."

"Soft spoken, smart and will stand up for a woman," June replied. "You seem like a dream guy."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Ezio said. "It always attracts the assholes, though. So, do you need to get a bus or something?"

"The bus station is on the other side of town," I said. "I only live one town over, though. So, what about you?"

"Oh, I need to find the grocery store," Ezio replied. "Or a supermarket. My folks are off at work today, getting organised and all. Their company allowed them to transfer."

"Hey, do you use Bebo?" Jamie replied. "Or MySpace?"

"No," Ezio replied. "I use Facebook, though, as well as MSN and Steam. I could exchange my e-mail address."

"There you are!" Finn shouted from behind us.

"Oh, not you again," Ezio said as he continued walking. "What, you didn't like my artistic image?"

"I'm blue!" Finn shouted. "You humiliated me in front of the entire school and you expect to get a way with it?"

"You're pathetic, you know that?" Ezio replied. "My brother dated a girl who was a lot like you. Calm and sophisticated until something causes their perfect world to collapse. You're the saddest form of life I've ever seen and simply being near you makes me sick. Get out of my face, you pile of crap."

"I'll kick your ass!" Finn shouted before he lunged at Ezio. I tripped him up, causing him to fall over on the ground.

"Relax, I can handle this," Ezio said. "Just head on, I'll lead him away." Finn chased Ezio who ran straight into the local arcade. Leaping around the machines, he led Finn into the crowds before turning back towards the exit as Finn pushed through. I don't know what Ezio said but Finn charged straight towards him while Ezio stood there, smirking.

I only just saw the 'Test Your Strength' machine when Finn got between it and the person playing it, just before his fist hit Finn on the side of the head, knocking him out. We all gasped as Ezio ran out of the arcade and we all bolted down the road, only stopping outside of the library.

"I didn't think anyone would fall for that," Ezio said as we paused to breathe. "Why did you ever date that guy?"

"You spelt it out yourself," June said as she sat up on a wall. "Calm and sophisticated until something causes their perfect world to collapse. I caught him dating another girl."

"How did you turn him blue?" Caitha asked.

"Well, I asked around and found out he always cut class to smoke in the bathroom the period before we leave," Ezio said. "So, I went into the bathroom while no-one was looking, cut into one of the tiles above the toilet, added a small stick to keep it up, string that leads out of the bathroom so I could deploy it from outside and a water balloon filled with blue dye."

"You are evil," Jamie said as he put his arm around Ezio. "I like it."

"Wait, what time is it?" I asked. "Shit, we need to catch our bus. There's a supermarket just near the station."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ezio said. We all ran towards the station as we headed towards the back.

"Well, this is our bus," Jamie said as he, June and I walked towards it. "See you two tomorrow?"

"Like I'm going to spontaneously move again," Ezio said. "Well, if that cop follows me but my uncles have connections."

"What, are they mafioso?" I asked.

"No, but they've got a mafioso that owes them quite a bit," Ezio replied. "Well, I need to get those groceries. I'll meet up with you tomorrow."

"Alright," we said as we got on.

"So, what do you think?" June asked me.

"He's... okay," I replied. "Although... the first thing that he reminds me of is a cat, for some reason."


	40. Codex 1: Magic Part 1

**Hello Google Maps!**

'I apologise for my employer's… weirdness. That's what happens when you give him Baileys.'

It was one glass! 8D

'AFTER THE THREE BOTTLES OF CAPTAIN MORGANS!'

D:

'Just hurry up and finish those fight sequences!'

Okay… don't need to be such a frigid-

'I HAVE A WAND!'

OKAY! So, I've been having trouble writing as well as coursework and the recent December holidays haven't helped. I not only have PS+ with a free full retail game every month, but I also bought Okami HD. And that was _before_ the 25th hit. I also got Mass Effect Trilogy and Borderlands 2 as well. Oh, if anyone wants to play Borderlands online, hit me up with a PM and I'll add you on PSN or… SEN or whatever the hell it's called. I play as Gaige the Mechromancer with all but 1 of my skillpoints focused on the Best Friends Forever tree, the other used to unlock Anarchy. I'm currently level 21 as well. Oh, and Mass Effect 3. I'm trying to play 1 as much as I can, carry a character over through the whole series… and I had to restart after I made Feros unwinnable by mistake. Crap…

Anyway, here's a codex entry for my fic, if you want to write entries and send them to me and used in the story, go ahead and I'll credit it to you. May cut my workload down.

* * *

><p><strong>Codex Entry 1: Magic<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Magic<strong>

**Magic** is a fundamental force of unknown origin that can be controlled, shaped and manipulated by any magical creature, such as a dragon, elf or specific humans referred to as humans. While the exact nature of magic is unexplained, there are fundamental rules that must be followed.

First, precious metals such as gold, silver and copper cannot be obtained by transfiguration (the magic of changing objects from A to B), so gold is used in worlds where magic is known to have occurred such as Earth or [CORRUPTED DATA]. Diamonds are also exempt from this rule mainly due to the intense amount of energy needed to recreate the heat and pressure needed.

There are several different variations and types of magic, all practiced by trained wizards throughout the planet Earth in special schools such as Hogwarts in Scotland or Beauxbatons in France in set lesson plans:

Charms is the manipulation of pre-existing objects for the purpose of adding new or altering already established properties to either an inanimate object or a living, breathing creature, focusing on what an object _does_ as opposed to what an object _is_. Charmed items or creatures are said to be bewitched and affect an item for far longer than other known spells.

For example, _accio,_ the summoning charm, will pull the names object towards the user so '_accio keys'_ is a common use for this spell. The disarming charm, _expelliarmus_, is used in duels to deny the user access to their wand but can also be used by law-enforcement officers to disarm and neutralise a variety of threats such as firearms and melee weapons.

Transfiguration is a class similar to charms and as such has similar origins. It teaches the altering of the form and appearance of an object. While harder to learn than charms, it is considered mildly more practical in the hands of a skilled practitioner. A skilled transfigurations master can turn a small mouse into a lion, a needle into a camel and a chair into a sharpened blade. Some are even known to be able to turn themselves into animals where they are referred to as animagi (singular animagus) and overcome the main obstacle of transfigured humans losing their minds the longer they remain in an animal state.

History of Magic is the chartered history of wizards and magical revolutions and tragedies, such as the discovery of spells that have led to changes in the everyday life or events such as the Goblin Rebellions, the recently controversial Werewolf Code of Conduct, a law that restricts the rights and gives mandatory responsibilities to sufferers to Lycanthropy (article links to 'Werewolves') and the terrible tragedy of the Witch Hunts where Wizards and Witches were persecuted by religiously fundamentalist Muggles or non-magical humans. Overall, it is considered just an average history class.

Herbology is the study of plants, both outright magic and otherwise, that are known to have magical properties, such as the magical Mandragora or Mandrake plant, as well as the proper care of these plants and precautions of dealing with them. For example, the Mandrake is known to be alive and sentient and will react to being unearthed to emitting a violent and loud scream that will kill anyone who hears it.

A class closely related to herbology is Potions where items are combined to create a liquid substance that can heal wounds, create a truth potion (article links to 'List of potions') or treat specific illnesses. This class of brewing requires careful gathering instructions as well as outright magical substances, the most common of which is the blood of a dragon. Not to be used by the uneducated due to the horrific side effects of an improperly made potion. This can include a highly corrosive acid, explosive substance or poisonous gas for the most difficult potions.

Astronomy is the study of planets and relevant moons, stars and constellations as well as how these planets are known to affect magic in specific, subtle manners. For example, a potion ingredient may require Mars to be on the opposite end of the sun to Jupiter or that the effects of a spell are bolstered by Luna Perigee, where the Earth's moon is at a point in its cycle where it is closest to the planet. Magical astronomers believe that any large body can affect magic in subtle manners due to the Charon relay's being broken out of its ice body managed to affect thousands of spells in drastic manners. Whether this extends to planets in other solar systems is unknown, either they all contribute to the same cycle or each solar system is isolated in this regard.

There is also Defense of the Dark Arts, a class dealing with the studying of dangerous monsters and powerful spells known as curses that are cast with the intent to harm or even kill the victim. Lessons include creatures such as Dementors, Vampires and Werewolves, as well as curses such as disarming charms and the Three Unforgivable Curses. As a side-note, in the School of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the position is itself believed to be cursed by a man believed to have cast the curse after he was turned down for the job on two separate occasions and as a result the professor being replaced every year from 1966 onward to the present day is considered something of a running joke, although the reason for the departure can be anything from funny… except for the professor who ran off with his centaur lover.

There are several elective classes that aren't required but are available from a student's third year onward. These include Alchemy, the study of transmutation and the four fundamental magical elements (earth, water, fire and air), Arithmancy, the magical properties of magical numbers and shapes, Care for Magical Creatures, the study of magical creatures and the proper method of caring for them, Divination, the study and focus on predicting the future through a variety of mediums including the often mocked yet incredibly useful crystal ball, Muggle Studies which is taught to magical children who have grown up in isolationist communities that their non-magical equivalent is like a completely foreign culture (article links to 'Magical Isolation'), and finally Study of Ancient Runes where characters of ancient languages that are known to have magical properties are learnt about so that the students can write spells down to cast them as well as build spells into a variety of items where a temporary charm wouldn't suffice.

On earth, the governing body of magical communities worldwide on Earth is the International Confederation of Wizards or ICW. Each offshoot, before the now infamous Death Eater Attacks of Great Britain and Ireland, had a name similar to typical offshoots in that government; the US equivalent is referred to as the Department of Magic, with their elected leader being called the Secretary of Magic since, while for all intents and purposes magical governments are separate from their non-magical equivalent, he still answers to the President of the United States of America (currently: Barack Obama).

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><p><strong>International Confederation of Wizards<strong>

The **International Confederation of Wizards** is the United Nations equivalent to the magical community, implementing laws that extend across all member states. The head of the ICW is referred to as the 'Supreme Mugwump', a position that acts as speaker and chairman for all meetings. The current Supreme Mugwump is Professor Albus Dumbledore who has managed to hold onto his position despite protests from British Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge (1961-2011) after a smear campaign that cost him the position as Chief Warlock of the British Wizengamot**. **The position is currently held by Oswald Blackfellow.

The ICW has two representatives from each state represent their government, who discuss agendas that affect the Wizarding World as a whole, as well as introduce tariffs and limits to hunting magical creatures, the harvesting of magical plants (enough to prevent a species from going extinct but not enough to prevent a population boom) as well as co-operating in capturing dangerous international criminals, such as Gellert Grinderwald. They rarely step in to deal with instances of severe crisis but will send in Aurors if the situation becomes dire enough.

When a member state attempts to enact a law that the ICW as a whole disagrees with, a penalty tariff will be brought onto it until the law is repealed or changed. For example, many pro-wizard, pro-magical (links to 'Blood Purity') parties have attempted to legalize the hunting of non-magical and non-human sentient creatures. These are often halted before they can cause a serious issue but when a governing state manages to pass these laws the ICW will subpoena the Wizarding banks to deny that state and the politicians responsible their funding. If ignored, all-out war can be declared.

Since the exposure of magical communities, the ICW has begun integrating into the larger, non-magical United Nations while still using their underground headquarters to train their international operating Aurors as well as hunting down and capturing international criminals.

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><p><strong>British Ministry of Magic<strong>

The **Ministry of Magic** of the United Kingdom is one of the oldest, respected, and recently the most controversial, member states of the International Confederation of Wizards and magical governments to exist in the magical community as a whole. Unlike other Ministries to the British Government, or the British Government as a whole, the M.o.M. answers to the ruling British Monarch, the latest of which is Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926). The latest Minister of Magic was the recently deceased Cornelius Fudge, who was captured and murdered by the terrorist group known as the Death Eaters. All laws and important decisions are handled by the Wizengamot, the equivalent to the non-magical House of Lords. His replacement has yet to be announced, although Rufus Scrimgeour, former head of the Auror office, is a highly respected candidate.

Founded in the 17th century from the earlier Wizards' Council, the Ministry of Magic enforced laws such as the International Statute of Secrecy for the protection of magical beings from persecution at the hands of non-magical humans. It also enforces laws relating to preventing magical creatures from both being discovered and causing catastrophic destruction to Muggle settlements. In drastic cases, Aurors are employed to use the Memory Charm to alter the memory of witnesses such as in 2008 when a flying car was spotted in London, requiring the use of the spell 17 times. Since the recent forced revelation about the magical community was so widespread, thanks primarily to Earth internet websites such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, this law is currently being changed to allow for more freedom by magical communities.

Before the Statute of Secrecy was made obsolete, the only non-magical individuals who knew of the magical community included the British Monarchy and the British Prime Minister. The two co-operated in instances when events or circumstances affected both the magical and non-magical community such as the case of the escape of Sirius Black from Azkaban Prison. Considered a dangerous criminal at the time, both Scotland Yard and the Auror office were involved in the hunt for the man, before his acquittal in July 2011 for the original charges raised against him.

The Ministry is divided into different departments in an underground facility, each with their own separate floors, with the Minister and their support staff having the highest office (floor 1) and the Wizengamot chambers having the lowest (floor 10).

The Minister of Magic and his support staff which includes the Senior Undersecretary (currently held by Dolores Umbridge) and the Junior Assistant (currently held by Percival Weasley) have some of the largest offices in the Ministry. Like all floors over the Atrium, it has a view over the large welcoming hall. These offices are on the first level in the M.o.M.

On the second floor is the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Currently headed by Amelia Bones, it is devided into:  
>-the <span>Auror's office<span>, in charge of the training of magical law enforcement or Aurors as they are known,  
>-the <span>Department of Intoxicating Substances<span> which is responsible for regulating the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages as well as enforcement of laws revolving around illegal substances,  
>-the <span>Improper Use of Magic Office<span> which had previously punished Wizards and Witches for using magic in front of non-magical individuals, as well as investigating cases of magic performed by a minor (below the age of 17)  
>- and the <span>Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office<span> which punishes those who bewitch non-magical objects such as a car without the permission of the M.o.M. as well as objects that are deliberately placed into Muggle circulation, especially objects with intent to harm (links to 'Dark Objects').  
>-There is also the <span>Wizengamot Administration Services<span> which handle the important paperwork for the Wizengamot.

The Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes deals with magical accidents and catastrophes as well as explaining the circumstances to local non-magical individuals.  
>-The <span>Accidental Magic Reversal Squad<span> is responsible for fixing circumstances where non-magical individuals are affected by stray magic (often due to an underage wizard losing control of their powers) as well as to those who may have suffered from an improperly brewed potion or cast spell.  
>-The <span>Obliviator Headquarters<span> deals with witnesses to magical events by modifying the memories to remove or alter the memory. This practice is strictly controlled, however, due to the possible severe side effects of an improperly cast memory charm. While the department is set to be closed down, employees are set to receive work in the Auror Office to create cover memories for witnesses in protection programs as well as helping victims of severe psychological trauma.  
>-The now closed down <span>Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee<span> would come up with excuses for a variety of accidents and incidents without exposing the magical community. This only occurs with smaller accidents. Full blown catastrophies are only handled by the Office of Misinformation which works with the British Prime Minister.  
>-The <span>Invisibility Task Force<span> are responsible for keeping important places in the magical community such as Diagon Alley or Azkaban, as well as making sure magical creatures are not discovered by accident or wander into non-magical inhabitants.  
>-Lastly, the <span>Muggle Liaison Office<span> is responsible for co-operation between the M.o.M. as well as for hiding large-scale incidents in the Wizarding World. Since the Stature of Secrecy has been lifted, however, it is now more like a stereotypical liaison office, improving relations between the two communities.

Level 4 holds the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, which includes;  
>-The <span>Beast<span>, Being and Spirit Divisions are dedicated to the control of different creatures, such as dragons and Werewolves for Beasts (categorised as feral creatures), hags, goblins and house-elves (sentient beings) and poltergeists and ghosts, the spirits of deceased wizards (spirits). NOTE: While centaurs are technically beings, they consider the official declaration of intellect by the International Confederation of Wizards on the level or close to human intellect offensive, so they have declared themselves as Beasts. Werewolves are technically Beast/Being, with involvement from both departments.  
>-The <span>Centaur Liaison Office<span> is the department responsible for promoting relations between the centaur communities and the Ministry of Magic. Due to both their isolationist philosophy and general hatred at persecution at the hands of the M.o.M, the centaurs refuse to co-operate with them, so 'Transferred to the Centaur Liaison Office' is a euphemism popular among Ministry employees to describe a colleague being or soon to be fired.  
>-The <span>Goblin Liaison Office<span> is the department responsible for promoting relations between goblins, primarily those who work at Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and therefore also deeply involved with the magical economy. Due to a recent report by ICW Aurors, however, the Goblin Liaison Office have been accused of hiding a shambolically large amount of Ministry funding that had been transferred to Cayman Island accounts and strong-arming the head of Gringotts, Ragnok, into halting an investigation into the manner.  
>-The <span>Pest Advisory Board<span> is responsible for providing assistance in ridding buildings and residences of magical creatures that can cause serious damage such as the Bundimun or parasites like the Chizpurfle. It also controls the Ghoul Task Force which investigates whether ghouls have taken residence in residential areas as well as remove the ghoul if a magical home is passed onto Muggle ownership.  
>-The <span>Werewolf Registry<span>, Capture Unit and Support Services are considered vital to those suffering from the illness Lycanthropy where the affliciated turn into feral, human-wolf hybrids on the night, and sight, of a full moon. The registry keeps all records of werewolves maintained as well as registers those who have recently contracted the illness. The support services helps werewolves live with their condition as well as help brew and distribute the Wolfsbase potion which can allow a werewolf to retain their mind in their transformed state. When a feral werewolf becomes a problem, however, the capture unit will hunt down and pacify then detain the werewolf and wait for it to transform into its human self at the end of the night. The capture unit often deals with individuals who were recently infected or haven't managed to receive, or refused to take, their monthly dosage of Wolfsbane Potion.

Level 5 holds the International Magical Cooperation Office, which handles the affairs of magical diplomacy between ICW member states by sending dignitaries to embassies around the world.  
>-The <span>International Magical Trading Standards Body<span> is an office responsible for handling the importing and exporting of products around the world as well as making sure that those products meet trading regulations in each country if not the whole world. A recent example would be the thickness and quality of the iron cauldrons imported around the world. Sub-standard materials can result in the bottom of the cauldron being eaten away and the contents falling through.  
>-The <span>International Magical Law Office<span> is responsible for monitoring and implementing the laws and policies set out by the ICW and advises the Minister of Magic and the Wizengamot about international law in order to prevent British and international law from contradicting each other. The Aurors do not follow local law, but rather international law as defined by the ICW.  
>-The <span>British seats<span> of the International Confederation of Wizards, which have an office for operating in their home nation, are responsible for representing the British Ministry of Magic in the ICW conferences. The number of seats set out is represented by the size of the magical population. The United States have a maximum of 3 seats, while the British have 2. As stated in the Chinese Ministry of Magic article, before the drophyd invasion devastated the region and killed most of the population, the Chinese had a massive 33 seats which are elected by democratic voting (article links to 'irony').

On Level 6 is the Department of Magical Transportation which handles and regulates all forms of magical transport in the magical community. Due to the nature of this department and the Stature of Secrecy, it is often the most tightly controlled department;  
>-The <span>Floo Network Authority<span> is directly responsible for the controlling, distribution and use of Floo Powder. Floo Powder is a substance that allows a charmed fireplace to act as a gateway between two locations, either for transport or for long-distance communication. A specific charm, which is a tightly guarded secret by the Ministry, is used to charm fireplaces so that Floo connections can be used. If known, it is possible to create a small 'closed circuit' Floo network, often used in large Ministry buildings or schools, such as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
>-The <span>Broom Regulatory Control<span> is also crucial. The idea of a household cleaning apparatus being charmed is as old as widespread magic use itself. The Broom Regulatory Control is responsible for maintaining the standards and control of all brooms made and sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as cases of severe misconduct such as Wizards who deliberately allowed themselves to be seen on their brooms or otherwise came close to being discovered, including the supposed case of a minor flying up and banging on the window of a helicopter. While supervised broom usage is allowed, no-one under the age of 11 is allowed to ride a broom by themselves. However, please do not mention vacuum cleaners or automated cleaning devices to employees as the last one caused an evacuation of the whole Ministry of Magic.  
>-The <span>Portkey Office<span> controls the creation and use of Portkeys, enchanted items that allow for faster and wider travel between 2 set points. They also work closely with the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office due to the inherent dangers of Portkeys accidentally or deliberately landing in non-magical hands, due to most Portkeys being made to look like trash or other inconspicuous items.  
>-The <span>Apparition Test Office<span> is directly responsible for testing Apparition students in the art of magical transportation. Apparition revolves around using magic to split apart the body and send it to a target destination. Unlicensed Apparition is considered a highly dangerous action due to the inherent risk of 'Splinching' where parts of the participant's body is left behind. As such, both lessons and testing require a healer in case of both minor (losing an eyebrow) or major (limbs, bones or even organs) splinching.

The Department of Magical Games and Sports is the body responsible for regulating all sports-related events in the Wizarding Community and resides on the 7th level.  
>-The <span>British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters<span> are responsible for the regulations of the British and Irish Quiddith Leagues, handing out punishments to rule breakers and issuing fines against teams as well as organising matches and tournaments. They also control the equipment used in official matches and regulate the official fan clubs for each team. Famously, they had the team Banchory Bangers forcibly disbanded in 1814 due to the entire team (both the seven main players and the seven reserve players) flew off after the match, allowing their bludgers to fly off into a nearby town and attempted to capture a dragon to use as a mascot, causing significant property damage, requiring a total of 370 people to have their memories altered to maintain the Statute of Secrecy and causing the dragon 'unnecessary stress' which can cause violent panic attacks at 'any given time'.  
>-The <span>Official Gobstones Club<span> controls the tournaments and local clubs of the popular pass-time Gobstones, similar to the game Marbles except that when a Gobstone is knocked out of play it spits a putrid chemical at the losing player.  
>-The <span>Ludicrous Patents Office<span> is exactly what it says it is.

On the 8th level is the Atrium, the main lobby, reception area and entrance to the Ministry of Magic. There is a small stall for the purchase of a newspaper, coffee and light snack, as well as the security desk and lifts.  
>-The main monument of the Atrium, the <span>Fountain of Magical Brethren<span>, is at the centre of the large entryway. The golden statue, which depicts the wizard, witch, goblin, house-elf and centaur in order to show the unity of the magical society. However, critics often point out that the human wizard and witch are the only ones with wands, as well as are elevated over the other depicted characters. Hermione Granger, founder and president of the Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare (SPEW) , an online activist group for the prevention of exploiting house-elves' inherent hospitality which has reduced them to slaves, has even pointed out that the House-Elf depicted is cowering away from the Wizard and Witch behind the goblin as if in fear.  
>-The <span>Magical Maintenance Department<span> are responsible for the upkeep of the Ministry of Magic, acting as custodians for the Ministry. They keep the Floo Powder stocked, hire the cleaning staff and repair crews, operate the lifts and fix magic gone wrong in the Ministry. They also decide on the weather shown on the enchanted ceiling, ranging from snow, sunshine and rain. Famously, they set the weather to a violent storm for over 2 months due to a dispute over budget and pay.

The secretive 9th floor holds the Department of Mysteries, operated by special employees referred to as the 'Unspeakables'. Only 3 or 4 members are widely known, the rest keeping their identity a closely guarded secret.

Lastly is the 10th floor, the Wizengamot courtrooms, where official hearings are conducted. These can include debates about laws, trials or even international meetings. The seats are passed down through family, a practice that is heavily criticized by some due to the inherent racism by some old Wizarding families.

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><p><strong>Blood Purity debate<strong>

The Blood Purity theory is a hotly debated topic that has existed in the magical community for over 2,000 years and the source of racist behaviour, attacks and prejudice in the magical community as a whole, revolving around the unique ability of certain magical beings to interbreed with each other.

The idea of the Concept is simple: those of magical, human descent, referred to as pure-blooded, have an inherent magical strength compared to those who are descended from non-magical humans or non-human magical beings. As such, pure-blooded humans are inherently better than anyone else and are entitled to rule. Furthermore, only humans should be entitled to the possession of wands (magical artefacts used to amplify a magical being's magical strength). Critics have often attacked this rule for a variety of reasons.

The Spectrum of blood purity, as defined by this rule when applied to pure humans;  
>-<span>Muggle-born<span> is used to describe a wizard or witch who has shown the ability to use magic despite not having any magical ancestors or relatives. Most pure-bloods who believe in the Blood Purity debate discriminate against Muggle-born individuals and refer to them by the vulgar term 'Mudblood'. However, critics often point out that most wizards and witches of non-magical descent are often better spell casters than their pure-blooded counterparts. However, Muggle-born prejudice doesn't seem to be leaving any time soon, due to open discrimination in places such as Britain and Scandanavia, where Muggle-borns may be refused employment due to their descent. At least one school, Durmstrang, won't attempt to recruit Muggle-born wizards, even though they are frequently told that their funding will be cut under orders from the ICW if they keep refusing.  
>-<span>Half-blood<span> refers to those of both non-magical and wizard descent, either from a wizard marrying a non-magical human or a Muggle-born. Muggle-born, non-magical unions, however, are referred to as Muggle-born however by the most violent blood purity supremacists. Some supremacists see these unions, particularly if a pure-blood is involved, as a form of bestiality under any circumstance and as such is unforgivable. The pure-blooded individual is, if they disagree with their family on the debate, disowned completely by their parents and relatives as being a 'blood traitor'. However, they are treated mostly fairly by pure-blood dominated societies.  
>-<span>Pure-bloods<span> are those who can trace their ancestry back hundreds of years and take pride in having no non-magical and non-human ancestry, and believe themselves to be a social elite because of this. They often use the word Muggle, used to refer to non-magical humans by wizards as a whole, as a derogatory term and some will refer to Muggle-borns as Mudbloods exclusively.  
>-<span>Half-breed<span> is a term used derogatorily to human, non-human offspring, such as goblin-human or veela-human. However, believers in the blood purity debate also incorrectly use this term on species or individuals where it would not apply, such as centaurs which are a separate species to humans entirely despite the appearance of similar traits and werewolves who are pure blooded humans with a disease, due to the fact that true half-breeds have an inherent immunity to lycanthropy.  
>-Lastly, <span>squibs<span> are descendants of magical parents who do not have the ability to use magic themselves, and as such are considered lower than any Muggle-born. Most squibs don't even have a birth certificate due to the general disgust with them. However, this practice has been deeply criticized by non-magical governments. Squibs are often encouraged to integrate with Muggles and avoid pure-bloods as much as possible.

A frequent criticism of pure-bloods include the rampant inbreeding by pure-blooded noble families, resulting in higher numbers of squibs, birth defects, mental retardation and deformities. All pure-blooded, noble families have an average of 7 squibs born a generation, and that is of the known survivors. While the rumours are unproven, there is a strong belief that squibs are killed by their parents if it is proven that they are incapable of using magic.

Most pure-blood supremacists form dangerous extremist groups to fight for their beliefs, such as the Knights of Walpurgis and the Death Eaters, both of which had ties with the dark wizard Tom Marvolo Riddle, more commonly known as Lord Voldemort. Furthermore, members of the Knights of Walpurgis, who went to school with Riddle, had children who formed the backbone were the children of the Knights of Walpurgis. Most unfortunately, proven and suspected members were also high-ranking members of the Ministry of Magic, particularly the Wizengamot.

The debate has had many vocal voices on both sides of the argument. In the 10th century, Salazar Slitherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was cast out of the school by the three other founders, led by Godric Gryffindor, due to attempting to limit student acceptance to pure-blooded individuals. In retaliation, he hid a monster within the school which has been released twice, both times for the intent to maim or kill Muggle-born children.

While there are activist groups who believe that the exclusivity of wands to humans is an unprecedented discrimination of non-humans, it is international law as defined by the International Confederation of Wizards, even though they have tried to change it since 1964. Every meeting involved with the debate either ends with a stalemate, curses being volleyed between debaters or even murder, so the issue hasn't been brought up since 1966.

In Asia, the Americas and Europe denying an individual their rights, employment or discriminating against a person due to their blood status can result in fines or an arrest with a maximum jail time of 3 to 4 days, up to a week if the cause is blatant enough. It also results in a jail sentence linked to an unprovoked attack, murder or other hate crime being extended by up to 50%. In China, however, jail time can be up to half a year for denying rights, and before the Chinese Wizarding society stopped the use of the punishment, a death sentence for violent acts.

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><p><strong>Quidditch<strong>

**Quidditch** is a game commonly played by wizards riding on enchanted flying broomsticks in stadiums surrounding an oval pitch of 500 feet long by 180 feet wide, a small 2 feet diameter circle on the ground, 2 scoring areas at the end of each pitch and within each of those scoring areas 3 hooped goal posts of different heights. Depending on the stadium, the spectator seating may involve platforms 10-15 feet from the ground divided by higher towers (often used by schools or local teams) or a fully encircled platform style used by professional teams and tournaments.

Each team has 7 players a side, a Keeper who guards the posts, 3 Chasers who are in charge of scoring, 2 beaters who act as defence and offence and a Seeker. The balls used include the Quaffle, a 12 inch-thick ball covered in leather enchanted to slow its downward descent, the 2 Bludgers, enchanted 10 inch-thick balls that fly around the pitch by themselves and attack the other players and knock them off their brooms, made of wood in amateur games and iron in professional game, and the Golden Snitch, a small golden ball with golden wings that is the size of a walnut, making it the smallest ball used in the game, and enchanted to fly around the pitch at fast speeds.

At the start of the game, all players hover 30 feet above the ground and around the starting position in the centre of the pitch. The referee will release the Golden Snitch and give it a head start to fly around then the Bludgers to gain momentum for the game. When the referee blows their whistle, they throw up the quaffle and the game begins.

The Chasers use the Quaffle to score points by throwing it through the hoops, only being stopped by the Keeper. With each score, 10 points are added to the score. Chasers must be in the scoring area to throw it in, and only 1 player is allowed at a time. If 2 or all 3 are in the area or the throw was made outside of the scoring area then the goal is not counted and the opposing team is given a penalty shot.

The Beaters are in charge of controlling the Bludgers, making sure that they do not hurt any of their teammates and also using them to attack the other team. They accomplish this by the use of specially constructed and reinforced bats, with which they strike the Bludgers and send it in the direction they wish.

Finally, the Seeker is in charge of looking for and catching the Golden Snitch. Each Seeker is often the fastest member of the team due to the fact that raw speed in necessary for the job. When the Seeker catches the Snitch, they simultaneously score 150 points for their team and cause the match to end, since only when the Seeker catches the Snitch, the game is over. While most games end with the catcher's team winning, several famous incidents have led to a catcher's team losing due to the Chasers of the opposing team scoring more points that the Snitch is worth.

As mentioned, the game only wins when the Golden Snitch has been caught. This has led to matches lasting from 37 seconds, the shortest match in history, to a match that lasted over 6 months.

When a foul (a player breaking the rules) is called, the only method of dealing with it is to award a penalty shot to the other team. No matter how serious the offence from grabbing the other player's broom, playing in the wrong position, use of a wand or even full-blown attempted murder play must continue, so a mandatory number of substitutes are often twice as many players than the active players.

There have only been several instances where a game has ended without a winner, and this is often because of severe danger or rule breaking.

-In 1814, the match between the Banchory Bangers and the Appleby Arrows ended when the Bangers and their reserve players flew off mid-match, allowing the Bludgers to fly into a non-magical community for the purpose of catching a Hebridean Black dragon to act as their mascot, causing danger to both non-magical individuals but also spectators, as well as causing severe property damage. The team was banned from playing and forcibly disbanded.  
>-In 1908, a match was halted by Ministry officials after fans began to riot after a disputed penalty.<br>-In early 2010, during a junior game held at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff teams, the match had to be ended when a pack of Dementors, intended as guards of the nearby area as a dangerous criminal was suspected to be targeting a student, descended onto the pitch and nearly sucked out the soul of the Gryffindor Seeker before letting him fall from over 1,000 feet to the ground. Had it not been for the headmaster, Professor Albus Dumbledore, the student would've fallen to his death.

Cheating is blatant within the sport due to the belief that unless there is a specific rule, anything is illegal despite this not being the case. Despite efforts by the ICW, players have attempted to use axes, swords, curses and even manticores to gain an edge. As such, there are over 700 individual fouls in the game that is constantly being updated and is carefully guarded. If lawyers, players and pranksters ever get their hands on this rulebook, an unprecedented disaster could occur.

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><p><strong>Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry<strong>

**Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry** is one of the oldest schools to exist in the magical community and dates back to the 10th century. Founded by Godric Gryffindor, Helena Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin, the school has been seen as one of the oldest and proudest schools in the teaching of the magical arts. The current head of staff, the headmaster, is Professor Albus Dumbledore.

The school has 4 dormitories for the students that are named after the founders, referred to as houses; Gryffindor House, Hufflepuff House, Ravenclaw House and Slytherin House. Each student is sorted into the house that best fits their personality at the beginning of their first school year, at the age of 11. The school promotes the idea that each house is their 'home away from home' and by extension 'the closest thing to a family that isn't defined by blood'. Each house has strengths and weaknesses as well as a house ghost, the dead spirit of a member of that house.  
>-Gryffindor House promotes bravery and courage as its strength but recklessness and stubbornness as its weakness and uses the lion as its house symbol. Its colours are red and gold. The house ghost is <span>Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington<span> who is more commonly known as Nearly Headless Neck due to the fact that he died due to a botched beheading and as a result, tilting his head will cause his head to fall off, only being held to the rest of him by a small amount of flesh. It is also analogue to the alchemical elemental state of fire.  
>-Ravenclaw House promotes intellect, wit, wisdon and knowledge as its strength and has the weakness of wanting to be the best at their particular field, causing fierce competition within the house. They use the eagle as their symbol and the house colours are blue and bronze. The House Ghost is known as the Grey Lady, as her real name is not known but a rumor is that she is in fact <span>Helena Ravenclaw<span>, the daughter of Rowena, who was murdered by the Bloody Baron but this isn't confirmed. She is only known to speak to Ravenclaw students. It is also analogue to the alchemical elemental state of air.  
>-Hufflepuff House promotes the value of hard work, patience, loyalty, co-operation and fair play, but most members are known to have no full blown ambition, courage or intellect. It is very rare to see members of this house in positions of power, or even stand out at all. Its house colours are yellow and black and the symbol is the badger. The House Ghost is known as the Fat Friar due to his dedication to religion after his graduation and before his death. The alchemical elemental state closest to Hufflepuff is earth.<br>-Slytherin House promotes cunning, resourcefulness and ambition, but has the main issue issue of producing sycophants or those who believe themselves to have an inherent superiority complex. There is also the issue of the inherent racism of the House. Its house colours are green and silver, with the snake as their symbol. The House Ghost is known as the Bloody Baron, the ghost of the man who killed Helena Ravenclaw and died after killing himself. He now wears her blood for all eternity as penance. The alchemical elemental state of Slytherin is water.

The school year starts on the first day of September, the 9th of 12 months in the Earth calendar year. Students travel from London, England to Hogsmeade, Scotland, the village nearest to the school, by train which departs at 11am sharp. When they arrive, first year students sail across the Black Lake in boats with the gamekeeper into an underground boathouse. Second years onwards travel by carts pulled by Thestrals which has led to the rumour that they are enchanted to move on their own due to the fact that Thestrals can only be seen by those who have 'seen death', whether by watching a relative die, witnessing a murder or otherwise.

Every other student sits at their respective house table before the first years are sorted and welcomed into their respective house. After that, the welcoming feast occurs and all students go to their dorms. Depending on what day of the week the first of September lies on, classes will commence the next day or not (Earth has a 7-day week with classes on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. If the feast occurs on Friday and Saturday, classes wait until the following Monday). The school year concludes with tests at the end to determine if a student is skilled enough to pass onto the next year as well as an end of year feast.

The year is divided up into 3 terms or semesters, from September to the end of the year in December, from January, the first month of the year to the end of March then the beginning of April to the end of July. Officially, classes end near late June, but tests are carried out for the first two weeks of July. Between terms, a two week break occurs where students can return home. Mid-term breaks are often a week in school where there are no classes.

Controversially, there have been serious incidents in which students have been hurt or otherwise put in danger, both in the past as well as the present day;  
>-In 1943, a young female student was killed during the first 'Chamber of Secrets' incident where the supposed 'Heir of Slytherin', the descendent of the founder who was cast out by his fellow founders, unleashed a monster into the school. Initially, it was believed that a Gryffindor student was responsible yet revelations during the latest years have discovered that she was murdered by Tom Riddle when he was still a student. Her ghost now haunts the school.<br>-The British Wizarding War was the main fight against Lord Voldemort where he attacked and killed random non-magical humans as well as half-blood and pure-blooded families who refused to serve him. The school was considered a safe haven for the students and they kept students over the summer and school breaks if the fear of attacking was great enough.

The following incidents all span from the year 2007 onward and all have two things in common – they are either caused by some form by Riddle either directly or indirectly and they involve the student Harry Potter;  
>-During the 2007-2008 school year Voldemort had somehow been reduced to an undead wraith and had possessed the body of one of the professors in an effort to obtain the Philosopher's Stone. The culprit was the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, who was killed when he attempted to steal the stone, and was the first fatal victim over the supposed cursed position in over 20 years.<br>-During the 2008-2009 school year was the second 'Chamber of Secrets' incident where a number of students, while not killed, were petrified by the same monster that killed the student during the first incident. This time, it was triggered by a Death Eater who used a dark artefact to unleash the creature against Muggle-born students. The Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, was believed to be a powerful monster hunter until it was proven that his career which he marketed for fame and money was a sham before accidentally wiping away his entire memory by illegally using a memory charm with a broken wand.  
>-During the 2009-2010 school year a suspected murderer who had escaped from Azkaban prison, a jail housing magical criminals was believed to be targeting one of the students due to causing the supposed death of Riddle nearly 2 years prior. This caused Dementors, creatures who feed of human happiness and positive emotions with the power to suck out the soul of a human, an act referred to as the 'Dementor's Kiss', to act as guards throughout the year. There were a total of 3 incidents where they tried attacked and tried to Kiss the very student they were meant to be protecting. The Defence Against the Dark Arts professor was discovered to suffer from Lycanthropy and as a result was rumoured to be forced out of the position by a Ministry of Magic official.<br>-During the most recent 2010-2011 school year was the Triwizard Tournament, where three students from each of the three participating schools compete in dangerous trials for a trophy, 1000 Galleons (roughly 650,000 credits) and 'eternal glory'. Despite a guideline being introduced to limit the age of students, cheating and political backstabbing among the participating schools' home countries were rampant, resulting in one school having 2 champions, sabotage during the tournament, thousands of Galleons being stolen in a betting scam by one of the British Ministry of Magic overseers of the tournament, the murder of one of the judges, severe injury to competitors and the murder of one of the competitors. The Defence Against the Dark Arts professor was discovered to have both been replaced by an imposter who attempted to use the tournament to kill off one of the competitors by letting him get attacked in a deadly ambush. While the targeted individual survived, another competitor was killed due to accidentally falling for the ambush as well.

As a result, the British Ministry of Magic are to bring in a new position, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, to review several teachers as well as lesson plans. Some have welcomed the idea, stating that the apparent inadequate behaviour of both the Potions Professor's blatant biased favouritism has led to students being turned off from the lesson and lots of missed opportunities for new potion masters, as well as the supposed drunkenness of another.


	41. Codex 2: Magic, part 2

Author's note: I should have the next chapter up in a few days, but until then, here's the next page in the codex**  
><strong>

**Codex: Magic Part 2**

**Editor's Note**:

The following are frequently requested articles that haven't yet been uploaded onto the omnitool Codex application. However, due to a _certain_ incident, Earth web pages can now be viewed over the extranet without adaptation of code but unfortunately the website Wikipedia has been taken down due to a recent hacker's attack. In exchange for a generous cash donation as well as official partnership with the Codex Documentation Society, we are able to publish Wikipedia articles on the Codex at a rate of 50 articles a month. We have started with the articles revolving around the United Nations, individual articles about specific events in Earth history as well as the recently written articles about magic users. As for the corrupted note in the last article, we believe a hacker is responsible because all attempts to correct it have been futile.

So since the articles are online, would that one hanar please stop asking about the possibility of procreating with humans, would an 'Aria' please stop asking about amino group, it is covered in another article group _entirely_, Mr Arterius, for the last time, human war history is a separate article that is already uploaded and before anyone gets any ideas humans as a whole look at the Second World War as a horrific event and the Holocaust in particular was a racist dictatorship using an ethnic minority as a scapegoat for the loss of the First World War and Dr. Solus, no, Lycanthropy can _only_ affect humans and we have no idea what would happen if any other species, especially the asari, contract the disease. We will have articles that users have asked for but it will take time.

Thanks again to the writers of the articles, Remus Lupin, Andromeda Tonks and Hermione Granger who is also translating as well as the codex's own in-house translator Zymandis Koral.

Thank you for your support and discussions on our forums,

Batha

* * *

><p><strong>Werewolves<strong>

**Werewolves** are humans suffering from the illness lycanthropy, resulting in them transforming into human-wolf hybrid creatures on the night of a full moon. The name originates from an old English dialect. 'Wer' or 'were' is a word used to mean 'man' while 'wulf' is the same word as 'wolf', allowing for the combination 'werwulf' or 'werewolf' A combination of both virulent illness due to being passed by bodily fluids as well as magical curse due to the severe trauma being unheard of from any other illnesses.

The most common method of becoming infected is being attacked by a werewolf in its transformed state and being bitten although there are frequent rumours of people voluntarily transforming into wolves, often through magical rituals. Lycanthropy can be transferred by a werewolf in its transformed or untransformed state. Due to the social stigma among magical communities of being infected with lycanthropy people will attempt to disinfect or destroy the dishes and cutlery used by Werewolves, like the similar non-magical virulent disease Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV. However, only in the bestial state would someone who was bitten actually become a werewolf, being bitten in their human state would cause the bitten to suffer minor lupine tendencies, such as a shorter temper or a craving for very rare meat.

In their untransformed state, werewolves are similar to any other human. However, at the exposure of a full moon's light the afflicted will transform into a violent, feral state. Attempting to negotiate or talk down a werewolf is hopeless and may result in anyone who tries being attacked and possibly killed.

There are ways of identifying werewolves in their untransformed state. Those infected with the illness for a minimum of 10 years will have slightly different shape to the ears; with their human ears becoming pointier at the top the longer they have been infected. Also, as a result of the illness werewolves who develop conduit powers will exclusively have powers relating to their wolf forms while conduits infected after awakening to their powers will have their powers slowly mutate to be a combination of the two power sets. Werewolves will also become sicker the closer the lunar calendar comes to a full moon.

In their transformed state, werewolves can be distinguished from other wolves due to the pupils in their eyes, the shape of their snout and their tufted tails. They are often larger than normal wolves and will attack wolves, but not other werewolves. Transformed werewolves will not remember anything that happens in their untransformed state and would attack their friends and family if given the chance but they will remember what happened in their transformed state.

Lunar phases on Earth take exactly 29.53 days or 29 days, 12 hours and 44 minutes. As a result, werewolves transform once every month, or more precisely 1.03 months. Werewolves often take time off work a day or two before and after the full moon and take precautions so that they may not harm anyone in their transformed state.

There is sadly no outright cure for lycanthropy due to the fact that its combination of both curse and disease makes it impossible to treat. The Wolfsbane potion can be given to werewolves to allow them to retain their human mind in a transformed state. It is given out by the Ministry of Magic before a full moon if the werewolf cannot obtain or brew the potion by themselves. It is a difficult potion to make and most werewolves often say that the potion 'tastes like a mixture of grass, rotten meat and sour juice' and sugar can't be applied to make it sweeter without making the potion useless.

Due to the fact that only pure-blooded humans can be infected, companionship with animals has shown a positive effect in keeping the bestial side docile and most care workers and werewolf hunters, as a result, opt to become animagi and reduce the chances of being infected. As a result, half-breeds, non-humans, animagi and CHIMERAs are often hired to capture werewolves who haven't been given a dosage of Wolfsbane potion.

When it comes to space travel, werewolves are not strictly forbidden but rather highly discouraged from travelling to worlds with a high chance of having full moons, such as Lunapolis which has 3 moons. Ironically, colony worlds that happen to be moons are perfectly fine and the possibility of growing monkhood plants, Wolfsbane potion's main ingredient, for the purpose of mass production is being researched by the Systems Alliance.

The persecution and discrimination against werewolves is rife in the wizarding world, causing most sufferers to become treated as second-class citizens. Regarded with fear and disgust due to the inherent dangers of their condition, most wizards have the incorrect belief that a werewolf will lose control at any time. As a result, most werewolves choose to keep their condition to themselves since it would be impossible to obtain work.

The introduction of anti-werewolf legislation into British Wizarding law in 2009 by Undersecretary of the Minister of Magic Dolores Umbridge which resulted in the Werewolf Registration, originally a document used to maintain the number of known werewolves and help with their treatment, being printed to the public has caused most known werewolves to receive menial work as street cleaners if not become unemployed and homeless. In 2011, however, the explosive amount of intrigue about magic as well as the number of people who believe that the persecution of werewolves is unfair has resulted in severe amounts of criticism aimed at Umbridge, some calling her a pure-blooded bigot, others making jokes about her similarity to a toad, to much more colourful insults. While most of these people are entitled to their opinions no matter how right they are, Umbridge has maintained that her introduction of this law is 'for the safety of the public at large' and that the publication of the list of werewolves 'allows others to know the inherent danger of people of such a calibur'.

As a result of the oppression and discrimination, some werewolves have come to hate the Ministry of Magic if not society as a whole. These werewolves often retreat from society and choose to live away from other wizards, but may live among Muggles, or even live away from other humans in general. Some are known to attack others in general, with the ones considered the worst deliberately arranging for their bestial state to bite someone, either resulting in their infection or death.

Despite the frequent rumours about werewolves that have made their way into human literature, werewolves are not affected by silver in any way and shooting a werewolf with a silver bullet will do no additional harm.

* * *

><p><strong>Magical Isolation<strong>

As a result of persecution in the past, ranging from hangings and executions to the now infamous witch burnings of Salem, most wizards chose to live in isolated villages and streets hidden with powerful magical charms that both made them invisible to the naked non-magical human eye but also causing subliminal thought alterations to deter their non-magical counterparts that most people believe has led to the overall stunting of wizards in terms of ingenuity.

On a scale set before the drophyd invasion, Muggles, non-magical humans, outnumber wizards by a scale of 25,000:1, meaning that the total population of Wizards was around 280,000 in total, with most settled in European and Asian countries. The magical community remained mostly unharmed by the invasion, leaving a total population of 278,000. The Muggle community, including biotics and conduits, now totalled at 2.175 billion, still leaves a vast majority with a scale of 7823.7:1.

Most wizards, due to living isolated from humans as a whole, have developed their own societies with social rules, taboos and laws. They also use their own financial system that is governed by a species known as **Goblins**.

There are three forms of hard currency used by Wizarding society, each one of a specific value: the Knut is the smallest value coin and equal to a penny (£0.01 or 1p), yen (1¥) or credit (C1), made from bronze coins. The next coin in the scale is the Sickle, a silver coin that is equal to 29 Knuts. Finally, the highest value coin used in standard business transactions is the Galleon, a gold coin worth a total of 17 Sickles or 493 Knuts. As such, a Knut is equal to C1, a Sickle is worth C29 (29p) and a Galleon is worth C493 (£4.93). The price layout of magical currency is either ʛ(Amount of Galleons) s(amount of Sickles) k(amount of Knuts) or ʛ S/K.

Galleons can't be counterfeited by either magical or non-magical methods due to being carefully made by goblins; the serial number is in fact the identification number of the goblin who cast the coin as well as the exact number of the coin being cast (their first coin would end with the serial number 000001). However, that hasn't stopped incidents where people have tried. These include the use of Leprechaun gold and fool's gold.

Leprechaun gold is the most famous and often used scams which is why there have been frequent campaigns to have the Irish Quidditch team's mascot replaced to another creature due to the fact that Leprechaun gold scams are often used after their games. Leprechauns will give out special gold coins that are utterly worthless and will disappear after a few hours. Most famously, Ludovic Bagman, former head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, used Leprechaun gold to pay out winnings on bets made at events organised at his departments and as such as official betting representation and kept the punter's money to pay off his own gambling debts (article liked to '2010 Quidditch World Cup betting scandal), singlehandedly getting the British and Irish Quidditch teams banned from international events for 5 years, causing the first of a series of humiliating events of the summer of 2011 as well as alienating the goblin community, causing severe tension between Gringotts, who were conned out of thousands of Galleons as a result, and the Ministry of Magic.

Fool's Gold or Iron Pyrite (FeS2) is a naturally occurring substance that is commonly mistaken for gold and as such scammer have attempted to create coins from this substance and paying with it. Most famously, a man attempted to dump a large number of Fool's Gold Galleons into the fountain of the British Ministry of Magic's Atrium, a common method of anonymous donations to research into magical ailments (article linked to Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, sub-heading 'Funding and donations'). The Fool's Gold created a chain reaction which turned the water in the fountain into sulphuric acid which ate away at the foundations at the statue's base, causing it to fall over, as well as rendering the Sickles and Knuts at the bottom of the water unusable. This led to a lot of controversy due to the fact that he had reportedly been paid with the coins by a Ministry official.

There is often a fear of the lack of genetic diversity in Wizarding communities due to interaction between wizards and Muggles being seen as taboo for a number of reasons from the Statute of Secrecy being seen as vital to Wizarding survival in general, others see it as necessary in keeping their traditions strong while others believe that Muggles are 'beneath them' due to their lack of magic. As a result, while Muggles have created new innovations every decade or 2, the latest innovation in the magical community that completely changed the way they live was in 1956 and even then it was '12 practical properties of dragon's blood'* and has led to some to believe that inbreeding is utterly acceptable.

While most Muggle-borns who enter the magical community attempt to bring Muggle innovations with them, they are shot down quickly and as an example. It is considered illegal to charm an electronic device, resulting in significant amounts of charges brought against those who do so for personal or professional motives. Most recently, two minors were cautioned after they stole a car that was modified to fly, drive at accelerated speeds and turn invisible, while the owner of the car was severely reprimanded for modifying the car in such a way in the first place.

As mentioned in another article, the theory surrounding 'Blood Purity' is considered another possible factor as to why Wizards mistrust humans, saying that due to being of superior blood they are of a higher and noble race than Muggle 'savages' which some have considered eerily similar to the Aryan philosophy practiced by the German National Socialist (Nazi) party, who sparked one of the worst genocides in human history, as well as Neo-Nazis who are living believers in the Nazi philosophy. At least one Pure-blood politician has claimed that Wizards are actually Nephilim, the children of humans and angels, the servants of YHWH, the Abrahamic god. This is considered a ridiculous theory by both religious groups, citing that of the times Nephilim are mentioned that they are gigantic or a name of fallen angels, Wizarding governments as a whole cite the mental instabilities of theorist, scientists cite that if angels may or may not exist and may or may not even be able to conceive with a mortal being due to the commonly accepted theory of angels being spirits, and Pure-blood supremacists reject any theory that would leave interpretation of Wizards being descended from Muggles.

Wizarding communities, as a whole, do not trust species from other solar systems and as a result most have strict laws against the use of magic off-world, issuing arrest warrants that ask for the deportation of wizard into ICW custody. While some have criticised the practice two witches are known to have deliberately broken this law, one has become a vigilante known throughout the Citadel as the Jade Witch due to her green colour motif while the other is on the run from Aurors and currently under the protective custody of the hanar.

*Note: Written by a pure-blooded witch from a prestigious family. I'm just saying it as it is.

* * *

><p><strong>Magical Vocabulary<strong>

**Wizard –** doubling as a catch-all term for any user who has received their powers through hereditary means as well as exclusively referring to a male magic user.

**Witch** – the female variation of 'Wizard' which is used to refer to females who inherited their powers. Not to be confused with a female dog or varren.

**Wand** – an item made from items with the quality of making magic passed through it more powerful as well as a wooden protective casing, both of which can subtly alter the method of which magic can be used with it. The wand chooses the wizard, however, in such a way that can confer a simple psychological profile.

**Muggle** – a term used by the magical community to refer to non-magical humans, either as a general term or as a racist slur, depending on intent. Ironically, most Muggles have started using the term in a variety of different methods, including as a way of referring to someone as 'uninitiated' by fandom sub-communities as well as a way of referring to someone with no powers at all (non-biotics, non-conduits and non-magical).

**Pureblood** – wizards who are referred to as 'pureblood' are said to have a long line of descent exclusively made up of wizards.

**Half-blood** – wizards with a pureblood and Muggle parent, pureblood and Muggleborn parent or a mix of wizard and Muggle throughout their family tree. Some dedicated pureblood extremists will look down on half-bloods due to their Muggle descent and even refer to them as Mudbloods.

**Muggleborn** – wizards with no direct magical descent, as in from Muggles or possibly descended from squibs.

**Mudblood** – a very vulgar ethnic slur used by pureblood extremists to address Muggleborns and, rarely, half-bloods.

**Squibs** – non-magical human born from one or both wizarding parents and as such no native magic of their own. Squibs are indistinguishable from their Muggle counterpart except that Muggle deterrence wards do not work on squibs and they can see creatures that Muggles cannot, such as House Elves and Dementors.

**Half-breed** – the child of two creatures of different species, such as a male human and a veela. Half-breeds share characteristics of both races. Asari matings with non-asari species is a close equivalent.

**Spell** – a simple ritual that can have a variety of effects, requiring in incantation and wand movement. Spells are often taught in magical schools as part of standard education except for specific spells that would result in severe harm or death.

**Charm** - a spell that changes a quality or ability of the object or creature the spell is used on.

**Jinx** – a spell that causes minor negative effects to the target, often used for the amusement of the caster. They are irritating but amusing. The mildest form of dark magic.

**Transfiguration** – a spell that alters the form or appearance of an object.

**Conjuration** – a spell that summons an object out of thin air.

**Hex** – a spell that affects the target in a negative manner, even more so than a jinx, and causes a major inconvenience to the affected. The average form of dark magic.

**Curse** – a spell that is intended to affect the victim the worst possible manner and is considered the worst form of dark magic.

**Counter-spell** – a spell that removes the effects of a spell, such as undoing a conjuration or cancelling a hex.

**Healing spell** – a spell used to treat wounds and illnesses.

**Potion** – a magical liquid that is made with different ingredients and prepared in a variety of ways for the purpose of creating a variety of effects such as a healing ointment, sleeping draught or powerful poison.

**Beast** – a catch-all term used to refer to any creature that is, by loose definition, 'not sufficiently intelligent enough to acknowledge magical laws nor bear part in shaping those laws'. It refers to feral or openly antagonistic creatures, such as dragons or manticores.

**Being** – a term used to refer to any creature that is, by loose definition, 'any creature that has sufficient intelligence to understand the laws of the magical community and to bear part of the responsibility in shaping those laws'. It refers to creatures that can understand magical laws and who can be spoken with in any dialect or tongue, such as goblins, vampires, hags and giants.

**Spirit** – a term used to refer to incorporeal beings that cannot in most cases interact with the physical plane of reality who are often the souls of deceased creatures remaining in the living world under their own magical powers.

**House-Elf** – a species of beings that are short in stature and have personalities that have a preference to helping others and providing hospitality and care and are bound to wizard masters who they compulsively serve at their whim. They are used as a servant-slave race by wizards who have exploited these traits and are often mistreated by their more callous masters. They are able to use magic to bypass magical wards and perform simple wandless magic.

**Goblins** – a species of short, dark-skinned, highly intelligent hominids which are renowned for their metalwork, making valuable magically enchanted silver and steel as well as each and every minted coin used by the magical economy which they also maintain. They operate the various Wizarding banks around the world.

**Veela** – an all-female species of humanoids which have the ability to freely transform from a beautiful human form to a fierce harpy form. Veela are naturally able to reproduce by laying eggs in their harpy form to produce pure veela or to procreate with a human. The children of these unions are exclusively female. They are able to enchant males of any species by dancing and flirting, resulting in the charmed males to become seduced by them while their singing can cause one to incessantly brag about a variety of exaggerated ordeals to impress them. It is believed that they are descended from both harpies and sirens but this theory has yet to be proven or discredited.

**Vampire** – said to be of the 'Living Dead', vampires are creatures that are born from the revived corpse of a human who was killed by another vampire, with a pale complexion and sharp fangs. They are unaging and unending, only dying if their heart is destroyed, expoed to direct sunlight (or ultraviolet rays) or their dietary requirements are not met.

Vampires require drinking the blood of the living and have sharp, protruding fangs for biting another creature's throat and severing the carotid artery, the largest artery in the human body. However, they do not require the blood of a single species and most vampires who live in magical communities drink animal blood bought from a butcher, only drinking human blood in extreme circumstances. They are able to consume other food products as well but only blood is a requirement. Contrary to popular belief, religious objects are not able to weaken or kill a vampire, and garlic is only a deterrent.

Becoming a vampire is not a form of resurrection, contrary to popular belief – at least once, the ghost (soul) of a vampire's previous life as well as a vampire were able to co-exist at the same time. Vampires also remember nothing of their previous lives, thus fuelling speculations that becoming a vampire can in fact create a new soul for the body or that the vampire, despite using an old body, is in fact a completely separate being from the person they used to be. For example, Vlad the Impaler, the prince of Wallahia from between 1448 and 1476 who infamously massacred hundreds of people and impaled their corpses as a warning to his enemies, is an anti-war advocate who frequently argues with his own ghost for 'desecrating his corpse' and is also a romance novelist.

**Hag** – a species of savage beasts (technically beings) with the appearance of old human women, covered in an unbelievable amount of warts. Their official classification as beings has resulted in centaurs and merpeople declaring themselves as beasts.

**Centaur** – a species of creatures with the torso and upward of a human as well as the body and legs of a horse, centaurs are isolationists who live in herds in forest areas, practicing healing with herbs as well as prophesizing the future through observing the stars and practice the use of bows as weapons. Due to frequent mistreatment by magical governments, centaurs distrust all humans and will attack if insulted or threatened. Herds are usually between 10 to 50 individuals with the largest on records being made up of 132 centaurs.

**Dragon** – a race of gigantic reptilian beasts found in various places on Earth that have the ability to fly due to their large leathery wings as well as the ability to naturally breathe fire from their mouths. Highly resistant of magic, making it hard to restrain these creatures, they are kept in special reserves to prevent wizards and Muggles from wandering in and being harmed by them as well as to provide a territory for them. Dragon blood has 12 different magical properties, their flesh has amazing healing properties and preserved dragon heart strings are one of the three most powerful wand core materials. They are some of the most famous magical creatures with a large number of interpretations in legend all the way up to the present day.

**Chimaera** – a species of highly dangerous, bloodthirsty creatures with the head of a lion, body of a goat and the tail of a dragon. Not to be confused with the genetically engineered CHIMERA species who are shapeshifters.

**Galleon** – a gold coin, used in magical financial transactions. It is actually made of an alloy of cheap metals as the price of a pure golden coin would be highly impractical. It is worth a total of C493. It is worth S17 or K493.

**Sickle** – a silver coin, used in magical financial transactions. It is worth C29. A Sickle is worth K29, and S17 are worth ʛ1.

**Knut** – a bronze coin, used in magical financial transactions. It is worth C1. K29 are worth S1 and K493 are worth ʛ1.

**Griffin** – a magical creature with the front end of an eagle and the back end of a lion, trained griffins are used as guards and are known as fierce creatures. While it is difficult to befriend one, it will defend anyone it cares about, be it friend, mate or children, at the drop of a hat.

**Hippogriff** – a magical creature with the front end of an eagle and the back end of a horse, hippogriffs are considered less dangerous than griffons and are proud creatures, with an important sense of etiquette. Hippogriffs become angered if they believe themselves to have been insulted and will attack anyone who they feel have slighted them. Hippogriffs are in fact the descendents of breeding griffin with horses.

**Merpeople** – beings which live underwater in the ocean and lakes, although they can survive outside of the water for a short amount of time. They have a great love of music and they have numerous subspecies including sirens, selkies and merrows. Males are referred to as mermen and females are referred to as mermaids.

**Troll** – large creatures of immense strength and immense stupidity, dangerous and violent and standing at around 12 feet and weighing a ton. Originating from Scandanavia, they are found across Europe. They are often trained as guards and have a natural resistance to magic. Not to be confused with the wizarding education grade of 'Troll' which takes its name from this creature, the worst of the three failing grades.

**Giant** – large hominids which grow to between 20 to 25 feet tall and are highly impervious to magic and extremely physically powerful. They are capable of learning other languages than their own as well as the ability to read, but most lack the patience and tend to sort their issue by killing their audience. Due to a previous war between wizards and giants, they are rarely seen and are feared to be close to extinction.

* * *

><p><strong>Link to magic and conduits<strong>

Since magic and ray-manipulation are both directly linked to a subject's genetic material, the two are shown to have a passive link.

The presence of ray-fields in a wizard's body as well as the ability to process this energy allows the two to interact in a few mild ways. For example, a beast-master conduit's powers, which allows them to speak to animals, does not have the extended ability to command animals if applied to magical creatures unless they are already a wizard. A variety of abilities are also shown to only occur exclusively in magic-conduits, such as instinctual knowledge or manipulation of fate (enhanced luck). Also, all wizards who have the Shadow Eyes telepathic ability have the ability to learn how to use a spell cast in their line of vision just by seeing it once, although this is mitigated by how rare telepaths in general are.

Conduits are also shown to have the power of rendering most spells harmless by absorbing the spell into their body and converting it into ray-fields to be released at a later time. This can apply to spells which have been supercharged with dark energy, which is typically used up to enhance the spell, but there is a limit based on the capacity of energy they can store in their bodies. Attempting to absorb too much can overwhelm a conduit, leaving them vulnerable to the spell they attempted to absorb or causing their stored energy to immediately expel itself if the conduit manages to completely absorb the spell. Sometimes, however, a spell can be caught and sent back by a conduit, often with an effect based on their powers. This power is instantaneous to the most harmful of spells including the three Unforgivable curses, the Imperious, Cruciartus and Killing curses. The former two also have a chance of being reversed onto the wizard who casts them.

Werewolves who awaken as conduits are shown to exclusively have the ability to become a werewolf at will as well as command any non-conduit werewolves, leading to werewolf conduits being referred to as 'Alphas'. Conduits who are infected after awakening are shown to remain their human mind when they transform, but become more aggressive. Their powers are also known to mutate post-infection with their wolf state being more powerful than their untransformed state.

* * *

><p><strong>Link to magic and element zero<strong>

Due to phenomena linking magic and element zero, there is said to be a link between the substance and wizards with some believing them to be linked in some as-of-yet unknown matter.

Studies into the possible physics involving magic have shown that a magic spell is "an orb, bolt or wave of light of varying wavelengths emitting traces of magical energy when travelling through the air, moving with the force projected on itself by the initial casting," as written by Dr. Pieter Sohryu, physics engineer for NERV Berlin and professor of the University of Berlin. "When the spell is dispersed by hitting a physical object or striking its directly opposing spell, it emits its energy in a matter that directly changes the item it directly collides with.

"For example, the spell 'Reparo', when observed with a photon sensing piece of apparatus has an extremely varying amount of energy that causes any broken object to fix itself in a time-frame of a few seconds to a few hours, as long as a wizard or witch keeps using the spell, of course. When observed, the spell was made up of light just outside of the visible range and encompassing the infrared spectrum, just skirting into mildly visible light and microwaves that. In contrast, the disarming charm, as red, skirts all over the visible red spectrum of 660-710 nanometers. The intent of the spell changes as well, depending on how the uses wishes to use it, since repairing a cup had a noticeable difference compared to fixing a table, disarming a wand when compared to a gun. However, careful analysis shows that these spells are in fact forming runes in the air as they travel…

"It's weird to say but I think that magic is basically tampering with the universe's 'computer code', so to speak, and that wizards are the greatest hackers to exist."

However, when a spell passes over element zero, dark energy or a concentrated mass effect field, the original effect of the spell is drastically altered in terms of scale but always increasing the amount of energy applied to the spell as the dark energy emitted is absorbed by the spell.

Magic that collides in negative mass effect fields, which reduces the effects of gravity, can cause a spell to become wider ranging and more powerful, thus allowing a wizard or witch to easily repair buildings or even dreadnaughts if properly used. Positive fields, however, narrows the area of a spell and makes it more heavily concentrated. Negative fields give spells a greater area of effect while positive fields increase its raw energy and speed. The effect of exposure to raw element zero, however, is random.

When facing a biotic in combat, magic is considered the more powerful for several reasons. Spells are shown to curve towards any source of dark energy be it either a mass effect field or an active biotic, thus spells can be sent forward wildly or around cover with the hope of using magic as a homing missile. Biotics can however curve the shot in their favour by generating a bundle of dark energy to lead the spell to, causing the spell to miss the caster. Magic will also hit for more power towards a biotic as well, causing a simple disarming charm to knock a biotic back with enough force to cause limb fractures.

Interestingly, a few high-name corporations such as the ExoGeni Corporation in Noveria and Sarif Industries of Earth have shown interest in the commercial applications of magic with ExoGeni planning experiments in allowing other Council species to be able to use magic while Sarif Industries have said that they have created refined element zero through alchemy and plan to possibly mass produce it. Gadgetron plan to focus on possibly creating weapons, armour and gadgets with magical properties through ancient runes while Megacorp are attempting to create magic-inducing computer programs.

Dr Maelon Heplorn, a salarian geneticist, believes he has discovered a method of determining both how magic is possible and identifying and inducing wizards in other species. "By observing a few spells along with my colleague in this matter, Dr Sohryu, I requested, for the purpose of research, if I could use nanotechnology in observing the subject.

"Using this, I have determined 2 things; first, calories are burned when using the spell, but just enough that a wizard can use magic in a practical manner. Overuse could be extremely taxing on the user, so to say. Second, the spell appeared to be generated… within the veins of the subject. A large amount of energy was detected in the heart as well as the brain and over passing organs. Matching the results to a chart of an average human's veins and arteries showed that there was a direct link.

"Taking these findings, I procured several blood samples, wizard, dragon, centaur – that took some convincing – goblin, giant and troll, as well as some species not native to earth including hanar, quarian, elcor, asari, salarian and through careful analysis, mainly by observing the actual elemental structure of their blood, I now know what is actually the cause of their magic.

"It's in the blood, literally. Wizards are able to naturally generate element zero in their blood. Hereditary magic is a by-product of their own bodies creating energy from glucose and oxygen. The element zero is slowly generating energy in their bodies until an age when the energy build-up and generation are so high that it releases from their body, causing a magical accident. Wizards are able to naturally generate between 0.1 and 0.5 mg of element zero through energy production. The element zero is exclusively found in their oxygen-carrying cells. The so-called 'magic gene' may be some sort of inherited trait of producing enough magical energy but not enough to generate full-blown mass effect fields."


	42. OL8: I'll Face Myself

Hey... I hate writing boss battles... anyway, welcome to the next chapter in Arc 3, I'm going to now post Codex articles for the story as already witnessed.

'Wait, what was that at the end of the last one?'

I hope you had a happy Christmas, or Hanukkah or Quanza or... whatever the hell you worship... what do Satanists do for Christmas, anyway?

'Seriously, what was that?'

"What was that about the teacher who ran off with a horse?"

Okay, just read this...

* * *

><p><strong>Hinata<strong>

"You shot someone in the balls," Pierce said to me as he angrily paced in the penthouse.

"By accident," I said. "How was I supposed to know that the barrel was dented?"

"That's a valid point," Zimos sang. "Although, it's still the principle of the matter that has Pierce concerned."

"Roughly 99% of species that have standard males with their testicles external have a severe reaction to injury caused to that area," Clank said. "The last 1% usually evolve to-"

"I do **NOT** want to know," Aisha said as she walked into the counter.

"I didn't intentionally shoot him there," I shouted back. "[Shikamaru-san, can you please back me up]?"

"Actually, we're taught at the Ninja academy to throw knifes and shurikens there whenever it's possible," Shikamaru said, causing Pierce, Zimos, Elijah and Tobias to squeal in sympathetic pain. "Believe me, it's only taught to the girls."

"[Thanks, asshole, that wasn't what I meant at all]!" I complained to him.

"Well, let's turn this into a learning experience," Pierce quickly said. "Keep a gun in tip-top shape then you won't accidentally shoot someone in the balls."

"Strange lesson," Shikamaru said. "Screw it, you want to see if we can save one person by the end of the day?"

"I checked the weather, like you asked," Aisha said. "No fog for a while, but this is summer so I doubt there be any fog at all. As for nutshots, Johnny does it all the time."

"What," Pierce asked, with a face that looked surprisingly like an emoticon on Shikamaru's screen. D:

"Yeah, he once shot someone with a sniper rifle, no scope, on another building," Aisha said.

"That is wrong," Tobias said. "Just wrong."

"[You want to get out of here]?" Shikamaru asked.

"[Yes]," I said quickly. "[Hopefully no more conversations about that part of the human anatomy]."

"[Agreed]," Shikamaru said as we made a bolt for the screen.

* * *

><p><strong>Operation Louisiana 8: I'll Face Myself.<strong>

* * *

><p>"They're going to be mad at us," Shikamaru said.<p>

"I know," I replied. "But at least we can pull someone out of here if we can."

"You're already back?" Teddie asked as he walked over. "What are you thinking? You're not ready yet!"

"We know," Shikamaru said. "We're just scouting to get a basic idea of what to do."

"Oh, are you the two that Teddie was talking about?" a girl in a simple red shirt and skirt asked. "He asked us if we could help. My name is Yukiko Amagi. Like you, me, my friends here and Teddie are all Persona users like you."

"The name's Kanji Tatsumi," the blond haired, leather jacket wearing male asked. "So, you're here for your friends?"

"How did 5 people accidentally walk into the Midnight Channel?" another girl asked.

"Well, we followed our friend after he had a nervous breakdown and ran off and something to do with dark magic…" Shikamaru said. "Oh, sorry… I'm Shikamaru Nara. This is my friend, Hinata Hyuuga."

"Rise Kujikawa," the girl said. "So, what can you tell us about your friends? Whatever you know can help."

"Let's start with the most likely to be in trouble," Shikamaru said. "Kiba Inuzuka. He was recently, and forcibly, turned into a cyborg, but even he was surprised considering how much he looked like a normal human. I fully expect him to be questioning his own worth as a human, even pondering if he's inclined to have less emotion now."

"That would make his Shadow much stronger," Kanji said. "However, they're also stronger depending on how many people hear the Shadow's rant. If all of us go, it's going to be one hell of a fight and I don't think we can protect you all."

"See, our Personas are of a higher level than yours," Yukiko said. "Iff you need to, stay back."

"Okay, we'll go for Ino and Naruto today then," I said. "Perhaps we should split up."

"One analyst and a Persona user each, then," Teddie said. "I should go with the group after the most stable person. Rise happens to be a bear-y skilled analyser."

"Does he make-" I began

"Yeah," Kanji interrupted. "I'll go with anyone. My main strength is electricity and physical skills. Yukiko is a healer and fire skill user."

"Well, it's a gamble," Shikamaru said. "I can use Agi, Zio and a skill called Thunderous clap. I'm weak to Bufu, though."

"My Persona allows the use of both Bufu, Agi and Dia," I said. "I'm weak to light magic, though."

"I'll go with Hinata and Rise, then," Kanji said. "Shika-san and Yukiko would be best going off with Teddie."

"Okay, heads or tails?" Shikamaru asked as he took out a coin. "Heads, you go after Naruto and I go after Ino, tails and we do the opposite."

"Heads," I said as he flipped the coin, before catching it in his his hand.

"Heads it is," Shikamaru said. "I can point you guys in the general direction if you want."

"Oh, before you do," Teddie said as he ran over towards us. "Here. The fog is magical in nature as it causes a basic allusion to cause you to easily get lot. These glasses should let you see in the fog."

"Really?" I asked, taking them. "It's like the fog doesn't exist at all. This is amazing."

"Hey, can these things see past all kinds of illusion?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah, it can," Teddie said.

"These could be useful at a much later date," Shikamaru said as we walked away. "Good luck!"

* * *

><p><strong>Sully<strong>

"Hey," Nate said as he came in to the building. "Can you guys help me here?"

"Sure," I said as he ran over towards the door. "What happened?"

"They've been knocked out," Nathan said as we helped kids into the building. "Sully, I know that you're going to flirt with Jade – don't bother, I know you – but please don't… she's kind of upset."

"What happened?" I asked.

"She ran over a Militia member," Nate said. "Unlike us, she's not used to killing."

"Was it deliberate?" I asked.

"No," he said as he set a kid down. "It was a freak accident. Elena's talking her down."

"Yeah, it's quite a shock, though," Sully said. "Hey… why aren't these kids awake?"

"I think they've been drugged," Nate said. "Hey, Zeke, know any method of keeping people unconscious indefinitely?"

"Powerful synthetic poison," Zeke said. "As long as there's no injection marks that have black discolorations, it should be fine."

"Oh, shit," I said, looking at one of the kids. "Can we cure it?"

"If we get our hands on some cough medicine and penicillin, I could synthesize a cure," Zeke responded. "Hold on… we have to hurry, they're close to being in a critical state."

"Okay, let's go," Nate said as we ran off.

"Where do you think you're going?" Elena asked as we ran past her and Jade.

"The kids were poisoned," I said. "We have to make the cure."

"Oh, god…" Jade said.

"Just relax," Zeke said. "We'll get back as soon as possible. I promise."

* * *

><p><strong>Shikamaru<strong>

"So, you're from a rural village," Yukiko said. "So are we. In fact, my family run the local inn and natural hot springs. If we can start using the TVs as gateways, I'd be happy to put you and your friends up for the night, Shika-san."

"Be careful," I told her. "We may just take you up on that offer. Although, we don't have too many TVs where we live, so…"

"You mentioned you were kidnapped," Yukiko said. "In fact, since you said you were in Louisiana… can you help me find some friends?"

"Sure," I replied. "Just tell me their names when we're done and… what the hell?"

It was a large greenhouse, covered in roses. The doorway in had borders made of sharp thorns and… a bizarre black and white square pattern.

"This is Ino-san, definitely," I replied. "Her family runs the town's flower shop."

"I doubt that it would be the only reason it takes the form of flowers," Yukiko said. "My dungeon, when I was trapped here, took the form of a castle. It showed me that I thought that I was trapped in my duty of being manager to my family's inn."

"Yeah…" I replied. "Come to think about it, Hinata's was her family home, except as a maze."

"Most of these places are mazes," Yukiko said. "But… what's with the broken mirrors?"

"I don't know," I replied. "Only one way to find out. So, do you have a weapon?"

"I have a steel fan, but I prefer casting magic with my Persona," Yukiko said. "Remember, we get in and out, only fight if we're trapped."

"Got it," I said, taking out a kunai with a wire wrapped around it. "Let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>Hinata<strong>

"A textile store…" I said as we walked along the path. "Do you sell scarves or…"

"We sell a lot of stuff," Kanji said. "My mom is a specialist at scarves, sure… but she also makes brilliant kimonos while I make dolls."

"Well, if you can do what you're good at, people shouldn't care," I replied.

"She's right," Rise said. "And we're good at fighting… holy shit…"

"What the hell?" Kanji asked. "Is this a circus?"

"Looks like it," Rise asked. "Hinata-chan, when it comes to Naruto…"

"He's a practical joker, so that could explain it," I replied. "Although… he doesn't have that many friends back home…"

"Perhaps he's lashing out," Kanji said. "Pulling pranks to get attention."

"You would know all about that, then," Rise said. "Although… this circus seems particularly… dark…"

"Wait, what was that about me?" Kanji asked.

"This doesn't seem particularly normal," Rise replied. "Even if he doesn't have many friends…"

"He's the town pariah," I replied. "Most of the adults don't particularly want him around. I don't know exactly why."

"But you suspect?" Kanji replied.

"A few years ago, our village was almost destroyed by a demon," I replied. "We think it was sealed inside Naruto."

"That's…" Rise started. "I know a few Devil Summoners who would be able to easily exorcise a demon. Why didn't anyone just go look for a Buddhist monk or a Catholic priest, I will never know."

"Because 'demon' is used in the loosest term," I said. "It's more like… a living embodiment of spiritual energy."

"This is bad," Rise pointed out. "It could twist his Shadow about, if not spawn a second Shadow."

"Oh, that's bad," I said. "Oh, about weapons…"

"I've got a shield," Kanji said. "Since Rise is an Analyser, Shadows won't bother going after her but she's still a formidable fighter if she needs to be."

"I have one spell!" Rise replied. "And it seals my Persona away!"

"Yeah, and it's badass!" Kanji said. "So, what about you, Hinata-chan?"

"Well, I have a gun," I replied. "It's a big one, but I think it would be helpful."

"That's a Desert Eagle," Kanji said, in shock. "Where did you get that?"

"Well…" I said, nervously. "I'm… rolling with the Saints."

"The Third Street Saints?" Rise asked. "You do know they're _banned from entering Japan_, right?"

"I have got to ask about that…" I replied.

* * *

><p><strong>Angela<strong>

"Well, they're restrained," Liara said. "Angela, that was some impressive moves…"

"Yeah, well, CQC is a basic skill I learnt as part of my commando training," I said. "Okay, explain why that girl has a huge blade, the one with the Goth clothing and Manuela are unconscious, and why you just chased someone with a sword. NOW!"

"From what I can tell, Kira," Claire began before turning to the man tied beside her, "or should I say Raito?"

"Actually, it's Light," he replied.

"Well, the girl is his sister, I think," Claire replied. "And the Goth is Misa Amane, a Japanese Idol who has control over her own shadow. She got into a fight with Manuela due to thinking she's Light's new girlfriend."

"And the other guy?" I asked.

"Touta Matsuda," the man replied. "I'm a Japanese police officer as well as the subordinate of Light and Sayu's father, Soichiro Yagami." Light struck Touta in the back of the head with his elbow, while yelling something at him. Note to self: Find out what 'Baka' means. "Nanda?"

"I ran away to protect you all!" Light shouted at Touta. "The New World Order-"

"Already tried to kill Misa in front of a crowd while she was singing at a concert," Touta shouted back. "Your dad took a bullet for her!"

"Like I care," Light said.

"That's why we came after you!" Touta shouted at Light. "They're after you and they know where you are! And when I tell you your dad is suffering from a gunshot wound, you're so damn cold about him?"

"Ryuuzaki has been stalking me again?" Light asked.

"…" Touta just turned away, thinking about what to say. "Well, that too, but…"

"There you are!" Takada said as she came in. She then started yelling at the others.

* * *

><p><strong>Takada (Japanese)<strong>

"Light, I understand that you left to keep us safe, but didn't you think this through a bit more?" I told him. "Attacking that Order member was a good way of getting their attention and leading them to America but they still knew where _we_ were. What you did was quite foolish, and that is so uncharacteristic of you. If this is about-"

"It's not," Light said, quickly. "It might be… Okay, it is."

"And that's why I recommended going to see a psychiatrist," Sayu spoke up. "That, and your raging god complex when it comes to the Sims."

"That's not something that I can simply talk about," I replied. "The other thing, not my gaming- you knew about that?"

"Yeah, and what about your affair with-"

"Matsuda, I am not shagging Ryuuzaki!" I shouted.

"Then what was that with the cake and the-"

"Dolphin at the aquarium," Light asked.

"… I'll shut up," Matsuda replied.

"Oh, and what is this about you becoming a gangster?" Sayu asked. "I saw that Korean guy, that's Johnny Gat. Light, is it that serious that you started rolling with the most dangerous gang in the world?"

"Not just me," Light said. "I'm… Hikari is…"

"You took her here?" Sayu shouted. "Why did you do that?"

"The New World Order…" Light said. "Cerberus… that's what they're calling themselves here… they've got a usenet we can hack into and find out their leader's names. I already know 1 of them as well as their generals."

"Oh, do you?" Matsuda asked. "Give me names."

"The guy at the heart of the operation here is a man named Phillipe Loren, some French mobster…"

* * *

><p><strong>Chloe<strong>

"Okay, I am sick of sitting around just because I'm from off world," Angela said. "I have to do something before I go insane… maybe… do you guys think I could try and reverse the process and turn the Corrupted back?"

"I don't know," Elena said. "But if we can find some dead Corrupted and take blood samples…"

"What about stem cells?" Angela asked. "We just need a needle and a drill to collect some… where about on the body would you find the most bone marrow?"

"The forearms are the easiest part to extract it, but I think the thickest bone would be best," I said. "So, let's go."

"Perhaps my biotics would be useful," Liara said. "Also, getting an understanding of this world may be useful in the long run." She then took out a gun and went over to the door. "Anyone else want to join us?"

"Come to think about it, if I can get my hands on some good hardware…" Tali muttered. "Keelah… I'm in. So, how should we do this?"

"Most of the rebel forces have walkways on the roofs, so a viable option is running along the rooftops," Elena replied. "Although, you'll probably need melee weapons for certain fights, such as when you're fighting the Corrupted."

"Where can we find weapons?" Liara replied.

"Well, perhaps a hardware store just for the axes and hoes," I replied. "Maybe we can raid a cooking store for some knives… If we go to both, Elena, you could make yourself a spear… As for guns, we could rob the Militia."

"Alright, let's steal weapons from dangerous lunatics," Liara said. "Elena, is this a good idea?"

"Do you have anything better?" Elena asked. "Look, we should stay low… relatively speaking… and avoid drawing attention to ourselves."

"Are you serious?" Angela asked. "I'm a cat, Liara is blue and Tali is wearing a space-"

"Enviro-suit," tali butted in.

"Right," Angela said. "Anyway, we should just hurry. Unless you want to be outrageous about this and take the heat off of the others.

* * *

><p><strong>Cole<strong>

"Okay, there's the store," I said. "Zeke, how are we getting to get inside? The place is crawling with Militia."

"I don't know…" Zeke said. "Hey, is that Elena?"

"What?" Nathan said, before several Militia were run over in a truck.

**CHICK MOBILE  
>5 girls, 1 hot-rod!<strong>

"Whoa…" I said, putting my hand to my head. "Did… anyone else… see something?"

"You mean that time just froze as we saw them driving past, along with a text prompt saying who they are and a little one liner?" Nate said to me. "Yeah. Because we both play Borderlands."

"I… I never played it."

"Oh," Nate said. "You have my condolences."

"What's that supposed to-"

"Let's hurry," Zeke said as he ran towards the store. "I'll grab the stuff I need, keep an eye out for any people who may cause trouble."

"That won't be much of a problem," I replied. "So… Nate… what is Borderlands?"

"Video game, FPS RPG," Nate replied. "Guns are randomly generated as well as a story that verges on black comedy."

"Sounds like something Zeke would like," I replied. "Hey, no Militia. Weird."

"Yeah, that _is_ weird," Nate replied.

Suddenly, a loud roar erupted behind us. Several loud pounding noises came from behind the store, before we ran around, looking for whatever made that noise.

"I don't see anything," Nate said as he turned around. "Should we get up to the roofs and look or…" He then stopped silent as he looked at me, as horror rose in his face. "Oh, it's behind me, isn't it?"

"Yeah…" I said.

"This is the part where the Corrupted attacks and tries to kill me," Nate added.

"One problem," I said. "It's not a Corrupted."

"It's not?"

"No."

"Is that a dragon?" Zeke asked as he ran around the corner. Nathan turned around in time to see the dragon standing over him and stared straight at the creature. I carefully walked backward as Nate stared down the dragon before a flame appeared in his throat. "Oh, that is going to…"

"Don't even think about it," Nate said before flicking the dragon on the nose. The dragon yelped then pulled back, looking surprised at Nate as he stared the dragon down with wide eyes. Nate just looked at the dragon with an annoyed look before the dragon stepped back then flapped away.

"What a badass…" I replied. "Do you normally stare down giant monsters?"

"No," Nate replied. "I just dealt with zombies and evil spirits. And a few Yeti… but that was when I was treasure hunting. Before I decided to marry Elena again."

"So, what is it like to- you're marrying her _again_?" Zeke asked.

"Well… we divorced after our first marriage fell apart," Nate replied. "Um… shouldn't we get that drug back to the kids?"

"That sounded so wrong, but yeah, let's go," I said. "I can't believe you stared down a dragon…"

**DRAKE  
>Mighty Dragon Lord<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Elena<strong>

"And one more screw and… there, one spear," I said as I set the long stick down. "So, we now have to drill holes into this rolling pin then add a weight… then we have a flail."

"What is this?" Tali asked as she held up a simple contraption.

"I…" Chloe said as she took it off her. "In fact, I don't know what this is."

"I know what it is," I said.

"Oh, do you… put something in it?" Tali asked.

"You put meat in it, if you know what I mean," I replied.

"Tali, put it down," Angela said, putting her hand to her blushing cheeks. "Just… we'll talk later, I swear…"

"Why?" Tali asked. "It can't be that… oh, Keelah!" Tali shouted before throwing it away. "Why would they sell _that_ in a cooking store?"

"I don't think they sell it," Liara said as she started laughing. "Perhaps the Militia are getting bored?"

"Oh, for the…" Angela said. "Come on, we need to find some guns, or a vendor at least."

"Sure," I said as we walked outside. "We can use the smaller knives as throwing weapons if we're desperate, but we shouldn't bother if we're in the car."

"One problem," Tali said. "It seems that the Militia are installing road blocks after that little stunt we pulled."

"So, we should stay away from them," Chloe said. "To the roofs, then." We made our way up a ladder to the rooftops, allowing us to get a better view of the roofs. Angela took out a rifle and looked around while I took out a pair of binoculars.

"There's quite a few Militiamen on the rooftops," Angela said. "Some over to the south, some north… and they're completely drunk."

"That makes them more dangerous, especially if they're using machine guns or rifles," I said. "If they're able to spread shoot us, we need a lot of cover."

"Luckily, we've got it," Angela said. "Either a wall near a ledge, an air conditioner or a chimney. It looks like they're sitting next to gas tanks, though. Should I take a shot at them?"

"Absolutely not," Chloe said as she took out a screwdriver and a match. "It would draw attention us and we don't want that. Now, when I stop time, should I open the gas tank with a chainsaw or just drill a hole in it?"

"What is it with you and chainsaws?" Liara asked.

"Chainsaw _gooood_," Chloe replied with a wicked smile.

* * *

><p><strong>Hinata<strong>

"Floor 3," I said as we walked to a large doorway. "Is this it?"

Floors 1 and 2 were twisted toy shops with most of the 'Slave Shadows' taking the form of jokes and toys… but the occasional demonic Shadow was truly frightening as well as the occasional spot of blood on the floor or even the bizarre crosses…

I had to ask about the last one. According to Rise, the crosses, which had ragdolls tied onto them, were crucifixes. It's an ancient form of execution where the victim was tied up by a log and hung from it. The angle of the arms, as well as the weight of the victim, would result in the victim suffocating after around 3 to 6 hours. If there was an internal tear, however, the victim drowned on their own blood.

They had the Roman numeral 'IV' written on their face, as well as wearing the Hokage's uniform.

"It should be," Rise said. "It's also entirely possible that it's only the Shadow."

"Well, only one way to find out," Kanji said as he kicked the door in. "Damn, another hallway."

"But… there's Naruto, right there," I said. "Wait…"

"**Oh, more guests for the big show!**" the Shadow said as we walked forward. "**You're obviously here for the Big Top's main act! It's a one-time only event, so hurry to your seats.**" Naruto's Shadow was wearing a mix of clown, ringmaster and… was also decorated in bloodstains. As for his eyes, they were bright yellow.

"I don't have time for you bitching about some 'show'!" I shouted. "Where's Naruto? The real Naruto?"

"**What are you talking about?**" the Shadow asked. "**I'm Naruto… and he's me. But enough of all that boring crap! Make your way to the Big Top! If you're the first ones there, you'll even get free popcorn at the door!**"

Naruto's Shadow faded away. The hallway was the same as the others, except we could see a large tent in the distance. "Kanji, is that where we should go?"

"Yeah," he said. "See those stairs? Well, we can avoid a floor if we find it."

"No need," Rise spoke up. "If we head forward and into a doorway, we should be able get to the Big Top. Hinata, how many bullets do you still have?"

"Oh," I replied, looking at my clips. "I still have… 32… no 33 bullets."

"Well, we should be able to take out the main Shadow using these," Rise said. "Until then, focus on using your Persona."

"Got it," I said as we ran forward.

* * *

><p><strong>Shikamaru<strong>

"Okay, this is a weird place," Teddie said. "What's with all the flowers?"

"And why are they all roses?" Yukiko asked. "Well, she's young. Maybe her main issue is an unrequited love?"

"Well, she does have a crush on a classmate called Sasuke," I replied. "Bit of a jerk, though. I doubt that he'll ever be interested in her."

"So, she's looking for a boyfriend?" Teddie asked, beginning to blush.

"She's 13, you perv," I replied.

"**Oh, do I have guests?**" someone said from up ahead. It was Ino's Shadow. She was wearing some dress… it vaguely resembled a qipao, but it also had several flowing feathers over her dress, including her neckline as well as the end of her dress. "**Are you here to ask me out on a date? Maybe we could go to a restaurant, maybe a fairground… oh, a party! Is anyone throwing one?**"

"Is crap like this what you all went through?" I asked Yukiko and Teddie.

"Well, the Shadow doesn't appear to their victim until after we find them," Teddie said.

"**Would you mind taking me out?**" Ino's Shadow asked. "**My current boyfriend is a **_**bastard**_**, and he hardly pays attention to me…**" The Shadow faded away, before a path opened up in the flowers.

"Hey, look," I said. "There's a greenhouse up ahead."

"That isn't a greenhouse," Yukiko said. "It looks like a couple's café. Is a crush like that really causing so much problems for her?"

"But…" Teddie started. "She's too young to manifest a Shadow over a crush. It has to be something much more personal."

* * *

><p><strong>Elena<strong>

"Wow, those explosions were…" I said before trailing off. "What was that-"

"You shouldn't ask," Chloe said. "Look, there's enough distractions to keep us from being found."

"Yeah, unless we just fall straight into a crowd of them," Tali said before the roof started to creak.

"Here's a general rule," Chloe said. "**NEVER** under any circumstances say anything that could happen unless you _want it_ to happen. If you do, it is likely to happen. We call that 'tempting fate'."

"We have that rule in asari literature as well," Liara said.

"Yeah, now that you think about it…" Angela said before the roof finally caved in. We all tried our best to land on the ground safely but I ended up landing on a couch, Liara landed next to me, Angela landed on a ruined chair which collapsed under her and Tali was caught by Chloe.

"You stopped time, didn't you?" Tali asked as Chloe smiled at her.

"Uh, guys?" Angela asked as she stood up. "What the **** are these Corrupted doing in here?"

There were two Corrupted trapped inside of cages, both banging furiously as they tried to get out. However, that concerned me was that… that…

"Are they wearing collars?" I asked. "Didn't Cole and Zeke say that they were human?"

"This place looks like an arena," Chloe said. "There's some bones around here, as well as in the cages. The Militia are probably feeding people to the Corrupted… or training them to eat human flesh…"

"Might as well add alien on the list," a male voice asked from above us. "You woke the wrong dog, ladies."

"Well, at least you're honest that you're a dirtbag," Chloe said. "Who the hell are you?"

"The name's Nine Toes," the masked and uniformed man shouted.

**9-TOES  
>(also, he has 3 balls)<strong>

"Well, that's actually pretty accurate," the man said as he walked forward. "Yay for incest!"

"I did not need to know that," Liara said as she took out a handgun.

"I know it's a bit early," I said as I turned to Chloe, "but how about we play 'Carol of the Bells'?"

"Fine," Chloe said. "I just wish my chainsaw hadn't melted…"

Suddenly, a crashing noise came from behind us as the cages opened up allowing the Corrupted out of the cage. "It's show-time!" 9 Toes shouted before jumping down with an SMG and let out a howl.

"Angela, get away and snipe them," I ordered as I took out a handgun and aimed it at the Corrupted.

"They're moving too fast for me," Angela said. "I'll try to take on 9 Toes, maybe shoot through that damn crotch plate."

"Not cool," 9 Toes shouted as he ran away.

"Chloe, buff us!"

"On it," Chloe said. "I won't be able to do it on Liara due to her biotics."

"Don't worry," Liara said as she send out a few dark orbs. When one hit a Corrupted, the monster was held in some shell of dark matter before she ran forward and started shooting at 9 Toes, who got behind cover. "That's a Stasis. It holds a target down for a few seconds… but we can't shoot at it until it wears off."

"I've got it," Tali said as she ran forward towards the stasis. "When it wears off, I'll blast it with a shotgun!"

"Got it," I said as I switched to an SMG and tried to pelt the other Corrupted. Unfortunately, 9 Toes was sending spread fire at us. "Damn, is that incendiary ammo?"

"No, he's using an incendiary mod," Tali said.

"Not for long," Angela said and fired off her rifle, causing the gun to fly away. "I shot him in the arm. That's got to hurt!"

"Guys, Slow doesn't work on him," Chloe said. "I think this is a problem."

"The stasis is failing," Liara said. "Tali, shoot, now!"

"Got it," Tali said just as the shell collapsed. She cocked her shotgun just as the Corrupted fell down. She fired before it could leap away, causing blood to splatter over the floor. "Oh… Keelah…"

"Look out," I said as I pushed her out of the way of spread-fire. Luckily, Chloe and Angela pinned 9 Toes down as Liara used another biotic move, this time causing the other Corrupted to float in the ar around a dark orb that was emitting dark blue light.

"Singularity," Liara said. "Anything trapped in it is left floating and vulnerable. Anything else takes damage over time."

"Thank you," Tali said as she stood up. "Let's take out the last Corrupted."

"I've got the shot," Angela said, before firing at the Corrupted. The shot went through the Corrupted's chest before it fell to the ground, dead.

"You bitches killed my pets!" 9 Toes shouted. "You'll pay for this!"

"I don't think so!" Chloe said, before a red flash surrounded her and shattered around all of us, leaving us in a black and white domain… but also completely paralyzed.

"Wha-" 9 Toes tried to say, before he turned black and white as well. However, Chloe stepped forward while taking ten knives out.

"This will only take a moment," Chloe said as she walked to the back of 9 Toes. "You're completely crazy, someone who doesn't understand the value of a life, just expecting entertainment from others. I hate people like you." The knives she was holding then disappeared from her hand, appearing around 9 Toes in a circle. However, I was shocked by the huge sword that appeared above him, only about 2 to 3 feet off from being directly above him. "See you in hell."

She then snapped her fingers, causing the colour to appear again. We could all move, as well as the blades around 9 Toes, although he couldn't dodge fast enough as the knives shot across his body and left cuts over his body. At the end, he collapsed from the trauma… directly under the large sword.

**DESTROYED**

"I feel like a f***ing celebrity in this town," Chloe said as she struck a pose.

"Okay, we've been in here for far too long," Tali said as she slumped to the ground. "I thought I just saw you stop time."

"You too?" Angela asked. "And what was that whole 'This will only take a moment' nonsense?"

"I was being theatrical," Chloe said. "Do I have to apologize?"

"No, but you can explain where that sword came from," I asked.

"I have no idea," Chloe said as she pulled it out of the ground. "It looks like a broadsword… and it's faded away. Great."

"Perhaps you can only use it for that attack," Liara said. "I got a good look at the sword, it had a series of clocks built into the hilt."

"We should look around then go," Angela said. "I don't want to stay around here, in case this… _thing_ has friends."

"You're right," Tali said as she picked up his gun. "This is a BX-38 Thermite Paste Incendiary mod for handguns and submachine guns. Where did he get this?"

"I have no idea," Chloe said as she took a look at it. "Dibs."

"No way!" Tali shouted. "I had it first, bosh'tet!"

"Bosh'tet?" I asked.

"Even I don't know," Liara responded. "Wait… Chloe, is something wrong?"

"Hm?" Chloe seemed startled. "Oh… nothing. I thought I saw something…"

It just seemed so out of left field for her. She was running around just a moment ago, playfully keeping the gun mod away from Tali. But then she completely froze… "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course," she said. "We should go, though. In case any Militia noticed a commotion."

"You're right," Tali said. "Let's go. I want to see if I can add this to my- Chloe!"

"It wasn't me," Chloe said, holding her arms up.

"No, it was me!" Liara said as she ran to the exit.

"NO FAIR!" Tali shouted as she and Chloe chased her.

* * *

><p><strong>Cole<strong>

"We've got the meds," Nate said as we mockingly bowed to him while entering the building. "Oh, please…"

"We are not worthy," we said in unison. "Mighty Dragon Lord."

"Oh, please," Nate said as he walked away. "Stop... just... stop!"

"What happened?" Sully asked as he walked over to us.

"Nate stared down a _dragon_," I said. "He simply said, 'Don't try it' and the dragon flew off, crying!"

"Did you bottle the tears?" Jade asked. "They sell for a few thousand dollars a bottle."

"How do you know that?" Jack asked as she walked over.

"An incident with a pimp in New Marais," Jade responded, causing Jack to nod.

"Nate, you're coming with me back to New Marais," Jack said with a large grin.

"Zeke, just make the cure," Nate said as he walked away while grabbing a revolver from Gat's hand while Kira talked to a young girl in Japanese.

"Anyway, I already made the cure, so-" Zeke said, before a gunshot rang out in the building. "Uh… how long does it take for him to heal?"

"3 minutes," Elena said as she walked into the building. "Why did Nate shoot himself?"

"Because Zeke and Cole were winding him up," Sully said. "Hand that wonder med over, Zeke."

"Sure," Zeke said as he handed a bottle over to Sully. "It's only a small amount needed, about 0.2ml, and even then it has to be diluted 5 to 1."

* * *

><p><strong>Jack<strong>

"OK, Dad, I need to know a few things," I said as I sat down next to him. "Exactly how deep is this whole 'Cerberus' thing?"

"It goes far deeper than anything I ever expected," Dad said. "Cerberus officially began after the Roswell incident in 1947, when the original city was wiped out by a batarian ship landing in the dead centre of town."

"And that whole stuff about a nuclear explosion?" Gat asked. "Or was it a cover-up?"

"That's when the ship landed," Dad said.

"What are you talking about?" Liara said as she walked over to us.

"What's a batarian?" Gat asked.

"A four eyed biped originating from the planet Khar'shan," Liara said. "There are infamous for claiming that slavery is a major part of their economy and culture so pirates and criminals are often funded by the Batarian Hegemony, their central government. Why do you ask?"

"Apparently, they were involved in something called the Roswell incident," I said.

"I f***ing KNEW IT!" Zeke shouted from across the room.

"They landed on Earth nearly 70 years ago," Dad told her. "As well as several years, in different time frames. The last I know of was… 1983... Anyway, they tried to abduct a lot of people over the years and have been blaming it on the salarians."

"The Council would be _very_ unhappy learning that, then," Liara said.

"Oh, they already know," Dad said. "In fact, it messed up the batarians' colonization plans for the Skylian Blitz."

"If this… 'Council'… knows about us, why aren't they doing anything?" Gat asked. "Since we already know and all…"

"Not the general public," Dad said. "Of course… not anymore… Liara, Tali and Angela, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Angela said.

"Back when Roswell occurred, the world was on the verge of nuclear war, as well as recovering from the Second World War that ended 2 years prior," Dad said.

"Basically, WWI was from 1914 to 1918, with WWII was from 1939 to 1945," I said. "Let's just say… bad things happened, especially in the second one."

"That's an understatement," Gat said. "Poor, impoverished artist who was recruited to fight for the losing side of the last war makes his way to the top of his local government and leads his country to commit horrific crimes against the whole of the country in order to wipe out 'weaker races'. 'Nazi' is the definition of racist, irredeemable evil and Adolf Hitler is considered the pinnacle of human evil. Hell, he's the reason that war crimes were invented, as well as an independent court to handle those crimes."

"So, First Contact in that context would be…"

"Messy," Liara said. "Believe me, we've seen the consequences."

"So, you keep alien activity hidden until you feel that the people are 'ready' for it?" Tali asked. "When do you think you would've been ready?"

"When affordable space flight was achievable without the use of off-world technology," Dr Wolfe said. "Well, after that, a secret UN branch was founded to deal with any alien threat that may arise and cause premature open First Contact."

"Can you tell us anything about Cerberus?" Gat asked. "In detail?"

"Cerberus originates here?" Tali, Liara and Angela all asked at the same time.

"Yes, regrettably," Dr Wolfe said. "Initially, when I went undercover for the Alliance and the NSA into the First Sons, a Cerberus branch… all of us were shocked by what we found out."

"What?" Cole asked as he sat down. "How bad is it?"

"We initially thought that Cerberus were a few branches of the Alliance gone rogue… but they were far too structured for that," Dad said. "Cerberus were an organization _before_ the Alliance was even founded."

"So…" Pey'j said as he sat down. "You think that Cerberus is the Illuminati?"

"Well, the First Sons go back to before the Salem witch trials," Cole said. "Although that would mean…"

"Yes," Dad said. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

"So… Cerberus are the Illuminati…?" I asked.

"The Knights Templar, as well," Dad said. "The New World Order, Majestic 12, SEELE… Microsoft…"

"That last one isn't really surprising but it still shocks me," Chloe said. "Should I smash my Xbox when I get home?"

"No," Zeke said with a smile on his face. "Just sit naked in front of the Kinect and tell them you know what they're doing."

"You're such a pig," Chloe said.

"What about Pey'j?"

"Don't bring me into this," Pey'j said as he backed off. "Sure, I enjoy the company of a nice woman… with some candles and wine… I'll shut up now."

Suddenly, a crash was heard in the other room as two women screamed. We all ran forward to see two girls furiously slapping each other.

"Hey, cut it out!" Cole shouted as he ran inside.

"Take this, bitch!" the blonde shouted while she pulled back Manuela's hair.

"BACK! OFF!" Manuela said before she pushed back and hit the back of her head into the other girl's head and then turning around and slapping her away.

"Girls, stop!" Cole shouted. "We can't have you killing each other while we're dealing with both the Militia and the Illuminati! Your bitching will only get us all killed!"

"Screw you," the blonde said. "That **** punched me in the f***ing t**s! You're going to get f***ed in the b*** for that!"

"How does she do that thing with her mouth?" Liara asked. "Get that black box to appear?"

"I'll show you later," Angela said.

"Take this, you son of a b- OW!" the blonde said, before she was interrupted by Jade walking in and smacking her across the head with a bo staff, then quickly smacking Manuela when she tried to strike the blonde.

"We're wanted by a highly dangerous group of rednecks and you two idiots are beating the shit out of each other over a boy?" Jade said as the two rubbed the back of their heads.

"He's hot," Tanaka said, before Jade just glared at her, causing her to back down.

"We've already talked that over," the blonde said. "I'm angry because she _punched me in the boob_!"

"I'll kick both of you in the **** if you don't stop!" Jade said before she walked away.

"What _is_ a ****?" Tali asked. "Hey, I got that box to appear!"

"Well, another word to add to my 'check-to-see-why-a-pre-space-flight-world-uses-Galactic-dialogue' list," Liara said. "It's a… derogatory term for the female genetalia of numerous species."

"Is there an asari equivalent?" Zeke asked.

"Azure," Liara replied.

"Yeah…" Manuela said as she stood up. "We have been acting stupid…"

"I went slightly crazy a few months ago, I can't help it," the blonde said. "I… should hear the whole story."

* * *

><p><strong>Hinata<strong>

"There he is!" I said as we ran inside. "Wait… which one…?"

"The one on the left is the real one," Rise said. "We have to get him out of here before the Shadow goes berserk."

"Like me?" I asked.

"**Oh,**" the Shadow said as we walked forward. "**Time for the main event. Watch as I blab this all my dirty little secrets to the world!**"

"Huh," Naruto huffed angrily. "Who the hell is this imposter? And… what is he _wearing_?"

"He's a good kid," Kanji said. "I like him already."

"Oh, come on," Naruto said angrily. "This is just an illusion. It's not re-"

Naruto's Shadow ran forward and punched him straight in the gut. "**Try calling that an illusion, you bastard,**" the Shadow angrily said. "**I'm just as real as you are. You know why?**"

"You're my evil twin?" Naruto asked.

"**In a way,**" the Shadow said. "**I AM you. Every little fear or insecurity, it makes up me… and I know why you tick.**"

"Shut the hell up," Naruto said. "You don't know anything about me."

"**Oh, is that right?**" the Shadow said. "**This coming from a brat who pulls pranks all day because he wants people to notice him. And all that nonsense about wanting to be a hero? Are you seriously that stupid?**"

"Oh, shut up," Naruto said. "Is that it?"

"**What do you think?**" Naruto's Shadow responded. "**Oh, I'm just a poor, pathetic orphan, nobody cares about me…**"

"I can't believe this…" Naruto said angrily.

"**All because of that damn demon those **_**bastards**_** put in me!**" the Shadow shouted. "**You want to get away from it all, but at the same time you want a little recognition as something **_**other than**_** the vessel for the monster that ruined their lives! They blame me for things I never did!**"

"S-shut up," Naruto said, stepping back.

"**Oh… did I hit a nerve?**" the Shadow asked. "**That's right… you think that maybe, just maybe, becoming head of the village would make people forget about it? You're delusional!**"

"S-stop it…!"

"**You'll always be known as a monster, no matter what you say or do,**" Naruto's Shadow said. "**But, hey… you still have me. We're one and the same, right?**"

"No…" Naruto started. "You're not… you're…"

"Naruto, don't say it!" I shouted, running forward.

"YOU'RE NOT ME!" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs, before an explosion of darkness surrounded us all.

"**Hahaha! HAHAHAHAHA!**"

I could vaguely see Naruto falling to the ground, as I ran over and pulled him out of the way. "This isn't good," Kanji said. "He managed to repress his Shadow, but when he finally lost it…"

"I'll stay near to your friend," Rise said. "Focus on keeping it busy until Naruto can calm down."

"Hinata, stay back and use your guns," Kanji said as he held up his shield. "I'll focus on close range fighting."

"Got it," I said, making sure my gun was loaded.

* * *

><p>"There she is!" I shouted as we all ran forward. "Ino-chan!"<p>

"Looking for me?" Ino said, smiling sadly. "I guess that's what we do for each other… look out for our own…"

"Excuse me," Teddie said as he walked forward. "Are you okay?"

"…I…" Ino tried to say. "I…"

"**I don't give a crap that you think I'm okay!**" another voice said.

"So, you're Ino's Shadow, then?" I asked.

"**Bingo**," she Shadow said. She was wearing a dress that was made up of roses, it was quite nice but… the thorns digging into her flesh were kind of a turn-off. "**How do you like the outfit? The last time I appeared, the roses were… smaller.**"

"Wait, what do you mean 'the last time'?" Yukiko asked.

"This… isn't the first time I've entered the Shadow Realm," Ino said.

"What! ?" I blurted out.

"**And that bitch ignored me,**" Shadow Ino said. "**Can you believe the nerve of her?**"

"Shut the hell up!" Ino shouted, throwing a kunai at her Shadow. It passed straight through her head, though, causing the Shadow to smirk at her.

"**Oh, look at me, just a poor and desperate young girl, trying to get the man of my dreams,**" Shadow Ino said. "**Does this make my chest look big?**"

"No, because you're only 13!" Teddie said.

"Wait… is this about a crush?" Yukiko asked.

"Wait… Sasuke?" I asked.

"**Oh…**" the Shadow started chucking when she said that. "**Yes… how did you know?**"

"Everyone except Hinata is mad for that jerk, and she has a crush on Naruto," I replied.

"**He's mine!**" Ino shouted. "**No-one will get in the way between me and my man, friend **_**or**_** foe… hell, they may be one in the same.**"

"…Oh, crap!"

It's not her crush on Sasuke that Ino's Shadow is terrorising her about… it's _Sakura_!

"**That bitch thinks she can take my dear Sasuke away from me?**" Shadow Ino shouted. "**To hell with that pig! I'll kick her ass if she tries!**"

"N-no…" Ino said, starting to get angry.

"**Sakura thinks she has a chance?**" Shadow Ino bellowed. "**Yeah right! Why the hell was I ever friends with her?**"

"I-It's true that I felt like that…" Ino said. "But not anymore!"

"**That's a lie,**" Shadow Ino said. "**She's a shrill, lying, pompous pig! But we both know that… you remember why, right?**"

"Don't you dare…"

"**We're both sides of the same coin,**" the Shadow said. "**We're on in the same.**"

"No… you're…"

I tried to call out to her, "Ino-san, DON'T!"

But it was too late… "You're not me!"

"**Ha… hahaha…HAHAHAHA!**"

* * *

><p>Naruto's Shadow now looked like a giant monster… it was a long, tall monster that appeared on two legs, that was actually two legs fused together, facing separate ways. At the end of these legs were huge blades that faced both ways. It had a large stalk that had several emotions on them… joy, sadness, glee, fear… and rage, the only one with 2 yellow eyes. It was holding three juggling bats that had kunais on one end and blunt batons at the other. The arms were like paper, folding in and out to juggle the batons around. Each was either on fire, covered in electricity or emitting a darkness.<p>

"**I am a Shadow, the true self**," the Shadow said, causing the eyes to shift to the 'happy face'. "**It's all part of the show and you're being asked to take part!**"

It threw one of the batons straight up, causing a magical seal to form before me, but… it didn't seem to do anything to me.

"That's mudo," Rise said. "I'm surprised the Shadows haven't used it up to this point. It only has a 1 in 4 chance of hitting, but it will knock you out if you don't have the right protection against it. Now, according to Weakness Scan, the Shadow is weak to Bufu magic, but it also has a chance of repelling spells."

"Thanks, Rise-chan," I said before summoning my card. "Let's hope this works… Lenusia!" My persona appeared around me and cast Tarukaja on Kanji.

"Thanks," Kanji said. "Alright, I doubt that I can attack him with Zio skills, so I'll focus on physical…  
>Daikoru Tenmaoh!" Kanji shouted, causing his Persona to appear. "Fatal End!" Kanji's Persona charged forward and smacked Naruto's Shadow with his bolt, causing him to step back.<p>

"**Agi!**" Shadow Naruto shouted, causing a burst of flames to appear around me, causing me to fall over on my back.

"Damn…" I muttered, before trying to get back up. The Shadow, however, sent a lightning bolt to Kanji, who ignored the attack.

"Bufu," I called, sending a shard of ice towards the Shadow and knocking it down. "Should we go for it?"

"Hell yeah!" Kanji shouted, before we ran forward and rushed the Shadow.

When it pushed us off, it sent several curses towards us, causing Kanji and I to jump around the battlefield, before the Shadow gave Kanji an opportunity for an attack, where he threw his chair…

"**Ooh…**"

There…

"Hinata, he's left an opening," Rise shouted. "Shoot him, now!"

"I'm on it," I called, running over towards a wall, running up the Shadow then kicking off of its face, shooting it as I did so, causing the Shadow to fall over.

"It's down, let's rock!" Kanji shouted, before we rushed the Shadow, causing one of its faces, that of joy, to crack and the level holding it to disappear. "So, we should aim for the head?" Kanji asked. "Hey, Hinata, got any other guns?"

"I only have the one gun," I said. "If you knock it down, I'll go for the faces."

"On it," Kanji said, dodging more attacks as he ran over towards the Shadow. He got lucky and ran up its arm, smacking the Shadow square in the face, cracking the face of sadness. "Go for it!"

"Persona!" I called, casting bufu and causing the Shadow to fall over, leaving it open. "This is easier than I expected, really."

"Well, don't count your luck yet," Kanji said. "Let's tackle him!"

We once again rushed the Shadow… but he launched a counter-attack and left us stunned, before sending magic towards us.

"**Is that what you want?**" the Shadow shouted, his glowing eyes on his angry face. "**You bastards… I won't give up so easily! Paradigm Shift!**"

"W-what did it do?" Kanji asked, before the Shadow started sending out a barrage of spells, knocking us over.

"A-are you okay?" Rise asked, running forward. "I think I know what it did… that's Paradigm Shift, it changes the Shadow's weaknesses."

"What?" Kanji asked, horrified.

"Kanji-kun, he's probably susceptible to electricity now," Rise said.

"Oh," Kanji muttered, before summoning his Persona and casting Zio, causing the Shadow to fall over.

"Both of its faces are cracked," I shouted. "We'll have this over in a moment if we focus…"

"Look out!" Rise shouted just as the Shadow leapt upward.

"**You think that's it? You don't know anything… I'LL KILL YOU ALL BEFORE YOU BEAT ME!**"

The Shadow sent out a large number of curses and spells, causing both Kanji and I to fall backward, stunned and I was knocked unconscious. When I came to, Kanji was bleeding heavily and Rise was trying to fight off the Shadow using my gun, managing to shoot one of the faces and destroy it.

"Hina-chan, help Kanji-kun!" Rise told me.

"I'm on it," I said, running over and trying to heal him. I couldn't get him to awaken, but the bleeding stopped and I somehow knew he wouldn't die from his injuries. "He's okay… we've got to get out of here."

"We can't… the Shadow will chase us to the entrance!" Rise said.

"Damn, what do we do?" I asked, just as I managed to stand up.

"**And now… the Big Finale!**" the Shadow shouted at us, just as it leapt at us, about to crush us with the large blades on its baton hilts.

"Oh, crap…" I said just before the Shadow hit us.

"Don't you dare, you bastard!" Naruto shouted, taking out a sword and lunging at the Shadow. He caught the attack in the air, smacking it out of the way before striking the Shadow straight in the face.

"**Oh… no…**"

The Shadow exploded into a cloud of darkness, before its base form fell to the ground, exhausted. Kanji just managed to wake up, but was groaning in pain. "Damn… what happened?"

"We got our asses kicked and Rise-chan had to save us," I told him.

"…Please don't tell Yosuke…" Kanji said, whiningly.

"Don't worry, I won't let him know," Rise said. "Yosuke would tease you for months because you got saved by an idol."

"If it helps, she bought time for me to heal you, and I'm actually trained as a ninja," I said.

"Yeah?" Kanji asked. "His Persona used to be Jiraiya before it evolved into Susano-o, so that won't help my case."

"Naruto-kun, are you okay?" Rise asked, walking over to him.

"You're not… you're…"

"That's your Shadow, kid," Kanji said as I helped him up. "It's everything you hate about yourself… or don't want people to know. But I like ya… you actually took out your Shadow in its berserk state."

"I saw you were in danger, and I just… lunged," Naruto said. "Facing yourself isn't easy, is it?"

"Not by a long shot…" Rise said, with a weak smile.

"Damn… I knew what it said was true but…"

"You were ashamed to recognize your own faults even though they were being thrown in your face," I said. "That's normal…"

"I'm a prankster… but people don't pay attention to me if I don't do something outrageous," Naruto said.

"Does that stuff about a monster trapped inside of you have anything to do with it?" Kanji asked.

"No- …Ye- …I don't know anymore!" He shouted, before breaking down onto the floor. "I didn't even know about it until the day my only friend was almost killed protecting me!"

"What about Ino, or Shikamaru or Kiba?" I asked him. "They're your friends… and what about me?"

"He… Iruka-sensei was the only person to really… 'get me', you know?"

"Because you were both orphans, and he was the only teacher at the academy ready to give you reason for a doubt?"

"Damn…" Naruto said. "Caught up in all of this whole 'shadow' nonsense that I've practically blinded myself…" He then stood up and looked at the Shadow. "I won't let the demon being inside me be the thing that people think about when they hear the name 'Naruto Uzumaki'… not 'Vessel' but 'Hero', 'Warrior', 'Protector'… I think I get it now. 'Shadow', a dark reflection. So technically we're the same thing, right?"

The Shadow's eyes went wide as he was covered in a light that caused the very body to shatter away in pieces as a new being appeared, dressed as a ninja but with a weird bright coloured design as well as wolf motif. Blue and orange… suits Naruto well.

"Loki… nice name…" Naruto said, smiling as he fainted.

"Naruto-kun!" I shouted as I ran over.

"He's just tired," Rise said as she walked over. For whatever reason, I suddenly fainted too but not without hearing one more things from Rise. "Seems that you are as well."

* * *

><p>"<strong>I am a Shadow, the true self,<strong>" Shadow Ino said. "**Nothing will stand in the way of my love… Not that Pig or you!**"

"Ah, the folly of young love," Teddie said. "But we need to focus."

"All this, over a boy… I'm glad Chie and I never had to deal with this," Yukiko said. "Ametarasu!" She called out, causing her Persona to appear and set the Shadow on fire, knocking it down.

Ino's Shadow had her central body still wearing the dress as normal, except from the waist down she looked like a giant petal, with a stalk leading into the ground with two smaller flowers coming off at separate parts. I know it's supposed to be symbolic of the 'Rose her love is supposed to take' but it seems like the designer was just lazy… or has a weird fear of roses.

[A/N: The f*** did you just say?]

It seems kinda lazy… did you even watch the anime? Ino's family run a flowershop!

[A/N: Well I'm sorry that I had to watch the show on Jetix since the European executives hated the f***ing program, pushing it to the worst time slots and then cancelling the show! And as for the 'Roses' comment, have you ever been thrown onto a rose bush by a guy twice your weight because he was a massive d**k? I f***ing doubt it!]

Well, why don't you watch One Piece, you bastard!

[A/N: The same reason I stopped watching Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh, before I realised Ash was a blithering idiot Marty Stu. The dub was done by 4Kids!]

…Damn… sucks to be you…

[A/N: Just hurry up.]

Sorry… "Damn!"

The Shadow was just barely able to hit me with its flower bud which caused the tiling below me to completely shatter.

"Well, that's what happens when you and the author get into an argument!" Teddie shouted at me.

"Okay… Zio!" I shouted, causing my Persona to appear and strike the main body, causing it to resist the attack.

"While you and res were fighting, the Shadow raised a barrier," Yukiko said. "We have to attack the two arms first." Yukiko then dodged an attack before summoning her Persona, causing one of the limbs to burst into flames and fall to the ground.

"It's weak to fire!" Teddie shouted. "Yukiko, go for one more!"

"Persona!" Yukiko called, sending her Persona to devastate the other flower head. "Damn, it's not working."

"Wait…" I said, looking at the Shadow. "The other head is… weak to Dia…?"

"**No!**" the Shadow shouted. "**Not my Zombie Bud! You bastard!**"

"Anyone got a phoenix down?" I asked, with a smile.

"No, but I have a skill that would help," Yukiko said. "Give me an opening!"

"On it," I said, grabbing my kunai and twirling it in anticipation.

Zombie Bud then sent out an odorous liquid at me that I just barely dodged which was fortunate since it was eating into the plants that it did hit. The other bud sent out Bufu towards me, hitting me and sending me reeling. "Gah!"

"Shika-san!" Teddie called out. "Are you okay?"

"Sure, I'm- Agh!" I tried to say. The Ice Bud threw its body downward at me in order to crush me, catching my left hand in the process. "That's it…"

"Shikamaru, be careful," Yukiko said. "I'll heal you-"

"No, you'll kill that rosebud," I said. "Okay, Thunderbird… Agi!" My Persona appeared to me, sending a burst of flames at the Ice Bud, causing it to fall over in shock. "Dia!" I commanded it, causing the bones in my hand to slowly heal. "Go for it!"

"Diarahan!" Yukiko shouted, causing her Persona to send a healing spell on the Zombie Bud, causing it to wither away instantly. "Agidyne!" She cast, causing a huge burst of heat to completely destroy the other bud instantly.

"Whoa… you've been holding out, Yukiko-san," I said in amazement. "Thunderbird, please tell me you can do that one day!"

"Your Persona's sentient?" Yukiko asked.

"Now, all we have to do is take down the main body," Teddie said.

[A/N: Yes, I know that you can't use healing spells on an enemy in Persona 4, but the Zombie Bud wasn't my-]

"RES! !"

[A/N: My bad! Here!]

"What the…" Teddie asked. "Was that an anvil?"

"Thank you," Yukiko shouted upward, gerturing a wave.

"Well… you can't hate that," I said weakly. "Okay, A-" _It's weak to ice!_ "Huh?" I then turned to Teddie, who was standing over an unconscious Ino. "Teddie, you're up!"

"Need an ice storm?" he asked.

"Yup," I said.

"Bufudyne!" Teddie called out as a Tarot card appeared over him. "Kamui!" Teddie then sent out his Persona to send a large block of ice at the Shadow, causing it to fall over. "It's down!"

"Well, hit it again!" Yukiko shouted.

"Bear-sona!" Teddie called out, before the the Shadow was hit again.

"**You… bastards…**" The Shadow shouted, before it dissolved into nothingness.

"Well… that went well," I said, before letting the pain in my arm overtake me. "Damn…"

"Let me get that," Yukiko said as she walked over, summoning her Persona and holding my arm out as her Persona held its hands over my fractured arm, mending the bone.

"I'm out of my league with this 'Persona' stuff, aren't I?" I asked.

"Since you're evidently a wild card, you've got a lot to learn," Yukiko said. "As long as you trust your friends, both they and you will grow stronger together. If it weren't for my friends I'd be dead myself."

"Hey, she's coming to," Teddie said as I ran over.

"Ino-chan, are you okay?" I asked, as I ran over to her. "Say something!"

"…My head…" Ino said. "Wait… where's Sakura? Don't tell me she's gone again!"

"What?" I asked.

"Sakura's here!" Ino shouted as she jumped right up. "She's probably in danger, I need to save her, tell her-"

"You're sorry for letting your affections for a boy get the better of you?" Yukiko asked.

"Y-yeah…" Ino said. "But, she's in danger, I can't-"

"She'll be safe as long as the fog doesn't appear in your world," Teddie said. "You just need to calm down."

"I…" Ino said before realising her Shadow was only just behind her. "I don't really understand you. You appeared to me a year or two ago when I was practicing my family's secret jutsus… and you scared the crap out of me. I was unconscious for a week because of that."

"It's your Shadow, Ino," I said to her, walking forward. "It's… the darkness of your heart made manifest. So, since you hate Sakura-"

"No, I don't hate her… I do… I don't know!" She said before collapsing to the ground. "I lost my best friend because of a stupid argument! I know you're a part of me, and I'm a horrible person for letting it be a part of me! I just want my friend back…" She was now curled up with her face in her knees with her arms wrapped around.

I wanted to walk forward and console her, but Yukiko stopped me. "Hey, what the hell?"

"Look," she said, pointing at her Shadow.

Her Shadow was walking forward, leaning down… and then it hugged her. She was completely shocked by this. Then, it began to fade away, as light encompassed Ino. "…What?"

Her Persona appeared above her, using its hands to help her stand up. Its body was made up of a plant stalk that had a humanoid design, with its face being part of the central flower. With a smile, it faded away as a card, the Lovers, appeared over her… and she collapsed to the ground.

"Ino!" I shouted as I ran forward. "Don't worry, we'll get you out of here."

"And Sakura?" Ino asked.

"We'll save her, I promise," I replied with a smile. "I intend to keep that promise."

"Thank you…" Ino said, before falling asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Side story: Gun Control<strong>

"OK, Draco," I said as I stood in a field with him, making sure that he wasn't touching any of the guns, "What do you know about firearms?"

"They're… they're like wands," Draco said. "They can only use one spell, though… I think."

"Baka desu," I said. "Here's how it works," I began while taking a bullet out of one of the guns. "This bullet is made up of three things, a casing, slug – that's what is actually expelled from the gun – and black powder which sends the bullet flying through the air. A shotgun shell is similar, except it has smaller balls and is a spread-shot. Are you following this okay?"

"Sure," Draco said. "So, why do we need this large hunk of metal?"

"There's a hammer which actually strikes the bottom of the casing, igniting the gunpowder," I said. "Then, the slug travels down the barrel and travels in a straight line. In theory…"

"What?"

"Just…" I said as I walked forward. "First off, let's practice disarming a firearm. See this latch on the end of the gun? Hold it down and let the magazine, which holds all of the bullets, fall out."

Surprisingly, Draco was able to pull it off easily by holding the gun up and pulling the magazine out. He then set the gun and magazine down on a table that I had set up.

"Okay, but there's one thing we need to do before we're done emptying the gun," I said. "As a design choice, there's still one more bullet left in the gun, so we have to… - Draco, get your hands off the trig-"

***BANG***

"Draco," I said, wearily. "Put. The gun. Down."

"Yo-You turned into a cat…"

"I DON'T F***ING CARE ABOUT THAT! !"

* * *

><p>"Okay, so we got that cleared up…"<p>

"You're still a cat," Draco said.

"Shut the f*** up before I hit you again," I said. "Now, for target practice. There are several pots around the garden that are charmed to repair themselves when shot. It's pretty simple…" I then trailed off before carefully taking the gun from Draco and disarming it. I then ran back into the Burrow before running outside with a paintball gun as well as some larger goggles. The ones he was wearing wouldn't suffice. "On second thought, use this."

"What does this do?" Draco asked, as he stared down the-

"NO!" I said, carefully pulling the gun away and setting it on the ground. "Draco, you NEVER under **any** circumstances look down the barrel of a gun, even if it's supposed to be a safe gun! If this was a firearm, you'd kill yourself, and even if it's only paint, you'd still mess up your eyes real bad!"

* * *

><p>"Okay, so we've got all these mishaps out of the way, and you now know how to properly aim and shoot a gun, so maybe I should teach you some close-quarters fighting just in case, attach a bayonet to the gun."<p>

"What?"

"It means I'll _eventually_ trust you to put a knife on the end of your gun," I said. "Until then, let's focus on using CQC- that's 'Close Quarters Combat'."

"So, hitting people with your gun?"

"That isn't CQC," I said. "Well, smacking them with the butt of your weapon is a good desperation attack… no, CQC is disarming your opponent quick and fast then taking them out before reinforcements come. It's an ambushing tactic."

"Why do you know this?" Draco asked me.

"I took my knowledge from military manuals my friend Jimmy told me about," I replied. "That… and an old gym teacher in middle school taught it to most of my class."

"Your friend, Jimmy… does he practice it as well?"

"I doubt it," I replied. "Here's a rifle, I made sure it isn't loaded. So, all you have to do is practice getting close to an enemy and hit them with the butt-"

***BANG***

Draco immediately dropped his rifle and fell to the floor, covering his ears as he did so. I also fell to the ground, pulling my long ears down and curling into a ball. Although, it sounded like the bullet ricocheted off something.

"Draco, I made sure that gun was empty," I said, as I stood up from the snow. "_How_ did you manage to fire it?"

"I don't know," Draco said. "Are you sure you emptied it?"

"You know what?" I asked. "Maybe we should do this later, focus on the theory of it. Also, the snow is picking up again and I doubt that Hermione could raise these ice walls and keep them invisible. So-"

Something hit me. I didn't know what it was, but my first instinct was to just… scream.

"Are you alright?" Draco asked.

"My tail!" I shouted. "I just lost my f***ing tail!"

"Where did that knife come from?" Draco asked, before turning around… to see a visibly horrified Mrs Weasley, holding a broken knife handle. "Oops…"

"What do you mean, 'oops'?" I shouted at him.

"Don't be alarmed…" Draco said, "but I accidentally cut your tail off with a cleaver."

"YOU WHAT! ?" I shouted.

"Oh, crap."

"Get Liz," I said. "Or so help me, I'll shove that rifle straight up your-"

"I'm going," Draco said as he ran off.

* * *

><p>Liz was busy trying to attach my tail back on while Miranda and Raphael just stood there, looking at me.<p>

"How did this happen?" Raph asked me.

"I was trying to teach Draco how to use a gun," I replied.

"And you just happened to be in lombax form?" Liz asked.

"Draco accidentally fired a handgun while I was teaching him how to disarm a gun," I replied. "I just… changed."

"And you didn't bother to change back?" Raph asked.

"It takes a while to perfect changing," Miranda said. "Perhaps the scare caused him to change and he was still in shock."

"And how did you lose the tail?" Raph asked.

"Draco managed to fire a rifle with the safety on," I replied. "The bullet ricocheted off a cleaver being held by Mrs Weasley before flying high into the air and… coming back down."

"Did you take out the bullets?" Miranda asked.

"Yes," I replied. "I took out the magazine, I emptied the barrel, I had the safety on… I took out the f***ing hammer!"

They just stared at me in shock. Liz was still healing, but she wasn't moving her hands.

"You mean…" Miranda said. "That Draco managed to… by complete accident… fire an unusable gun _that was empty_?"

"That's…" Liz started. "Wow… that has to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard in my life. And I was there to see the principal's breakdown during the Noodle incident."

"Was that Ezio as well?" Miranda asked.

"No," Raph replied with a grin.


	43. Codex 3: Conduits, part 1

**Codex 3: Conduits**

**Conduits**

A **conduit** is an individual who has the ability to absorb a specific form of radiation and emit it in a variety of ways. That is literally the only way to describe conduits as a whole.

To be more specific, conduits are transhumans who can bypass what is essentially what makes a human 'human' so to speak, either by their abilities, powers, mutations or enhanced skills. Some have control of the elements, others have powers that allows them extraordinary feats and others have simple physical mutations.

Conduits have the genetic makeup that allows them to safely absorb a form of background radiation simply known as 'Ray Field Radiation' as well as interact with Rayicite, a physical compound that emits large quantities of this radiation that can be absorbed into conduit's bodies to make them stronger. Non-conduits exposed to large quantities of this radiation will suffer from radiation sickness that will kill them in around 8 days of moderate energy unless they are treated by being exposed to dark energy, element zero or mass effect fields. Those with the potential to use biotics such as the asari are not affected by this radiation but can never unlock the powers of a conduit by themselves. Luckily, conduits can pull this energy into their own body from around the local environment, preventing it from entering their bodies as it will actively flow to conduits.

When it comes to identifying conduits, there is a variety of different ways, including grade and type. Grades ranges for energy absorption and the strength of their power go from D, the least efficient powers, to SS (extremely powerful) with types being how they process this radiation and expel it from their bodies;  
>-D-Class are conduits who can absorb ray field energy and expel it into a variety of mediums yet have very little practical use, or are so weak that it wouldn't matter if they had this power in the first place. This can include one-way shapeshifters or individuals who are so can only hold a small amount of Ray-Fields. D-Classes are semi-common but most enhance their powers to C-Class with the use of Rayicite and Blast Cores. On the plus-side, most B-Classes are never taxed by their powers and can pass for normal humans.<br>-C-Class conduits are those with average strength to their powers and can use their powers in practical manners. Overtaxing their powers can cause exhaustion or fainting. The average conduit is a C Class.  
>-B-Class conduits are those with have stronger than average powers and can easily hold their own against a squad of soldiers. They can hold more energy than C-Classes and are stronger in most fields, but suffer from full-blown knockout if completely overtaxed. Rarer than C-Classes, they are highly sought after by military powers who will offer increased pay for them.<br>-A-Classes are those who can be considered highly powerful in such a manner that they can easily count as an entire army's attack force in terms of sheer damage as a result of their powers. A-Classes can lapse into comas that last for weeks if they overburden themselves. They are rarer than B-Classes.  
>-S-Classes are powerful enough that they can level entire small towns easily and devastate entire local areas as a result of their powers. Overtaxing their powers can result in comas that can last for years.<br>-SS-Classes are considered so dangerous that they are given direct incentives not to use their powers or to practice in using their powers in such a manner that they are not a danger to themselves or others. If they overtax their powers, they will die. Only 1 is known to have existed and he willingly killed himself to keep others from dying as a result.

While there is technically a class of SSS-Class, such a powerful individual could be considered a god in sheer power which has yet to occur.

The type of conduits that occur include:-  
>-Mutations, those with a permanent physical change such as taking on animalistic qualities or limbs not normally found on the human body or gaining bodily mass or extra organs.<br>-Elementals, those who can control basic environmental items such as water, air, fire, electricity or dirt as well as charge their own powers using their respective mediums.  
>=Fire, those who control and start fires with ease as well as absorb the flames. They charge their powers through being submerged in flames or other extremes of heat.<br>=Water, those who can control and partially create water. They charge their powers by being totally submerged or drinking water.  
>=Electricity, those who can control electricity and discharge it from their own bodies. They charge their powers through absorbing from power outlets, batteries or thunderstorms.<br>=Ice, those who can freeze water by being near it or cause shards of ice or even sleet and snow to appear at will. They charge their powers by being near cold areas or freezing extremes.  
>=Air, those who can control the winds around them and create small tornadoes. They naturally charge their powers by breathing and refraining from using their powers.<br>=Stone, those who can control the ground they stand on and used in building foundations. They can recharge by pulling dirt over themselves.  
>=Metal, those who can manipulate metal, making it more powerful and use it to form weapons and armour instantly. They can send energy into and absorb it from metal with the metal only bending to their powers once suitably charged. It can be absorbed into the body to make a Metal Elemental stronger for up to a month.<br>=Plants, those who can control vegetation around them and induce growing in plants. Eating plants or consuming plant products can recharge their powers.  
>-Mentalists, those with the power of the mind, able to control the environment and others with a single thought. They can recharge their powers through inducing brain functions, with the most popular short-term method being caffeine products or energy drinks.<br>=Telekinetic, those who can manipulate inanimate objects with a thought or bodily gesture.  
>=Telepaths, those with the power to control the mind, beaming their thoughts into the minds of others, hearing what others are thinking and controlling others to do their bidding.<br>=Analysts, those with the power to understand the environment at a glance.  
>=Seers, those with the ability of precognition.<br>-Physicals, those who have their natural skills vastly boosted, constantly recharging through absorbing background RF Radiation and generating it through normal bodily functions.  
>=Strength, allowing for them to push their strength to enhanced limits.<br>=Speed, allowing for them to move with faster reflexes and maximum movement.  
>=Endurance, allowing for increased amount of physical output before fatigue sets in.<br>=Durability, allowing for increased amount of harm and punishment without causing serious injury.  
>=Sense, allowing them to process information about the environment faster than any other being.<br>-Alters, those who can change their appearance to unlock their powers, often of another type, or are shapeshifters, charging their powers in the same manner as Physicals.  
>-Healers, those who can induce regeneration in themselves or others as well as suffer from a reduced aging process. They charge their powers through absorbing background energy and eating. Due to the nature of their powers, the majority of their RF Radiation is produced internally.<br>-Vamps, those who acquire powers on a temporary basis by consuming the DNA of others. The method of recharging depends on the DNA used.  
>-Mages, those who can use magic to a limited extent, recharging through bodily functions and absorbing others' magic.<br>-Dark Matters, those who can create and manipulate dark energy without the need of element zero in their nervous system and the only type that are immune to dark energy themselves and can charge their powers through element zero, dark energy or mass effect fields.

The powers and scale of their powers are only decided by one factor: the specific structure of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) that makes up the genetic material of each and every cell. While the 'Conduit Gene' is still being researched, it is believed that whatever causes it may in fact allow conduits to store Ray-Fields in the first place, only allowing them to use their powers when their RF build-up has exceeded a specific amount.

RF Radiation is, in fact, naturally produced in the body of most organisms, only releasing at the instant that a cell has died when it is either re-absorbed by another cell or expelled from the body by death. This is not limited to conduits. As such, conduits are only known to naturally occur in places where over half the native wildlife has died in a sudden incident such as an epidemic or near-extinction. Ray-Fields are, in essence, a defence mechanism used to allow life to continue even when previous conditions are unsuitable for the ecosystem's decedents. All conduits can in fact produce RF radiation, but are unable to release it in its unprocessed, harmful state. This is considered a blessing due to the fact that RF Radiation is harmful to non-conduits.

RF radiation can be artificially produced through a device known as a Ray Sphere in large quantities. However, doing so is considered highly dangerous as the amount of RF radiation would infect non-conduits and cause severe illness and then death. Passing a current through it next to a conduit will both increase the amount of RF radiation they can store as a whole as well as subtly altering the DNA to bestow new powers to the exposed. However, overcharging a Ray Sphere will cause an explosion which will convert all biomass into RF radiation and force it into the conduits within range, with preference to those closest to the Ray Sphere, killing non-conduits and disintegrating their bodies. This has been done deliberately in Empire City, NY, resulting in the deaths of nearly 50,000 over a period of 2 weeks from the initial explosion as well as the Plague, gang warfare and starvation from the quarantine.

There are two consumable items that can make a conduit stronger, Rayicite shards or Blast Shards as they are commonly known as well as Rayicite crystals or Blast Cores. Rayicite shards are instantly absorbed into the body when a conduit touches it, extending the amount of RF radiation they can hold in their bodies after obtaining a certain amount. Rayicite crystals, however, allows the consumer to enhance their own powers to a limited extent. For example, C-Class telepaths may have their TP-R (TelePathic Range) enhanced as well as obtaining a new form of their power, such as persuasion, which isn't full blown mind control but allows the user to implant suggestive thoughts into another's mind, or Theatre, which allows them to see the memories of whoever they stare at.

Conduits can slowly become more powerful over time by using their powers, thus allowing them to naturally obtain new variations of their powers, such as becoming more precise with their powers to pushing their limits further and further.

When exposed to dark energy, however, the RF radiation in their cells is cancelled out, thus it is standard procedure to deploy biotics or emit a large amount of dark energy to cancel their powers, as used by C-Sec (Citadel Security), NERV and NEXUS (Earth) and other law enforcement agencies in the galaxy. However, this has to be carefully done for certain conduits. For example, biotics are never used on mentalists due to the inherent danger of causing a brain haemorrhage, or on mutations due to the fact that it could force them to transform into their basic human form, causing extreme pain or death from the trauma. Instead, bursts of dark energy are used to incapacitate these individuals.

**The First Sons**

The First Sons were an organisation affliciated with Cerberus who focused their efforts in studying the advancement of humanity by transhuman means and used conduits as the basis of their research. The organisation has been wiped out as a whole, but remnants still remain, some defecting to NERV, others selling their services to the highest bidder. The last leader was an enigmatic man named 'Kessler'. The full scope is unknown but branches existed in Empire City, NY and the small town of New Marais, LA.

Believed to be founded in Medieval Europe, they were persecuted as 'Witches' and 'Worshippers of the Devil' due to going directly against religious institutions at the height of their power. Due to the distrust against the various churches, the First Sons migrated to the Americas in the 17th Century to continue their research and experiments in peace, focusing on precognition, telekinesis and channelling of spirits. They carefully practiced their research in secret due to the Salem Witch Trials, hearings and executions of people accused of 'witchcraft', using the events as supposed evidence of their powers. However, the arrival of Richard Tate changed the organisation from a simple fringe group to Illuminati-like organisation.

Richard Tate believed that the use of technology could cause trans-humanism and believed that the research of Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, experts in the field of electricity, could be used to enhance a man into something greater. However, while the fruits of his labours were beginning to blossom, he died of an illness, leaving his young son, Alden Tate, as heir to the First Sons.

Soon after, a man known as Kessler joined the First Sons and quickly usurped the leadership of the organisation by introducing new theories and winning over its members with futuristic ideas then throwing Alden out onto the street as a homeless child. He then took over all research projects, overseeing them carefully and removed all mention of Richard Tate from the First Sons' records. His research eventually resulted in the creation of a device that could create Ray Field Radiation – the Ray Sphere.

With the sudden growth of the First Sons in the following years, the United States of America's central government feared that they were a threat to national security so they sent in a number of agents to infiltrate it and gather intel on the organisation, mistakenly believing the Ray Sphere was some form of nuclear weapon being developed by the organisation.

On April 23, 2008 at roughly 8PM, the Ray Sphere was activated in the Historical District of Empire City, killing 2,000 people in the initial blast and destroying several buildings including a partially destroyed parking lot. They hired a courier to deliver the device to the site of activation. Reports range from ordering the device to be activated by the courier to being remotely activated. Immediately afterword, both the First Sons and the US government acted.

The government sealed off three island districts of the eighteen total districts of Empire City through the United States Army and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, attempting to keep citizens in due to a 'plague', actually the fallout Ray Field radiation of the blast, while using a propaganda machine to keep the outside world from knowing that they intended to starve the citizens until the Ray Sphere was recovered. The First Sons mobilised, securing a part of the now isolated town as their base of operations, also trying to find where the stolen Ray Sphere had been taken. The citizens were, at this point, expendable.

Not only was the government keeping the blockade up fighting the First Sons but so were three other groups, the Reapers, people who had been enslaved using a toxic tar, the Dust Men, the homeless of the city who planned to overthrow those who refused to notice their plight and the local police officers and paramedics who were trapped in the quarantine zone and were protecting the citizens at large. All three had their own respective conduits who opposed Kessler.

The leader of the Reapers, Sasha, was a former member of the First Sons and former lover of Kessler who was expelled for attacking her former lover in a fit of rage. Before she was expelled she handled the wetwork of the First Sons. Her powers allowed her to secrete a tar that could allow her to control anyone who was exposed to it. The leader of the Dust Men was Alden Tate, who wanted revenge against Kessler for stealing his legacy and leaving him to die on the streets. His powers included powerful telekinesis and projection, allowing him to use stray objects around him to form powerful, floating armour. The conduit working directly for the police, Cole McGrath, was in fact the courier who delivered the Ray Sphere in the first place and took the blunt of the RF radiation that was emitted. He wanted to clear his name due to the fact that he was blamed for the blast that caused the quarantine.

One by one, the Reapers, Dust Men and First Sons fell with the leaders being the last to be defeated. Sasha was captured and held by the First Sons while Alden escaped from a collapsed bridge, being captured by the army as a result. Kessler reportedly died in a duel with McGrath at the site of the Ray Sphere's detonation but the specifics were covered up and his body was taken into the custody of the NSA who took over from the FBI after revelations about the FBI's liaison in charge of maintaining the quarantine.

The Empire incident effectively destroyed the First Sons – most of the organisation was dead, most of their assets were seized by the government. However, a whistle blower passed information about the First Sons to both a journalist for the British Broadcasting Corporation and an operative of the organisation NERV, resulting in harsh sanctions being brought on the U government, ending the careers of most politicians involved and the foundation of NEXUS in order to study, identify and police conduits.

What remnants of the organisation has become scattered, including defecting to the UN, while most are believed to now work for Cerberus, the intergalactic terrorist organisation.


	44. Profile: Ezio

Hey, I'm still working on both schoolwork, the story and quite a few games I need to beat. I was pretty upset recently that my Borderlands 2 save got corrupted due to bad weather cutting the power at the wrong time (all of my work as Gaige has gone down the toilet) and I still have to beat the Mass Effect Trilogy that I bought (by the way, I'm trying to get onto the BioWare forums but they say I need a specific code on the game case... can anyone explain what it is?). Oh, and Sleeping Dogs was added to PlayStation Plus as well here in Europe so I have to beat that as well.

As such, I'm going to post some character bios for my OCs, starting with Ezio. En-frickin-joy.

* * *

><p><strong>Ezio O'Malley<strong>

Ezio Jacuzzi O'Malley is a relatively normal High School Graduate… to a degree. Having parents who formerly worked for the intergalactic terrorist organisation known as Cerberus, nearly being killed by a serial killer, stalked by an insane police officer and, discovering he isn't exactly human and having his brother turned into a demon would do a number on anyone's psyche but he manages to keep himself together for most of it, but not without some scars of the physical or psychological sense. Born… or rather, manufactured, in Ireland he is an Irish-Italian and a budding conduit. His father, Gerard, and his mother, Maria Gandor, raised him and his brother Raphael until their deaths shortly after the drophyd invasion.

Appearance and stats

Full name: Ezio Jacuzzi O'Malley

DOB: 16th of July

Species: CHIMERA

Age: 18

Nationality: Irish

Power set: Conduit (mentalist)

Height: 5ft 8in (1.75m) as human, 5ft (1.52m) as lombax, 6ft (1.83m) as turian, 6ft 2in (1.88m) as salarian, 6ft 8in (2.03m) as krogan.

Weight: 120lb (54kg) as human and lombax, 135lb (60kg) as turian, 105lb (48 kg) as salarian and 900lb (408kg) as krogan.

Shoe size and preferred type: UK9 as human, UK13 as lombax, rest unknown, sneakers, running shoes and boots.

Skin colour: mild olive (human), metallic grey (turian), blue (salarian) and white (krogan).

Hair colour: Dirty blonde as human, bright blonde with dirty blonde stripes as lombax.

Eye colour: Green (human, lombax), dark grey (turian), red (krogan).

Description: Quite lean, he mostly wore T-shirts under buttoned shirts and jeans. As a lombax, he is thinner, shorter but denser musculature and bones with an ankle-length tail with a moderate amount of tail-fluff at the end with ears that measure a length of 13 inches (30cm) and a width of 3 inches (7.6cm), with eyes wider than his human form and a larger… set of assets. In turian form, he is quite more fit than his human form and the metallic casing acts as durable, natural armour. As a salarian, Ezio is more flexible due to most of a salarian's skeletal structure being made of cartilage and his horns are sturdy enough to be used as a hammer (long story as to how that was found out). As a krogan, however, he is physically albino, being unable to store pigmentation in his skin or eyes and is overly sensitive to direct sunlight as a result. Ezio is covered in scars all over his body, mostly treated to appear as sharp blade cuts, scar saying 'Elizabeth Richards' Bitch' on his left thigh. Except for brand or naturally occurring ones, all scars carry over to his different forms due to being caused by dark magic.

It should be noted that due to minor brain trauma, he has minor issues when trying to understand accents. He cannot tell the difference between an English accent of any kind and often mistakes English with Australian or Afrikaans accents as well. He also has trouble with Italian and Spanish accents but his own skills with the Italian language allows him to speak with a decent Italian accent. This issue only occurs in one or two forms, however.

Biography

As a CHIMERA, Ezio was created at some time before his actual birth, with his actual 'Birth Date' being the date that his embryonic state was mature enough to be extracted from a special growth tank. At the age of 9, his parents moved from Derry/Londonderry, a small city in the very north of Northern Ireland to New York City in the United States of America due to his parent's fears that they would be in danger from sectarian violence… or so he believes. Attending a public school until he was 11 when he enrolled into X Middle School, one of the largest middle schools in the very outskirts of the city where he served as part of the school's Safety Patrol before being expelled for a profanity-laden rant about a teacher who was altering test scores was broadcasted throughout the school.

His family is mixed-religion and he was allowed to practice any faith he wanted. He very nearly became a Buddhist before focusing on Catholicism while his older brother practiced Protestantism. As a Catholic, he was confirmed as a member of the Roman Catholic Church in the archdiocese of New York and nearly excommunicated a month later due to telling an off-colour joke in the presence of the Pope St. John Paul II, a fate that was barely averted by the local priest who spoke up on his behalf. He is banned from reading or taking part in Mass as a result.

During June of 2006, however, he was trapped in an aviation museum with an insane pyromaniac and serial killer. The deranged Tatsuya Sudou, son of the Japanese Ambassador at the time, trapped him and three other students from over the city inside the museum before setting it on fire. After all three were barely saved, they were taken to the nearest hospital before the police came to question them. As a result of witnessing the JOKER's violent death he is severely dulled to severe acts of violence and was diagnosed with Yagami Syndrome, a stress and injury-induced blind rage. His first panic attack occurred in the museum while the second occurred in police custody, resulting in the permanent injury of one of the officers questioning him.

As a result of the unwarranted abuse heaped on him by the officers involved, his parents won a marginally publicised lawsuit and received a pay-out from City Hall. This resulted in one of the officers committing suicide and the other hounding him ever since. The FBI also took over the case from the local precinct due to severe mishandling. This reached a head only 2 months later.

In August, former Detective Jean Javert, who shared the name of the character in the novel 'Les Misérables' and was unaware of the irony, boarded the subway behind Ezio and Raphael and threatened him with a privately owned gun. He very nearly killed Ezio if it wasn't for a random teenager who pushed him and Raphael out of the way, taking the bullet in the process. After Javert's arrest they went to the hospital to thank them for saving his life, even when it caused him to become paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. Ezio and Jimmy Shaw, along with his younger brother Lamar became fast friends as a result.

Soon, however, Javert's harassment grew too much so his parents moved back to Northern Ireland, going to the opposite side due to Gerard being on bad terms with his parents, settling in County Down. Ezio kept in contact with Jimmy and Lamar, even having them and their mother over every summer as guests. He met his girlfriend, Elizabeth Richards, at the age of 14.

However, at the age of 16, another attempt at his life was made by Elizabeth's father, Christopher Richards, who poisoned him with a hallucinogenic which caused him to be hit by a car. Initially believing that it was due to being a Catholic due to tensions between Unionists (mainly Protestant) and Republicans (mainly Catholics), recent revelations that Christopher is a Cerberus agent has put doubts in his mind about that being the motive especially due to the lack of hostilities between the two.

He has been seeing a specialist about head trauma since the attempt on his life, receiving only a minor contusion. However, as a result, he is unable to tell the difference between certain accents and frequently getting accents confused. He was given an all-clear at the hospital and given a clean bill of health on the day the invasion occurred and he was rushed back inside when part of the masonry collapsed and hit him in the back of the head.

Waking up a few days later, he was saved by Zeke Dunbar and discovered his conduit powers of telekinesis and telepathy, becoming an asset for the survivors willing to protect the civilians unable to fight for themselves. He, Raphael and Liz fought off the drophyds, Militia and Death Eaters before pushing them out of Belfast, resting for a few days before helping Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Seamus Finnegan get back to England and help fight off the Death Eaters who have started attacking civilians in London and captured most of the Wizarding Youth who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, becoming an honourary, then full, member of the Order of the Phoenix.

The discovery of his CHIMERA nature, however, shook him to the core and has caused him some serious confidence issues as his powers have awakened at the most inopportune time. They have also made him more formidable and dangerous in a fight, however, as long as he can perfect quick-changing between forms which will take quite a long time. Sudden frights and anger can actually force his changes as well as an increase of adrenaline or heart activity as he and his girlfriend discovered the hard way.

After the battle at Hogwarts, he is considered, along with the other members of the Order of the Phoenix, to be heroes by many of the students and faculty as well as members of both the Muggle and Wizard community, and wears the scars he received from the battle with pride… after Elizabeth made sure they didn't hurt or cause serious issues, of course.

Both he and Raphael are fully aware that their mother has relatives involved in the Chicago underworld and are on good terms with most of their 'uncles', even though their mother was adopted into the Gandor family. They will only ever use this connection in the case of a very serious emergency, however.

Powers

Range: B-Class – his powers give him good range in the area around him, allowing him to quickly and carefully acquire information through his telepathic hearing. His Shadow Eyes are slowly growing stronger, allowing him to see up to 10 meters away, after which is complete darkness, when they are activated. Eye injury, however, lets him use his power as part of his integral vision until they are properly healed as with all Shadow Eye users.

Store: A-Class – he can hold an high level amount of RF rays in his body as well as produce them through normal cellular means, with the amount of energy rejuvenation increasing with stimulated brain activity in base human form as well as stimulation relating to each form.

Usage: S-Class – his powers are mostly above-average in terms of strength, with his MTM (Maximum Telekinetic Mass, measure of mass that a mentalist can lift) being around 1700kg, the weight of a small car, and that is only with his human form, roughly C-Class in scale. However, due to sheer diversity of his powers, he can be incredibly formidable if his inhibitions about his true nature didn't cause him to restrict himself in public. Should he absorb blast cores to become a minimum of B in each form, his class will upgrade to SS.

Specifics:

-CHIMERA powers: as an artificially created being known as a CHIMERA, Ezio has a unique DNA structure that allows him to instantly mutate his cells and change the very species that he currently is at the moment. Ezio, as an ICARUS prototype model, has a maximum of 9 forms which are already coded as part of his DNA. He already has the ability to transform into a total of 5 forms, including his human form. Since a dextro-DNA species as well as lombax DNA was used in his creation, he can safely digest both sinistro and dextro amino acids in any form he uses. He is also able to have specific traits from each species added across forms after certain amounts of use or through need in each form.

Normally, CHIMERAs awaken to their power through maturing into a safe enough age when their bodies can handle their power, often at the age of 21, but RF radiation can actually cause their bodies to mature at the age of 18. His current average is B-Class but he has yet to unlock all forms. The main drawback of his ICARUS form is that he has to shift his entire body form while others can shift limbs, organs or even individual cells if needed. Also, shifting too often (often 3 times in a short burst of time) can cause his powers to lock-up and trap him in a form for either a day or a month as a safety measure to prevent him from accidentally destroying his own body.

=Human form – Mentalism: Ezio is an average practitioner of the basic telekinesis and telepathy, with Shadow Eyes and mind control being further unlocked with the use of Blast Cores. He tends to use Shadow Eyes the most, especially when staying with Sirius as otherwise he'd be unable to see Kreacher, and only using mind control when all other options fail. C-Class. Ezio's default form.

=Lombax form – Elemental: Only used once or twice and the form that he first started transforming into, as well as when he discovered that each form has different powers. Base power of pyrokinesis allows him to generate and manipulate fire and the use of a Blast Core allowed Ezio to acquire electrokinesis, allowing him to generate and send out electric bolts from his body. He has yet to realise that he can absorb fire and electricity in this form. B-Class.

Since this form is the first sample used in conjunction to his human DNA and thus the closest to his default form, Ezio has a knack for invention and problem solving, often channelled through pranks and minor loophole abuse. It also allows Ezio to digest both amino acid groups without becoming sick as a result.

=Turian form – instinctual accuracy and martial arts: By using a gun or other item that can be thrown, Ezio can see an accurate path of travel, force needed and aerodynamic information for every bullet, dart or brick he intends to use as a long-range weapon. His vision in enhanced, giving him a greater range and clearer vision and letting him see slightly outside both normal human and turian wavelengths. Any close range weapon, or even his bare hands, is instantly mastered if he feels the need to use it. However, if he doesn't realise he's in danger, the attack comes from outside his range of vision or he is overpowered by another fighter, often when it comes to speed or raw strength. C-Class.

Due to this DNA sample, Ezio has a specific amount of inherent discipline that allows him to remain calm in harsh circumstances. He gained this trait after the JOKER case.

=Salarian form – acidic breath and spit: In salarian form, he can produce acid and alkaline at will from his mouth and use it offensively. It can range from a mild acid such as a mild acetic acid (vinegar, which he has demonstrated to Miranda's disgust) to substances that can quickly melt through rock and metals. Ezio must be careful due to the fact that he needs to use an appropriate acid or alkaline to react with the appropriate base to render weapons useless. Acid can be emitted as either a vapour or liquid. A-Class.

He has an eidetic memory that is currently only available in this form but will possibly be inherited by other forms after a certain amount of time as a salarian or mental memory training.

=Krogan form – resonance and seismic powers as well as dirt control. Anything within a 9ft range of his body can be made to resonate, shaking violently until it reaches its breaking point, including crystal, metal and, theoretically, a living organism. When angered, however, he can cause powerful earthquakes that can cause enemies to become disoriented or even cause full-blown seismic shifts in areas with naturally occurring seismic activity such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. He can only control the dirt around him when absolutely calm but the inherent anger issues that arise with time in this form makes Ezio nervous to change into this form unless absolutely necessary. S-Class.

While not confirmed, it is speculated that his 'Yagami Syndrome' could in fact be a case of Blood Rage as a result of stress, compared to the injury induced Blood Rage in krogan. Ezio also technically has a krogan's liver due to his alcoholism that allows him to break down alcohol at an accelerated rate without causing long-term damage to his body but without treating the addiction to alcohol.

NOTE: Ezio's krogan form suffers from albinism, resulting in pale skin, lack of melanin and red eyes which make him susceptible to sunburn and also making it difficult to accumulate to any form of strong UV rays and as such is not recommended that he go to desert worlds such as Fastoon or worlds with weak Ozone layers such as Palaven.

Personality

Ezio is, on the surface, a well behaved young man with a polite and clear speaking manner with a degree of intellect that has allowed him access to University level education as well as a skill for dialects since he is fluent in English, Italian as taught by his mother and Japanese which is self-learnt from textbooks, anime and manga. However, deep down he is both a troublemaker with a knack at practical jokes and subversive compliance when he is simply displeased with an authoritarian's behaviour to full blown shouting and swearing when he is at odds with another person, as well as a bundle of issues just waiting to be let out at the worst possible time and has already caused him to develop a drinking problem which he has had to attend mandatory Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to treat.

He has been expelled from one Middle school at the age of 12 when he got into an argument with his school's principal about how a teacher reportedly tampered with the test results and grades of students he didn't like and improving the grades of those who he did like, which was unfortunate enough to have occurred in front of both the entire student body as well as on national television (don't ask). While the teacher was eventually proven to have done exactly that, he was still reprimanded for his confrontational attitude at the sign of red tape and bureaucracy, even refusing to return when his punishment was lifted by the school district and transferring to another school. This has caused some issues with iron-fisted authority that has resulted in him having to see a school councilor for the rest of the school year. Most of these issues have been handled, however.

Ezio is hardly fazed by most forms of extreme and graphic violence as a result of the JOKER case as well as a dulled sense of fear and minor psychological trauma that has caused him to seal away most of his negative emotions. If he is upset with someone, he either bottles it up or shouting like a madman when it overwhelms him. This, Yagami Syndrome and his conduit nature could make these tantrums extremely dangerous when they do occur.

However, when he comes to trust or care for someone, he will fight to protect and help them to the death if needed and he is instinctively protective of both his comrades as well as those who can't protect themselves, leading to a reputation in his high school and local area of being a person who 'helps the helpless'. However, if someone he cares for is in harm, he can bottle up his feelings if he needs to and will feel utterly helpless and depressed if he can't protect them. Hurt someone he cares about, however, and he will hurt you ten times worse.

He is also pretty inventive, once causing an aura-emitting cloud to appear inside of a cathedral with minor cleaning products and toothpaste, a simple blue dye prank in a school bathroom and a genius use of airbags built into his brother's bed to play the 1812 Overture.

While he doesn't outright show it, he was incredibly grateful to know that his father went to Heaven instead of Hell for being forced to kill himself and his wife, settling some of his fears about their death. He still wishes to speak to his mother's spirit in order to say his goodbyes.

While he is a bundle of issues, he loves Elizabeth deeply and would gladly brace hell for her, even if her grandfather would kill him instantly. As for his brother, he is concerned about the lasting effects of becoming a demon and offers his help and support as much as possible.

Relationships:

Raphael: Both are protective of the other but Raphael is more protective of the two, previously fighting off a gang of bullies who attempted to force Ezio to hand over his lunch money when the two were younger. Ezio was deeply upset that Raphael was near death when he arrived at the Odyssey Arena with Zeke, and was relieved greatly when he was on his way to a full recovery.

The two frequently prank each other as a means of both passive-aggressive anger management as well as brotherly affection. Raph mainly puts up with it since it acts as a stabilising element for Ezio as well as good, harmless fun. He is mildly upset that Raphael had spoken to Colonel Campbell about his past mental issues but has agreed to go along with mandatory therapy sessions as part of his means of joining NEXUS.

Ezio was mildly jealous that Raphael had physical buffs from the conduit gene due to feelings of weakness and physical inferiority issues but quickly brushed those feelings aside when he hit his head on the Burrow's support beams for the third time. Upon becoming a demon, Ezio tried to protect Raphael and make sure that no-one attempted to harm him. Since Sparda has started teaching Raphael how to control his new demonic powers Ezio is deeply grateful and considers himself in Dante and Sparda's debts, who are also teaching Ezio and Raphael to use their Devil Arm link for enhanced effectiveness.

Elizabeth: Elizabeth was a minor crush for Ezio when he transferred to the school late in the school year, not knowing that he had already wooed her on his first day in the school. Standing up to her ex-boyfriend after just meeting her caused inkling feelings within her. When she discovered why he moved back to Ireland she was supportive and helpful throughout, even when the relationship had some issues. She was touched by how Ezio tried to mend their relationship during their arguments and started seriously dating him when they were both 16.

She visited Ezio in the hospital after she was bailed for assault from her argument with her dad when she realised that he was the one that caused Ezio's hospitalisation. Elizabeth, when confronted with Ezio's CHIMERA nature, fully embraced it, even thinking ahead of things when he started transforming into a lombax to Ezio's utter shame and embarrassment. She knows just how insecure Ezio can get and was more surprised when Ezio all but proposed back in Ireland after his parent's death. She was overjoyed with the idea of marrying him and is eagerly planning a future with him.

Gerard: Ezio considered Gerard to be one of the best parents in the world and was more hurt than anything when he realised that he was created by his father due to being a part of Cerberus's weapons program. However, his father was there for him every step of his life and his death, especially the circumstances, shook him to his core. Ezio still keeps the journal of prophecies that Gerard wrote. Gerard frequently deprived himself of sleep just so that he could give advice and doted on his sons but he would discipline them if their behaviour got out of hand. Ezio, however, did believe the frequent rumours that his father worked for some major company on the side before the invasion or Empire incident and now thinks Cerberus may be involved.

Maria: Hard steel in a velvet glove, Maria pushed for both of her kids to succeed and personally taught her two sons how to speak in Italian. A high-level lawyer, Maria used her free time to keep her kids in line and taught them every rule they know. She was mildly upset that they both skirted the rules frequently, before realising they were taking the cue from her as well. She was a devout Catholic and taught Ezio, who chose to take up the religion of his own free will, every prayer she knew. The only time Ezio remembers her being outright furious with her was when he made a paedophilia joke in front of the Pope (and almost got excommunicated as a result). Ezio takes his gaming habits from her as the two use the same gaming PC which they both built from scratch.

Christopher Richards: His murder attempt on Ezio deeply surprised a lot of people due to their friendly nature towards each other. When confronted over attempting to murder Ezio, he co-operated with the police. Ezio now believes the attempt on his life to have something to do with Cerberus.

Jonathan Richards: The two are on civil terms but Jonathan is quite upset about how Ezio told Elizabeth that his life was in trouble. While Jonathan is protecting the refugees, Ezio is frequently put on patrol around the camps so works with him on a rate of 2 times a week. He has fully given his blessing to Ezio's proposal.

Zeke Dunbar: Ezio was deeply impressed by the man when he saved him from the hospital and helped get him back to the Odyssey. While the time was short, Zeke was one of the main contributing factors for Ezio to join NEXUS.

Cole McGrath: Cole doesn't realise it, but choosing to use his powers to protect others has caused Ezio to adopt the ideal. A charismatic leader, Ezio would follow any suggestion Cole gave to him. Another contributing factor for Ezio to join NEXUS.

Nathan Drake: Ezio doesn't know him very well but the two would probably hit it off if they sat down to a drink together. He respects him for helping Raphael save that busload of kids to safety.

Elena Fisher: He deeply respects her for two reasons – she helped organise the people at the Odyssey, keeping most of them alive and, as revealed by Elizabeth later, helping retrieve his brother and preventing him from dying.

Chloe Frazer: She is mostly enigmatic to Ezio due to lack of proper interaction. He thinks she's South African.

Sully: Ezio' first, and only, impression is that Sully is a dirty old man who happens to know how to fight, making him out to be a pretty cool old guy.

Jimmy Shaw: One of Ezio's oldest friends, the two frequently talk over webcam and play online games together although Jimmy is by far the better of the two. His skills in hacking and computer knowhow make him a useful ally in finding information, gathering intel and causing grief for Javert. He and Ezio have produced several visual novel detective games that have been published on the iTunes and Android stores, providing the backbone code, while Ezio was writer and Lamar was artist and musician. If Ezio ever thinks that Jimmy is in danger, he _will_ harm anyone who places the danger onto him. Jimmy's friendship has helped Ezio get over the worst of his survivor's guilt, both from the JOKER case and the subway shooting.

Lamar Shaw: While not as close as his brother, Ezio is still friendly with Lamar and has helped suggest that he join his and Jimmy's game development projects as lead musician. During the summer before last, he went with Ezio, Jimmy, Elizabeth, Raphael and Jonathan to Glastonbury and was on his way back when the aliens attacked, causing the cancellation of the show.

Extended family (father's side): Not on friendly terms due to circumstances in which Gerard parted. Only met grandparents and uncle once and has forgotten their names. However, he still remembers one of his aunts as a nice woman and would possibly like to get to know her better.

Extended family (mother's side): Quite jovial and will only contact them in need of a favour if it is that important, due to knowing exactly what they're involved with. Through this side of the family, Ezio and Raphael know of immortals but were expressly warned that it was dangerous business.

Harry Potter: The two are now officially friends due to the experiences they have been through, with Ezio acting as an older brother to Harry. Harry was both grateful and angry that Ezio had blackmailed his uncle due to the fact that he would possibly take out his anger at Harry but received the payments back in full. Harry still has his charmed phone which he uses to email Ezio, Elizabeth and Raphael back-and-forth every week. Ezio helped Harry get over the worst of his survivor's guilt, causing a serious confidence boost. To their mutual shock, they are the only younger members who can see Thestrals. As Ezio, Raphael and Elizabeth act as older brother and sister-mentors for the younger members of the Order of the Phoenix, he keeps in contact with them.

Hermione Granger: Ezio and Hermione watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy in one go as part of a study into the difference in the films and the books and still argue over which is better. Ezio preferred the film. As Ezio, Raphael and Elizabeth act as older brother and sister-mentors for the younger members of the Order of the Phoenix, she keeps in contact with them.

Ron Weasley: Ezio ended up watching that marathon of James Bond movies, along with Draco, Seamus and Neville, and plan on seeing the next one in cinema when it is released. He also suggested that Ron hide his conduit nature due to his powers not having any obvious use and has promised him a trip to Las Vegas when Ron is legally old enough. As Ezio, Raphael and Elizabeth act as older brother and sister-mentors for the younger members of the Order of the Phoenix, he keeps in contact with Ezio.

Seamus Finnegan: Ezio accidentally saw Seamus' memories when the Statute of Secrecy was still in effect and, realising how serious it was for Seamus, immediately promised not to tell anyone. He kept the promise up until a Death Eater nearly killed Zeke, resulting in Seamus becoming a valuable source of information on Death Eaters. Ezio keeps in contact with Seamus, but Seamus has jokingly said that he could use his CHIMERA nature as blackmail material, dropping the joke when he realised how upset he made Ezio. As Ezio, Raphael and Elizabeth act as older brother and sister-mentors for the younger members of the Order of the Phoenix, he keeps in contact with Ezio.

Neville Longbottom: Ezio was deeply upset at finding out how Neville's grandparents and extended family treated him, causing him to publicly humiliate his grandmother in front of the Wizengamot. He wanted revenge on Bellatrix Lestrange for the death of his parents, but helped Neville by letting him kill her with Ezio's beam katana, letting Neville keep it. Neville gave it back shortly afterwords. As Ezio, Raphael and Elizabeth act as older brother and sister-mentors for the younger members of the Order of the Phoenix, he keeps in contact with Ezio.

Ezio was able to meet Neville's grandparents in private. He was unable to punch Neville's grandfather in the face as he had hoped for.

Raphael was able to suplex the bastard into the ground instead, however.

Vivi: He's now more open with Ezio but usually when he's in his lombax form.

Draco: Draco is now obsessed with spy movies due to watching every Bond movie and being made to write an essay about each movie (misogyny in the earlier movies, skills used by 007, importance of appearance and expectations, tropes, etc.). Ezio is still upset about the initial gun exercise for obvious reasons.

Weasleys: Arthur and Molly Weasley consider Ezio, Liz and Raphael welcome guests to the Burrow and guard the O'Malley's secrets deeply. Ezio, however, hates being a burden and helped throughout the house when he could, helping move snow and helping with construction with his telekinesis. Ginny frequently has Ezio help her with practicing her powers and helps her use her powers inventively. He and Raphael have engaged in a prank war with the Weasley twins and as such, a 50% discount at their store which is soon set to open, estimated to be late Autumn. Bill is on minor friendly terms with Ezio and has set up a weekly poker game with Ezio sitting in; loser faces a 'Penalty'. Charlie almost took part in the prank war between the two different set of brothers before seeing Ezio's prank that caused Fred and George to remain glued for 48 hours, realising that it was over his league. He's still working for the dragon reserve but is now working for NEXUS on a temporary basis. He thinks Percy's an asshole.

Sirius: the two have a weekly pint when Ezio is in London and often perform in front of Sirius' mother's portrait, mainly to anger her. This led to an incident where Ezio encouraged Sirius and Remus to kiss in front of the portrait. The shrieking from her portrait is music to Sirius' ears but now he leaves Kreacher to take care of the portrait. Sirius has started a weekly live webcast where he pranks members of the public with Remus and, surprisingly, Severus Snape.

The Order of the Phoenix: Ezio is a full-blown member and get on with most members. Remus had discovered his mental issues and has acted as a skilled psychologist. Tonks has transferred from the Auror's Office to the British Metropolitan as part of a diplomatic exercise between the Ministry and the British government. Mad Eye Moody and Ezio got into another fight though, after a poker night match when Ezio caught Mad Eye using his enchanted eye even when Ezio was limiting the use of his powers by playing in his lombax form. Andromeda is still interested in making sure that Ezio's CHIMERA powers do not cause any further complications and is looking for a way to help treat his scars which can't be healed by Elizabeth's powers due to how dark energy was involved or by her magic due to the fact that it was a dark magical curse that caused the injuries. Luna still confuses him but he's convinced that some, but not all, of her theories are right. Xenophilius, however… confuses him. He doesn't completely trust Dumbledore due to the fact that he can completely block out his powers by himself and, as Ezio has discovered, keeps most details secret until necessary.

Crookshanks: He electrocuted the cat when he bit his tail again and was smacked over the head by Hermione for it. They both had to apologise. He's now on much more civil terms with Crookshanks and uses him to cheat at cards.

Hogwarts staff: While Ezio doesn't know much of the staff, he has been on friendly terms with most of them with Professor McGonagall offering to help him and Elizabeth find work if needed. Madame Pomphrey knows about his powers but has made a magical vow as part of her healer's vows (Hippocratic oath) not to reveal any of it. Professor Trelawney has considered him a 'man with a fate tied to many warriors' and is quite confused by his palm readings which don't surprise Minerva in the slightest. Harry has suggested that it would be best not to be around Hagrid… even though he is quite fascinated by Thestrals, having claimed to see them before in America.

Apollo: The initial meeting has caused some mistrust but Ezio trusts him about his CHIMERA powers and frequently speaks to him about his lombax form, mainly about possible health concerns, although he will attack him if he tries to force him to meet Azimuth again.

Miranda: He still mildly distrusts her, especially about the nature of their connection (Cerberus). Miranda is still very helpful to him and actively informs him about his forms. While she is adamant about it, she has been trying to convince Ezio to inform Colonel Campbell about his true nature to both seek support if it causes too much of a problem for him as well as protection from Cerberus should they ever attempt to take him back (he was an unauthorised prototype, after all).

Javert: The man ruined his life in the US while he was trying to recover from the JOKER case and the attempts on his life have caused him to hate the man with a passion. He knows he'll be in serious trouble should he retaliate openly thus he retaliates subtly. If it comes down to it however he will murder Javert in cold blood. Until then, he will use whatever resources to make him suffer, even selling the man as a sex-slave if he has to (NOTE: Javert was NEVER sexually assaulted, he was only a… museum piece). Ezio has a thing about dealing psychological abuse to this man.

Akihiko: Ezio passed on Minato's emails which Akihiko forwarded to Mitsuru for the possibility of using the emails for research into Wild Cards, as well as helping Ezio with his patrols around the camps and stopping fights without violence.

Naoto: While too young to legally help the police with camp patrols, Naoto often gives Ezio work with looking for suspects who are hiding among the tented town. She helps him out in return but was extremely upset about a case involving Javert and a gay brothel.

Kasumi: She actively works on training Ezio to use his physical forms with Miranda and is overjoyed that he's marrying her cousin, even giving him a 'running start' (a set amount of time before she's obligated to tell Elizabeth's extended family and thus a decent amount of time to prepare for the worst-case scenario).

Keiji: Oddly enough, Ezio and Keiji have discovered a mutual love of baseball and frequently talk about different teams, often arguing over whether the Yankees or Dodgers will win the next season. Keiji has also given him tips for meeting Elizabeth's extended family and helped him fill in a life insurance policy form.


	45. Codex 4: Roswell

**Codex 4: Roswell and the aftermath of First Contact**

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><p><strong>The Roswell Incident<strong>

The Roswell UFO Incident of June 1947 was what is believed to be the actual First Contact between humans and extra-terrestrials or aliens. The incident led to the total destruction of the town of Roswell, New Mexico in the United States of America resulting in deaths of well over 250,000 people and a confirmed survival rate of only 47. Most of the known survivors have been identified as members of the organisation known as Cerberus.

Cover-up and leak

The stated reason for the destruction of the village was a group of local Socialist or Communist sympathizers stealing a nuclear weapon from the US government and accidentally detonating it within an apartment near the center of the town of Roswell. The political climate of the time, known as the 'Red Scare' made it seem like a terrorist attack gone horribly wrong. The initial claims were made to deter citizens of the USA and its political allies from defecting to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and its member states of Russia, China and East Germany.

Shortly after the incident, a headline in a local paper, saying 'RAAF (Roswell Army Air Force) Captures Flying Saucer In Debris Of Roswell', led to mass rumors that extra-terrestrial life had been discovered or captured in the Roswell area after the devastating explosion. This was covered up by saying that it was a hot-air balloon used to assess the damage.

However, reports and legends about the incident have led to the cultural osmosis of several different alien legends and myths around the world, as well as different interpretations as to possible cover-ups and other conspiracy theories.

Incident

At around 8:45 and 9:30 AM of June 24th an alien ship fell towards the town and dropped nerve agents into the surrounding area causing paralysis in most of the citizens as well as the raising of a barrier that prevented unaffected humans from leaving the local area. Within the week-long span the entire town was heavily devastated and the survivors were eventually rescued and taken to the Edwards Air Force Base in Nevada. Certain unidentified corpses were also found that were identified as 'Not of this world' (not native to Earth's global ecosystem). Several of the survivors who were found were also extra-terrestrial but unidentified. It was their help that allowed the United Nations to contact the Citadel Council.

Sometime afterword, a distress beacon was activated that allowed a convoy of asari and salarian ships to help assess the damage and identify the perpetrators behind the attack that killed so many people. The recovered corpses and ships, which were damaged beyond repair, identified the batarian Hegemony as the culprits with captured salarian slaves as possible scapegoats.

Aftermath

Due to the then-recent event known as the Second World War and the recent invention of the nuclear bomb, it was collectively decided by the member states of the United Nations that public society joining galactic society on the merits of stolen technology and within such politically sensitive times wouldn't be the best possible option and have led to the cover-up of the incident of earth and in galactic society.

The fallout on Earth as well as with the Citadel Council was astronomical* to say the least. The attack as well as the earlier Tunguska Event were linked to batarian slavers abducting humans and led to the founding by the United Nations of the Earth Alliance, a group dedicated to fighting alien threats to the citizens of Earth, and its branch organisations of GEHRIN, dedicated to studying alien technology and xenobiology as well as intelligence through Section 2 which spawned the rumor of the Men In Black (GEHRIN officially changed its name to NERV as of 2002), NEXUS, originally dedicated to identifying past alien attacks, eventually evolved into combating the exploitation of alien technology by humans and the investigation of paranormal activity, and the Society for the Discovery of Altered Evolution or S.D.A.E., dedicated to discovering possible links to earth's ecosystems and discovering possible uses of genetic alteration on earth creatures in the past (S.D.A.E. was dissolved and absorbed into NEXUS and GEHRIN in the 1970s). The Space Race was used as a cover for allowing humans and aliens to secretly pass between Earth and Council Space, as well as the constant turning off and on as well as refreezing of the Sol System's mass effect relay, a practice that ended when the Alliance officially joined Citadel Space in late 2011. The Magical Community were also forced to become active members of the United Nations after a several wizards were identified by the United States and Soviet government.

It also led to several unrelated groups to become entangled with each other leading to underground wars between several groups such as the First Sons, the Roman Catholic Church, the Shinobi Nations, the International Confederation of Wizards and a group of inventors known as the Human Revolution with the United Nations acting as a peace-keeping, neutral faction, with frequent humans getting embroiled in these activities be they involved in certain factions or not, leading to the era known only as the 'Age of The Secret World'.

On the galactic scale, however, the event led to severe repercussions aimed directly at the batarian Hegemony. Petitions for the colonization of worlds of batarian interest were either denied or given to the volus and elcor as an act of spite. Spectres as well as council member states were also actively encouraged to seek out and disrupt slaver gangs and pirates, both of which are vital to the batarian economy. The batarians attempted to go to war as a result but all threats were ignored due to internal sabotage performed by undercover Spectre agents.

While certain ships managed to leave human space with human slaves, most were tracked down either by a team of dedicated Spectres or by the organization Cerberus. Most suffered from memory alteration and were returned to human society, some joined the Alliance or Cerberus while others are still members of galactic society with confirmed human births or asari-human unions resulting in children. Most live within either asari space or on the Citadel.

Several of the extra-terrestrial survivors are known to have been involved with anti-slaver activity originating from batarian space, eventually combating slaving in other galaxies, working to help the humans scattered around space or have been made Spectres as a result, including an asari, a turian, a krogan, an elcor and, after an information leak, Blasto, the first hanar Spectre. However, the undisturbed relay led to the discovery of intergalactic travel (stolen from the Hegemony by a batarian scientist who defected to the Special Task Force). The rumors of immortality, however, were proven false when Blasto, believed to be an immortal due to memetic mutation, was given a state funeral after his death in 1981.

Greys and Flying Saucers

The corpse of a salarian was discovered aboard the flagship of the slave raider's fleet, intended as a scapegoat to frame the Special Tasks Group. While the corpse was returned to the salarian government, a photograph was used to help recreate certain features and was later used in a fake alien autopsy that was later released as 'Found Footage'. This, as well as the headline involving the flying saucer, has led to rampant use of a specific caricature known as the 'Grey Alien'. Often seen in sci-fi movies, literature, broadcasted entertainment and videogames, the Grey is often used either for drama, horror, comedy or as a reference to aliens in general.

*Pun not intended - Padfoot

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><p><strong>Cerberus<strong>

Not much is known about the extremely secretive group. However, there are a few things that can be said about the group.

Founded somewhere between the Roswell Incident and the end of the Vietnam War, Cerberus' statement is the active protection of human interest and culture through any means necessary, as well as promoting human interaction with the galactic community. 150 Operatives, are split into cells of employees that perform specified tasks, from research to propaganda to black ops. Their leader is known simply as 'The Illusive Man'.

The group has a 'Love/Hate' relationship with both other factions of the Secret World as well as intergalactic society as a whole. On the one hand they frequently take down dangerous individuals and whole criminal organizations and perform acts of charity wherever they operate but on the other they have been known to perform illegal and dangerous genetic experiments that often leads to the deaths of entire research teams as well as having a 'Leave No Prisoners' rule when they are at war with a particular group. As such, most of the scientists and military personnel have large bounties of C 100,000,000 / 250,000,000 Bolts / $2.5M, Dead or Alive while the Political branch, while not all wanted criminals, are often carefully scrutinized by Citadel Security and other law enforcement agencies as well as banned from entering certain territories.

The Illusive Man

The Illusive Man is a human male, believed to be as much as 80+ years old. The only known fact about him is that he uses surgery to sound and look like an Earth actor named Martin Sheen and has prosthetic eyes. When asked about what he felt about this, Sheen remarked 'I feel kind of worried that there's an extremist wearing my face. [...] [Extra-terrestrials] will probably think he's President after a while.' Some humans have even started using an internet joke, known as a meme, that his real name is Tim, based off of the acronym for 'The Illusive Man', is the G-Man from the Half-Life series of video games (modders have even made a skin for the Illusive Man) or is the Smoking Man from sci-fi show 'The X-Files' due to his own presumed smoking habit.

Shortly after Cerberus was founded by 13 of the Roswell Survivors, including the Illusive Man himself, the group have recruited human and non-human members who operate both within and outside of the law, tracking down human slaves owned by batarians and liberating them, preventing slaver attacks on human and non-human colonies as well as attempt to speed up humanity's own growth through reverse-engineered technology and genetic engineering. All operations are directly overseen by an Operative chosen by the Illusive Man himself and he doesn't discriminate against allowing non-humans into the organization just as long as they do not try and betray the group.

With the use of social networking and media sites, the Illusive Man chooses to have the group promoted through their own Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts. The Cerberus accounts are handled by a public PR personality, Hyde, while the Illusive Man has his own Facebook and Twitter accounts that he uses to converse with everyday people, famously arguing with Lady GaGa about her irratic public behavior. From activity shown on his account, he seems to be a fan of the British Proms and classical music, a wine connoisseur and fan of baseball, golf (Earth sports) and Skyball, a sport from Palaven, the turian home world.

Military

The Military Branch of Cerberus is dedicated to fighting anyone the Illusive Man deems to be a problem as well as preventing attacks aimed at Earth, Cerberus or their allies. Collectively, the Military are considered the most dangerous group due to the number that have gone rogue, leading to their numbers being reduced. They take part in active combat as well as assassinations and bodyguard work. They are often found to have been cybernetically augmented through artificial limbs obtained from Sarif Industries in order to increase their own combat effectiveness or to allow them to fight after losing a limb.

KNOWN OPERATIVES:

? Kirtash: A krogan warlord who allied himself with Cerberus shortly after their founding, he trained their operatives in the use of biotics. He is of an unknown clan. Still alive, current name and age unknown, suspected to operate in the Attican Traverse or the Terminus Systems. Most notable act is the destruction of several ships and space stations owned by the Private Military Company known as Eclipse. Most freelance mercenaries who attempt to capture him are still alive but also the recipient of numerous Darwin Awards**.

Toren: A male from an unknown race, although believed to be the first member from outside the Milky Way galaxy, Toren has become infamous throughout several galaxies for the pure audacity of his operations. Examples of his work include stealing a dreadnought from batarian space during a parade and flying it to the citadel with a bow on the exterior, murdering a slaver in cold blood in the council chambers (said slaver was the then current batarian ambassador) and having once stolen the outfit of Solana galactic hero Captain Qwark as part of a major distraction to steal records of corruption of the MDCCLIV Galactic President of the Solana galaxy who was later assassinated by Cerberus for unknown reasons. He has also apparently '[Slept with] [Emperor Percival] Tachyon's mother'. Citadel Security has strict orders of 'Shoot to kill' and a bounty of 10 billion credits is offered by the batarian Hegemony for his corpse.

? Berrik: Another male from an unknown race, Berrik carries a crystal of unfounded power and is able to use highly skilled magic in battle including transfiguration, curses and charms. Short of stature, he is also a very calm person and only uses his powers when attacked himself. Infamous for killing a thresher maw using what is assumed to be a stunner.

Science

The Science Branch of Cerberus is dedicated to reverse-engineering alien technology as well as genetic engineering and the study of prothean artefacts. Often known to operate in areas that are remote due to the volatile nature of what they often study. The Science Branch is infamous for past experiments that were uncovered by Citadel Spectres including experimentations on geth and the rachni as well as injecting thresher maw acid into human test subjects.

The Science branch discovered the existence of human biotics, a result from the fallout of the Eezo Cloud caused by the Roswell incident.

KNOWN MEMBERS:

Miranda Lawson: A former Cerberus scientist, she defected from Cerberus shortly before the drophyd invasion. After passing sensitive information to the UN and after having her identity exposed by a Cerberus hacker, she has become a spokesperson for the Terran Union political party who promote human interaction with the galactic community.

Dr Sebastian Wolfe: Another defect from Cerberus, formally with the First Sons, Sebastian Wolfe's research into the conduit gene and Ray Fields has caused the mass awakening of conduit powers. Currently living under house arrest due to his (admittedly unwilling) part in the Empire City terrorist attack, Dr Wolfe now works for the UN in helping combat conduit criminals.

Dr. Gerard O'Malley: Recently deceased, Gerard O'Malley perfected the CHIMERA project, creating a race of shapeshifters in the process. While he is currently deceased some CHIMERAs have tried to deify him, forming a small cult in his native Ireland.

Political

The Political Branch is made of Operatives who promote Cerberus' mission statement, secure funds for the group and perform damage control when the Military or Science branches overstep their boundaries. All are publically known and either work for the Terran Union or Terra Firma or work as legal consultants for exposed Cerberus operatives. While rarely active operatives, they are still trained in pistol fire and attacking one is unwise.

Officially, the Political branch is the most distant from Cerberus due to the chance of an information leak. Thus, the group has little leeway in controlling the Political branch, only stepping in when political members overstep their boundaries.

While mainly involved with lobbying, some identified members have become involved in active politics.

KNOWN MEMBERS:

Phillip Loren: An Earth businessman and underworld criminal, he was responsible for obtaining a vast amount of Cerberus funding.

** 'The Darwin Awards' is a website where incidents of deaths or injuries that have left an individual sterile are posted and commented on. 'To receive a Darwin Award' in not a positive thing as it means that you have gotten yourself killed by your own stupidity. The name is from Charles Darwin who outlined the theory of evolution on Earth so 'Receiving a Darwin Award' can also be used to say that these people's own stupidity has helped cleanse the genetic pool and benefited the species in the long run - Dr Andromeda Tonks.

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><p><strong>CHIMERAs<strong>

CHIMERAs are genetically engineered creatures with the ability to alter their appearance and change into a different form of sentient lifeform. Due to their creation at Cerberus hands, all CHIMERAs are able to take a human form while having specific forms that are different for each individual. CHIMERAs should not be mistaken for the Magical Beast of the same name.

Biology and health concerns

Biologically, CHIMERAs are no different than any other member of the race they currently exist as with defects being minor or of little inconvenience. For example, albinism is commonly a symptom of CHIMERAs within certain forms. The main difference is on the level of DNA.

CHIMERAs have multiple DNA samples (at minimum 3 and at most 9 and new samples can't be added) merged together at certain points in the DNA structure of the CHIMERA. Whenever the CHIMERA chooses to transform the DNA of the current form will break apart and the new form's DNA structure will form, causing the CHIMERA to become an entirely different species altogether. This is shown to occur with blood samples, causing some CHIMERAs to retain a specific form for a set amount of time.

When viewed through a microscope a transforming CHIMERA's blood suddenly changes. This sudden mutation produces light that is given off in a sudden burst whenever the CHIMERA transformed. However, the first time a CHIMERA awakens a new form the process will be drawn out (the average length is 24 hours but some go as far as a week of slowly turning into another creature) as skin, organs, blood and bone slowly shifts resulting in tremendous pain. The process gradually becomes easier for a CHIMERA and they can transform on a second's notice if needed.

Strangely, CHIMERAs like their namesake count as Magical Beasts due to how their bone tissue reshapes when they transform – a study performed by several wizards have identified the CHIMERAs' bone restructuring as an alchemical reaction or transmutation of the body. This has intrigued healers, magical scholars and alchemists throughout Earth due to the fact that alchemy of living flesh is shown to be entirely dangerous and unstable and previously believed to be impossible. This was believed to be a form of rare blood magic but this was quickly disproved. Also, CHIMERA forms appear to increase or decrease their own bodily mass and thus are able to naturally break the Laws of Equivalent Exchange, both the Law of Conservation of Mass and the Law of Natural Providence. This has led to several CHIMERAs being assaulted and almost killed by insane wizards believing them to have the Elixir or Immortality in their veins or to use their bodies as fuels for alchemical works.

CHIMERAs awaken their powers at a certain age of maturity, often around the age of 21 in all human-born CHIMERAs (the only known type) unless specific factors are taken into account. Serious injury, illness or cancerous growths can awaken a CHIMERA due to their natural immune system responding to these life-threatening injuries. CHIMERAs that awaken as conduits, while rare, have powers that are based on current form but tend to awaken around the age of 18 or 16 in rare cases. CHIMERAs born as wizards will first transform as early as the age of 12.

Injuries of the flesh such as scarring, cuts, torn ligaments or burst veins sustained in one form carry over into another form albeit moderately so most CHIMERAs will often transform as much as possible in order to rapidly treat their own injuries, with the exception to scars caused by dark magic or blood magic. Bone fractures do not carry over and heal instantly, allowing for a CHIMERA with a broken leg to instantly heal and walk away. Spinal injuries are particularly difficult to treat in conduits, however. Daedalus models and later cannot heal severe injury and will be trapped in a specific form if a large amount of tissue is lost.

When an organ is damaged beyond repair or is unsuitable or too weak for a certain task before a CHIMERA awakens the organ is altered in such a way to make it stronger where possible. Larger hearts is a common occurrence but some have noted what appears to be altered musculature in certain CHIMERAs in their human state. Also, CHIMERAs with a history of alcohol or substance abuse may develop stronger limbs in compensation such as krogan livers or turian lungs. Hard drugs may cause damage to the reintegration process and cause a grisly death for the CHIMERA in question.

Of particular note, a CHIMERA often shows sharper nails and claws, healthier teeth, better bone structure and posture and longer than average hair when applicable due to the fact that bone injuries are not carried over and as such wear and tear or cutting do not affect CHIMERAs. Dental experts recommend the use of retainers to make the body meld the dental structure of CHIMERAs who have their own dental structure set improperly if hurt while transforming.

One particular curiosity that has intrigued doctors is the fact that CHIMERAs are able to change their entire physiology including the brain without altering their own personality unless noted. Thus, their personality is universal and their memories are often unaltered. CHIMERAs with drell or salarian DNA have stated that they suddenly have eidetic memories when in those forms, even slipping into memories like any other drell but at an even more erratic rate.

CHIMERAs are for the most part sinistro-DNA but some have DNA samples of dextro-DNA races such as turians and quarians. As strange as it sounds, these CHIMERAs are able to effortlessly consume and digest produce of both DNA types where others would fall sick due to allergic reaction while Daedalus and Icarus models can consume them even without a dextro-DNA form. This has led to CHIMERAs being referred to as extreme omnivores and often challenged to eat certain foods or has led to several CHIMERAs being found out after accidentally eaten foods that are fatal to the species they currently exist as.

Mentally, CHIMERAs are sapient and sentient beings with a mentality similar to the species it can transform into such as the general discipline of turians, hot-headed disposition of krogan or gentle and peaceful hanar. However, the trauma of most CHIMERAs discovering their powers (most live as normal humans until their first transformation) can cause a severe imbalance in their psyche and can cause an onset of mental issues such as a form of Dissociative Personality Disorder where the subject believes each form is in fact a separate individual and refer to each personality as such or even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Of note is Yagami Syndrome where a variety of different traits from different species can be experienced in times of severe stress including eidetic flashbacks, locking away the personality or even blood rage.

CHIMERAs often show a higher level of fitness even if not as healthy as other beings, such as how a CHIMERA with an average calorie intake of 3,000kj and little exercise will be as healthy as someone of the same intake but who jogs every day. Transforming appears to burn calories. CHIMERAs also have good cardiovascular systems and have incredibly fit hearts. As a note of irony, however, heart attacks (or rather, the feeling of experiencing a heart attack – transforming CHIMERAs do not actually suffer from heart failures but rather the heart is often the first thing that changes) are often the trigger that allows a CHIMERA to transform. As such, fright or drugs that hasten or stop heart rate can trigger a CHIMERA transformation but the form taken is always random.

5% of CHIMERAs are totally sterile and incapable of conceiving children while 10% have reported sterility in only certain forms. It is also impossible, despite popular belief, that a CHIMERA could conceive a child in a form he does not currently exist as unless possible already in the case of lombaxes, leading to CHIMERAs becoming popular models for Fornax. Those who do conceive children have said that their children inherit a small amount of their powers, selectively altering their own skin, taking on minor characteristics and, in conduits, minor power alteration. They are not capable of full transformations, however. Even sterile CHIMERAs are able to meld with an asari, though.

Finally, it is of note that CHIMERAs are monogenous and are exclusively male. From recovered notes from a Cerberus base, 'CHIMERAs are only possible when the Y-Chromosome is present as the X-Chromosome reacts too violently to the gene therapy needed'. Monogenous species of the X-Chromosome such as the asari can't be assumed by CHIMERAs.

On death, whether it is due to their powers or not, most CHIMERA predating the Daedalus model would dissolve into a substance called LCL, resulting in the corpse becoming an orange-coloured bloodlike substance made of amino acids. Due to its orange colour, some Cerberus operatives have referred to it as either Tang or Fanta, named after two popular brands of orange-flavored drink, and 'Someone got Tanged' is a means of referring to this post-death phenomenon. Most CHIMERAs will already be dead at this point but on rare occasions, whether it be due to overuse of their powers or a flaw in the CHIMERA's creation, the CHIMERA Perseus model will be conscious while their body breaks down after sustaining serious damage or by losing control of their powers. This phenomenon is referred to as Breakdown. Luckily, a Sirta Foundation-made drug can withstand the Breakdown until gene-therapy can be used to fend off the CHIMERA's grisly death. This issue does not exist in Daedalus or later models.

The average life expectancy of CHIMERAs post-Perseus model is currently unknown.

Legal status:

The legal rights of CHIMERAs are currently being fiercely debated on both Earth (their planet of origin) and several galactic governments.

After it emerged that several dozen CHIMERAs were conscripted unlawfully and tested on by the United Nations NERV organization as soldiers, several law practitioners sued on behalf of the conscripted CHIMERAs stating that the treatment by NERV violated their rights as humans and living creatures while NERV legal teams have stated that CHIMERAs are not technically human and that human rights laws did not apply to them. In the words of Emily Wong on a late night news debate show 'The Weekly News with Khalisah Bint Sinah al-Jihani' on Picus TV, 'NERV and Cerberus have [just] caused a political shitstorm' and it eventually led to arguments on the internet and in the media about the abortion and stem cell debate as well as the legality of CHIMERA/human marriage and whether or not having sex with a CHIMERA is legally 'Bestiality'.

[A/N: I got Khalisah's name right the first time! ^_^ And yes, she'll appear, yes, she'll be punched and no, not by Shepard...]

CHIMERAs have been awarded full human rights by the European court of human rights when one unnamed individual sued NERV over the death of her adopted son who was killed by NERV experimentation. Several NERV senior staff and doctors were fired or imprisoned under agreed vote by several UN member states and recuperations were paid out in full.

CHIMERAs are also considered Beings by Wizarding governments and as such are legally banned from practicing magic with wands, an order that some schools seem to overlook such as Hogwarts and Beauxbatons. Most CHIMERAs who awaken at later ages cannot get work among their own decedents and either become criminals or active members in the Secret World. Out of identified CHIMERAs working for Cerberus who have magic, all have stated that their CHIMERA nature is why they have turned back to the organisation that created them. Some CHIMERAs, however, claim that the designation of 'Human' to apply rights to beings and other creatures of sentient intellect is discriminatory and demand the 'CHIMERA' designation and 'Being' status to protest pro-pureblood agendas.

On the galactic level, the situation is more complicated. Official Citadel Council ruling is that CHIMERAs should seek to be recognized citizens for any form they have. However, those with turian forms would have to be conscripted into the turian military (the reason why the lawsuit against NERV occurred), krogan have no central government and few clans would accept them, the Hegemony and Alliance aren't on good terms, quarians are discriminated, etc. As such CHIMERAs have to mark their race as 'CHIMERA' on their passport and trying to become officially recognized as a citizen of another race is encouraged but entirely optional, with some CHIMERAs accepting the legal status of citizens in turian society commonly associated with children or client races such as the volus.

Types

There are several designations of CHIMERA, all related to by date of initial creation (when Cerberus first developed that model):

_Heracles_: Initially designed through gene therapy on already living creatures, Heracles CHIMERA are able to absorb the DNA of another species through touch and acquire the ability to transform into that form. After the death of all known subjects through Breakdown, the idea of such a shape-shifter was abandoned. All Heracles were created from 1959 and 1963.

_Theseus_: The first CHIMERA created specifically to transform, Theseus models had the ability to absorb the DNA from other species through consumption of bodily fluids such as blood. No Theseus models survived past their 5th birthday with each DNA source absorbed speeding up the process. Theseus models were born from 1965 to 1966.

_Perseus_: The most stable model before the involvement of Dr Gerard O'Malley, Perseus models only suffer Breakdown upon death or serious injury. While limited to three to nine DNA forms upon birth, all Perseus models suffer some issue when transforming such as tremendous pain, temporary insanity or suppressing of personality. This is due to the DNA-merging being 'brute-forced' due to incompatibility with amino-acids. Created during 1971 to 1978.

_Daedalus_: Post-involvement of Dr Gerard O'Malley models and the vast majority of CHIMERAs. All CHIMERAs of the Daedalus model have a human form, a 'Merger' form based on required DNA samples such as lombax DNA and another DNA sample based on another merger species. The first Daedalus model was created at an unspecified time from 1978 to 1980. The latest dated Daedalus model was created in 2002 although more could have been created since this time.

_Icarus_: The fifth model, second model created by Dr O'Malley and the supposed prototype of a new model. Only 1 known Icarus model was created and is believed to have been born without the Illusive Man's knowledge. All information relating to Icarus is tightly guarded.

**Isaac and Miria**

Isaac and Miria is an internet meme based around inserting two people, a human male named Isaac and a human female named Miria into random pictures, often in the purpose of apparently stealing something of such little value or so odd that they appear to be insane.

The subjects

Little is known about the two audacious thieves other than that they have recently been identified as immortals. They apparently have tried to 'steal' a wide range of items, often to humorous effect, while wearing costumes whether they are inappropriate or not.

The first known identification of the two was in 1925 Boston where they are known to have attempted to steal a shoe from the owner of a shoe-store while dressed as a ballerina and a conductor. They also worked as part of a mining operation to steal from Mother Nature herself, stole hats from a store in fancy evening wear and stole the door to a museum, having attempted to steal the museum before realising it was too big and justifying the stolen door as keeping people from entering 'their' museum, while dressed as Egyptian mummies. They also stole a large amount of money from the Mafia, although that was oddly not a heist even if it fit their normal modus operandi, instead making their escape by train while dressed as a cowboy and a showgirl for the purpose of performing a train robbery. The best way to describe their 'heists' is to say they take refuge in insanity and audacity.

At some point the two became immortals, not realising until apparently sometime in the 1990s. Isaac appears to be the leader of the two while Miria appears to be his girlfriend/wife/fiancée... I don't know***.

Spread and variations:

At some point, the photographs used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to categorise their cases were leaked (the FBI refused to investigate due to sheer embarrassment of the case) onto the internet, becoming comedy gold on websites such as Tumblr and 4-Chan receiving several thousand up-votes on Reddit as well. Eventually, a 4-Koma comic (four panelled comedy comic) template was uploaded onto Reddit with a blank 4th panel for photographs of stupid but successful crimes or even social embarrassment such as Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction in the 2004 Super Bowl.

The 'The logic is impeccable' is traced back to this meme and this comic in particular, often as a sarcastic commentary of stupid crimes or as a lampshade hanging on successful crimes. Another variant is the 'You're too late' meme a comic similar to the 4-Koma where they vow to steal a national momument only to cut to an image from the Carmen San Diego series where the fictional thief makes off with said monument, ending with the caption 'You're too late'.

Current activities: Several recent and ridiculous crimes were confirmed to have been performed by Isaac and Miria, ranging from humorous small thefts to full blown heists for ridiculous objects. The most notable is the claim that they had stolen secure resources from the Illusive Man himself. This claim was later confirmed on the Illusive Man's twitter account, asking 'Can I please have my bed back?'

*** I really, really don't know - Hermione

* * *

><p><strong>Original Draft Notes:<strong>

This is an author's note, not a codex entry. I wanted to talk about some of my original plans that didn't come into fruition either because the facts didn't add up, something made me abandon it or I thought it didn't fit.

First off, there was supposed to be a LOT more swearing (like... Cluster F-Bomb) in the story but my friend said it would be a turn-off for some readers. We eventually complied when I agreed to censor my later chapters... you know, I really should alter the earlier one.

Second, I wanted to talk about why I mentioned Ratchet and Clank (the characters) in my latest arc. Originally, the plan was to officially give the canon lombaxes their own day in the limelight. Originally, I wanted to have Ratchet and Clank join Earth's war effort during the planned 'Citadel' arc.

Believe it or not, Apollo Gandor wasn't his original planned name, it was Angelo but another friend said that it would be too similar with Angela, a canon lombax character, even if my original plan was to have them as siblings (that idea was scrapped as well, they're former lovers). Also, he wasn't going to be a lombax... per se... he was originally a CHIMERA trapped in human form. In fact, his planned Loyalty Mission chain was trying to change back into a human but that idea's been scrapped as well.

Festival of Blood was planned but abandoned as well. I can't go into why but it involves a certain movie and my sisters bugging me about my Take Thats and angrily screaming at me for not liking it. She's 25 and has 2 kids, by the way.

Blasto was originally supposed to appear as an eidolon with the sorceress being an asari or quarian, but that was scrapped as well for a reason I can't go into.

Liz wasn't supposed to be related to be related to Kasumi and the two weren't originally part of a ninja clan or had their own kekkei genkai (inherited jutsu). And yes, Jon has a similar power to the two but it's different by gender and it's about to bite him in the ass. Hard.

Raphael was considered too powerful by my friend so I made him into a demon so he could only fight when absolutely necessary or to have him as a Devil Arm. Also, he was originally going to acquire demonic magic through a contract and lose his powers entirely. As well as having obtained Sparta as a Devil Arm.

More people were supposed to fight Voldemort but then I learned about the 'Neville could've been the chosen one' theory on TVTropes, that plan was abandoned. Ezio was also supposed to kinetically punch Voldemort in the balls as well. Voldemort still died in the intended manner as I feel like he died in canon: pathetic and weak. And not at the hands of some spell but mere Muggle means. Got I hated him.

Oh, and Umbridge, not Fudge, was supposed to die. I hated her more so I want her to suffer more.

Yukari Takeba was also supposed to have a role in London but I reduced it to a mere cameo role for ease.

Khalisah bint Sinah al-Jihani was supposed to be in London as well with a fist fight planned between her and Rita Skeeter. I'm saving that one for a rainy day.

The last thing I want to talk about is Ezio. Originally, he was supposed to turn into a Mew but when I decided to take out the Pokémon idea that went with it. Also, he was going to be a full-blown shapeshifter but then I realised that it wouldn't be a good power for a main character so to say. He was also going to develop Dissociative Personality Disorder but I just couldn't get that to work in a narrative manner. And yes, as someone has asked, Yagami Syndrome is a mental disorder caused by a CHIMERA's inherited DNA. If stressed, Ezio suffers from Blood Rage. Now STOP ASKING!

And finally, a planned future plot point that was abandoned was *Click* Huh?

'Hello!'

Oh, you have got to be kidding me!

***BOOM***


	46. OL9: Tearing up the Town

Quick messages to my subscribers! I have cocked up badly. I pride myself in trying to do as much research, ignoring if only absolutely necessary and... well, I overlooked a very basic and vital piece of information.

I thought that the term for the particular way in which DNA was formed was 'Sinistro-DNA' due to the term for turian and quarian DNA being 'Dextro-DNA' (Dextro is taken from Dexter, the latin word for right; Sinister is the word for left). This is, according to Mass Effect 2 and 3, wrong and the correct term is 'Levo-DNA'. I will correct this when I can.

In other news, I beat Mass Effect 1 and 2 on PS3! **∩(****・****ω****・****)∩** Shepard will be in this arc with a small teaser in the next chapter! **∩(****・****ω****・****)∩** Shepard will be a *Click* Please... please don't be...

'Hello! :D'

No... Mine Turtle...

***BOOM***

* * *

><p><strong>Shikamaru<strong>

"Welcome back," Aisha said as we returned to the real world. "Are they okay?"

"Oh, sure," Hinata said as she activated her Byakugan. "Just drained of energy and sleeping, but rather than that, nothing entirely wrong."

"We know that Kiba's in there," I began, "but we think that another of our friends is, as well."

"We'll get them out, then," Kinzie said as she walked over. "Hey, Aisha, can you call the Boss? We have a serious problem. We also need a sober VTOL pilot."

"Is it bad?" Aisha asked.

"Very."

* * *

><p><strong>Jack<strong>

"And then, he goes, 'You look different, did you do something to your-'," I said. "Since this was a sort of running gag at this point, I just hold my gun up to him and go, 'I didn't do shit to my hair'!"

"Of course you didn't," Liara said.

"Hey, when you grow hair over your body, you tend to keep clean shaven," I replied. "I just can't handle the tingle, it tickles too much."

"…Really?"

"Sully, if you don't drop that feather I'm throwing you off the roof of the biggest tower in Steelport."

"Damn…"

Suddenly, my phone rang. I then pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the screen before answering. "Hey, Kinzie, what's up?"

-* Get back, now, *- she said. -* We're getting Malik sober enough to pick you and the others up. *-

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked. "I want to find out more about this guy, Bertrand…"

-* I'll pull his financial information of you want it, *- she replied, -* bank account, transaction history, possible links to mercenary groups. *-

"You're not telling me everything," I said. "What's up?"

-* Jack, there's a group of trolls in town and they're _tearing up the city_! *-

* * *

><p><strong>Operation Louisiana 9: Tearing the Town Apart!<strong>

* * *

><p>-* Did someone mention trolls? *- Zimos sang. -* They're big and strong but dumber than a bag of hammers. Why are you so scared? *-<p>

"They have guns, and grenades and they're to scale," Kinzie said.

"I'll be there in a few minutes," Malik said as she and Ashley ran over towards the helipad.

"…Really?" Hinata asked.

"I'm that good!"

"She actually is," Kaiden said. "Look, I know this guy who can get us RPG rounds if we need them but we just have to-"

"Incoming!" Laura said as a missile flew over towards the building. Pierce ran forward, grabbing a gun and aimed it straight at the rocket, pulling the trigger. The missile exploded in the air, just a few metres from actually hitting. The force of the explosion destroyed most of the glass around us, sending us backward from the pressure.

"Agh…" Naruto groaned from the back of the kitchen. "Why are my ears ringing?"

"You're just waking up?" I asked him. "Wait, where's Ino?" The fridge opened up to allow her to fall out, resting in a puddle of milk. "How did she get into the fridge without leaving a dent?"

"I don't know, I closed it before Pierce fired the missile out of the air," Laura replied.

"Another mystery for us to solve," Shikamaru said. "We should see if we can help, find out why they're attacking."

"No, you're exhausted," Aisha said. "Pierce, go with Tobias and do a damage report, find out why they're attacking."

"Can we take the car?" Pierce asked.

"The one on the roof?" Aisha asked back.

"Yup."

"Just go," she said as I ran off. "Tobias is in the garage!"

"Gat!" I shouted in the building. "Where's Angel and Manuela, we've got a big problem!"

"We're here," Angel said as he and Manuela ran over. "Gat's playing around with a gun mod."

"Typical," I said. "Something big is happening, something about trolls attacking Steelport."

"Mind if I come along?" Angela asked.

"Sure, we don't want to keep the icicle in our storage room," Angel said. "We also need to get Dr Wolfe out of here, stop Bertrand from using him as an asset."

"Hey…" Pey'j said. "Do you mind getting a few things for me? I'll give you a list, just take them to me."

"Okay," I said. "If you need the support of the Saints, just hit us up."

"Got it," Cole said. "How are you getting out of town?"

"It's too difficult to use the tram again," Dad said.

"And there are helicopter patrols at night, as well as trucks," Pey'j said.

"Dammit, we already have the VTOL on the way," I said. "If we take down the helicopters or damage the trucks enough, Malik and Ashley can take the other out. We need to get to the warehouse district."

"There's a _dragon_ at the warehouse district," Nate said.

"Then you'll handle that, 'Mighty Dragon Lord'," Tali chimed in.

"Not you, too!" Drake shouted.

"Mighty Dragon Lord," most of the kids shouted. That medicine did wonders for them…

"hey…" one of the kids spoke up. "…one of the militia said something about a rally…"

"Really?" Cole said. "… You know what? I'm going to go to this thing."

"Then let me do some reconnaissance," Zeke said. "Maybe find out what more about this 'Bertrand', see him in the flesh."

"I'll go, too," Elena said. "If I set up a few video cameras, I could record material, get it onto the internet; get my publisher involved, local aid."

"You could set up bombs for the trucks, but we need to be careful that they aren't discovered."

"Zeke, tell me how to make those bombs, I'll have them ready in 5 minutes," Chloe said. "I'll deliver them when we need to, reduce the chance of the bomb getting discovered."

"I could make a detonator with specific frequencies, detonate them in waves," Tali said.

"And I could get photos for Elena's article," Jade said. "Pey'j, watch the orphanage?"

"Sure," Pey'j replied. "I could make a few shield devices, hopefully without shorting out a conduit's powers… Dr Wolfe, you mentioned something about 'element zero'?"

"Oh, of course," Dad said. "It has to be specially constructed to prevent dark energy from cancelling out the RF radiation and we need a small amount of the substance… Miss Kuo, can you possibly head back to my office and grab some?"

"Why would you have eezo?" Kuo asked.

"Bertrand had me researching several projects, including a way of permanently stripping a conduit's powers," Dr Wolfe said. "It should only be a kilogram but we can use it to our benefit."

"I'll go with Kuo," Matsuda said.

"Angel, we have to get the VTOL a landing area," Light said. "Anyone up for it?"

"I'll go with Nii-San," Sayu said.

"I'm intrigued by this 'element zero', actually," Takada said. "I am willing to fight if necessary." To prove the point home, she took out a guitar and held it ready to attack.

"I'll help Light…" Misa said with a smile. "What about you, Manuela?"

"Just in case more Militia show up and attack us here, I'll stay to fight," Manuela said.

"We've only got an hour, though," I said. "Everyone, do your jobs, quickly. When is that rally?"

"…in half an hour…" the kid said.

"Let's move out," Cole said.

* * *

><p><strong>Pierce<strong>

"What can you see, Tobias," I said as we flew over Loren Square.

"The Morningstar are… fighting the trolls and they're losing… and so are the Luchadores," Tobias said. "Kinzie, any news?"

-* I've got a good feed, *- Kinzie said. -* Here is goes… *-

-* Unit 8, what is your status? *- a voice said. Female, definitely, with a slight French accent.

-* We're being pushed back, *- another said. -* Where are those deckers, we need those Champions! We can't last long. *-

"Kinzie?" I asked.

-* Digimon are classified by different strength levels, *- Gatomon said. -* It's the same as age for other beings, with the ranks being, from weakest to strongest, Fresh, In-Training, Rookie, Champion, Ultimate and Mega. If they're requesting a group of Champion Digimon, yeah, it's bad. *-

"What are you?"

-* Champion, but most people think I'm a Rookie. I use it to my advantage. *-

"Should we do a drive by?" Tobias asked. "Maybe draw some fire off and give them a chance?"

"It looks like they're protecting civilians so yes, we should," I said. "See if you can go for the eyes, let me know when you're ready."

"This shotgun should be a massive help," Tobias said. "Fully automatic and custom built to be fitted onto a door by Gat."

"Why would he buy that?"

"I think he saw it on FPSRussia," Tobias replied. "Okay, tell me when we're close so I can aim for the eye."

"In about… 5 seconds from decloaking." I flew towards the troll, getting ready. "Now!"

"I spent years practicing on Aliens 3 Arcade, mother-!" Tobias shouted, before pulling the trigger and spread-shooting the troll to get it to back off.

"Hey, Kinzie, while you're at it, ask the Morningstar why they gave large guns to trolls?" I asked.

-* Are you serious? *- Kinzie asked.

"Yeah, see if you can troll them," I said.

-* …I'm going to smack you for that… *- Kinzie coldly said. -* Fine, I'll call one of the DeWynter twins! *-

"Thank you," Tobias said as we flew over the city.

-* Hey, guys, *- Elijah said into the radio. -* If you can help, the club I'm DJ-ing at is being attacked and we got a lot of civvies here. *-

"How about a carpet bomb?" I said as we flew over the street. "Tobias, check the boot."

"On it," Tobias said as he took out a large orb. "Pierce, what is this?"

"I have no idea, Aisha just gave it to me," I replied. "Read the instruction manual."

"Okay… 'pull the pin at the top of the grenade then…'" Tobias stopped. "'…drop the bomb and allow it to bounce, releasing smaller bomblets with each bounce'? What the hell is this thing?"

"I think it's a bouncing bomb," I said. "What else does he have… is that a _plasma grenade_?"

"TOWER!"

"OH SHIT!" I shouted, pulling up just in time. "Okay… I should be watching the road."

"What road?" Tobias shouted. "Now, 'watch where I'm flying' would be a better statement."

"Just get ready to drop it," I shouted. "Pulling back around."

"Give me the word when you're ready," Tobias said as he got the bomb ready.

"Okay… go for it."

It was magnificent, I can tell you that. The bomb bounced a total of 63 times, only stopping when it hit the water of the river and releasing the remaining bombs at once, causing the water to spread back onto the pavement as we drove… flew… f***, this _is_ confusing.

-*My apologies for interrupting, *- Clank said, -* but what _is_ a troll? *-

-* A troll is a creature from both Norse and Scandanavian folklore, as much of the world at large believes, *- Elijah said. -* Originally from Norse mythology, trolls are described as dwelling in isolated rocks, mountains, or caves, living together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human beings. The later Scandinavian folklore, however, says that they live away from human habitations, especially those with Christianized humans as well as dangerous to human beings, with some legends specifically stating that they could smell the blood of a Christian man or woman and would attack instantly. The legend's appearance changes greatly from ugly and slow-witted to looking and with the same intellect as humans. Some legends also state that trolls are actually fae and as such a type of fairy and weakened if iron is thrown over their heads. *-

"How do you know so much about trolls?" Tobias asked over the radio.

-* I was in Lord of the f***ing Rings, of course I'd know something about trolls, *- Elijah responded. -* Thanks for the help, though. The trolls are out cold. *-

-* To be more specific, trolls are magical creatures that are native to Scandinavia but can be found all over Europe that are extremely stupid, standing at 12 feet tall and weighing several tonnes, as well as being dumber than a bag of hammers, as I said earlier, *- Zimos sang. -* But what are they doing here? It's not like anyone could smuggle over a few dozen- *-

"Wait, they're _still alive_?" I asked.

"PIERCE!"

"Sorry," I said as I turned around to avoid the building. "You want to fly?"

"Hell no," Tobias said. "I can't drive."

-* I'm actually quite surprised that they took the hits and only got knocked out, *- Gatomon said. -* I fought one before and it took less to kill it… may have something to do with the fact I punched it in the neck. *-

-* Hello, is this Kiki DeWynter? *- Kinzie said.

-* Wha…? Who is this? *-

-* Hi, I'm Kinzie Kensington, I'm working with the Third Street Saints, *- Kinzie introduced herself. -* I'm just calling to ask how you idiots let AN ARMY OF TROLLS INTO THE CITY! *-

-* The Syndicate had nothing to do with it, *- Kiki said. -* We're just as confused as you are. *-

-* Mountain trolls aren't even native to North America, what are they doing here? *- Kinzie asked. -*And don't say you've never had a troll in your services, I've been to Safeword! *-

-* …Did... did you just admit to having sex with a troll? *- I heard Ino in the background.

-* Oh my god, no! *- Kinzie said. -* I'd never be able to have said with something that big! *-

-* …says the girl who got drunk and- *-

-* Gato! *-

-* Look, *- Kiki said. -* We're just a confused and shocked as you are that the trolls have shown up, but the thing is, they're co-ordinated. Someone else is leading them, no troll could plan like this. We have no idea who… hold on. *- The line went dead, before we heard shouting in the distance. -* What do you _mean_, 'you have no idea where it came from'? ! What is a f***ing _giant_ doing in the city? ! *-

-* What? *- Kinzie asked. -* You need help kicking its ass? *-

-* No, it's fine, *- Kiki said, before a loud crash and a roar came from behind her. -* Actually, can you send someone over, please? *-

"Give us 5 minutes," I said.

* * *

><p><strong>Kuo<strong>

"There's Dr Wolfe's lab," I said as we walked forward. "But there are guards there… what do we do?"

"I'll distract them, you go in and get the substance," Takada said.

"Are you serious?" Matsuda said, looking at her. "There are 5 guards, there's no way you can take them."

"And you can?"

"No, I'm saying we all knock one out each then either you or I go in and get the element zero," Matsuda said. "I don't know about you, but I overheard Wolfe-Sensei say something about taking a conduit's powers and I don't want to put Kuo in danger such as that... stuff."

"He has a point," I said. "If I touch it and it isn't in a protective casing, it could force the RF radiation from my body and force my powers. So, who's going in and who's fighting?"

"Anyone got a coin?" Takada said, before I took a quarter out of my pocket. "Heads."

"Okay," I said, flipping the coin up and letting it fall to the ground. "It's… tails."

"Well, I'll get into position to ambush the guard next to the guard," Takada said. "Good luck."

"You know what you're looking for, right?" I asked. "It's a green box with a red warning on it."

"Got it," she said as she walked off.

"So, where do we go?" Matsuda asked.

"You head over to the alley, I'll fight in the open," I said before running onward. Teleporting into position, I saw Takada standing over a guard and Matsuda kneeling behind a dumpster, gun ready if needed.

The guards moved into position, followed by us taking out three of them at once before the other guards noticed what had happened, before Matsuda shot one other guard in the wrist and made him drop his assault rifle and I had frozen the other one's leg in place so that he would fall over. I then ran over and kicked him in the side of the head, knocking him unconscious as the guard Matsuda was fighting was thrown over my head.

"How did you do that?" I asked as I walked over to him.

"I'm a police officer for the Japanese National Police Agency, Martial Arts is mandatory," Matsuda said. "I'm a bit of a klutz but if I need to, I can disable a man with a quick shot."

"Isn't the NPA more of an administrative department?" I asked.

"Yeah," Matsuda said. "It's good work, but…"

An explosion rocked behind us. Dr Wolfe's lab just went up in flames!

"Takada!" Matsuda shouted as he ran forward, just before a fridge almost crushed us, sliding on the ground before Takada kicked it open and hesitantly got out of it, holding a box and her guitar. "Takada-san, are you okay?"

"I…" Takada said before she dropped everything she was carrying. "I think I recreated an episode of the Simpsons… you know the one where he has the big firework and puts it in the oven?"

"I think a better idea would be Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull," I said. "You know, nuking the Fridge?"

"What about frying the coke?" Matsuda asked.

"You're a fan of the Critic?" I asked him. "Come on, we need to get that metal back to Dr Wolfe. Takada, how are you feeling?"

As if in response, Takada just looked upward before falling into a heap on the ground. Matsuda gave a weak laugh as he took up her guitar and the box.

"I'll carry these if you can carry her," Matsuda said. "It isn't too much, is it?"

"No, not at all," I said as I scooped her up. "Let's hurry back."

* * *

><p><strong>Chloe<strong>

"Okay… here's the bombs and the radio frequency transmitters, we just have to-"

"We've got a problem," Liara said as around the corner. "Do you see that tower over there?"

"Yeah, it's got a dark mist around it," I said.

"You can't use your powers," Liara said.

"There's only one way to find out," I said, before trying to activate my powers and getting a nasty jolt in response. "Ow… crap, you were right, I can't use my powers!"

"That dark mist is biotic radiation," Tali said. "I saw Cole fighting and he was hit with the backlash of Jack's biotic powers, causing him to shoot off electricity which burnt him. So, if I'm right... you can't use time travel powers until we turn off that mass effect tower, but it's going to take a while..."

"We should focus on taking out the power... maybe we can crash a nearby generator," I said as I looked around.

"Wouldn't that cause some problems?" Liara said. "Look... whatever we do, we should try and keep it intact."

"Nothing better than taking out a power generator... perhaps we could just turn it off or..." Tali said as she looked around. "If we can find the generator and I had an accurate idea of what the power network looked like, maybe I could start several generators at the same time."

"You do know that the emergency generators connected to the power grid are petroleum based, right?" I said as Tali thought it through. "Petrol is a flammable substance."

"Oh, relax, I've done this a million times," Tali said. "Sure, it was gaseous fuel based, but you get the idea. Can I borrow... whatever is used as comm on this planet?"

"My mobile phone?" I said as I held it out. "Why? Do you need me to call Pey'j?"

"Yes," Tali said as she looked around a guard with Liara.

"Pey'j, are you there?" I asked over the phone.

-* Can this hurry? *- Pey'j asked. -* Takada fainted from the shock of almost being killed in an explosion. *-

"Want to know the best way to calm someone down?" I said over the phone. "Nitro-glycerine, it's often given to angina attack sufferers as well as panic attack sufferers. Just make sure she doesn't chew it, it's still explosive in tablet form."

-* We have smelling salts, *- Pey'j said in an annoyed voice. -* And angina is a specific heart problem from prolonged stress as well as other factors. Besides, we wouldn't be able to find GTN pills. *-

"I could," I said. "They make excellent explosive slingshot pellets, but they're in my bag at the moment... if you want to use them... Oh, and can you email me a schematic of the generators and transformers used in town as well as a map layout of all of New Marais, Tali says she needs it to help us take out a mass effect emitting device."

-* Have you tried shooting at it? *- Dr Wolfe said. -* We've nearly got a shield up and the more scrap element zero we have... *-

"Wouldn't you use the tower to make the shield stronger?" I asked.

-* The way Bertrand had it built, it's entirely useless, *- Dr Wolfe said. -* Although... from where I know it is... do objects fall faster or slower in the mass effect? *-

"It's... heavier, why?"

-* Supercharge the tower and it will destroy the building it's on, *- Dr Wolfe said. -* That building is used for weapons storage so it will cripple the Militia in the long run. *-

"Get us those schematics, then," I said as I hung up. "We're performing demolition, girls."

"Collapsing the building with the mass effect generator, then?" Liara said as she looked at it. "It will take a while."

My phone beeped and I opened the email with the schematics and showed it to Tali. "How's this?"

"I can work with it... I'll need a few wires and a jumper cable, though, but it should increase the gravity by 10.3G," Tali said.

"What does Earth have?" I asked.

"She's using local scale," Liara said.

"This will be fun..." I nervously said as I cautiously backed away.

"Hey, how do you use this?" Tali said. "I keep swiping my fingers like you..."

"Damn it... it's an iPhone..." I said as I took it from her. "Sorry, only skin contact can operate it."

* * *

><p><strong>Elena<strong>

"Okay, the video cameras are all installed..." I said as I sat down behind a wall. "Jade, how's that picture camera coming?"

"It's almost set up," Jade said. "Good view from here... how's that connection coming, Secundo?"

"Just a minute, Yade," Secundo said as I looked at the interface hanging from my waist. "As soon as I'm done, I'll be able to record from all 5 cameras and microphones at the same time as well as remotely control the camera."

"Thanks, Secundo," Jade said as she affectionately stroked the device storing the AI. "Hey, did you do that background check for me?"

"Of course," Secundo said as a screen appeared in front of me. "Joseph T. Bertrand III is a local shipping and railway magnate who distributes all over the United States and Europe as well as an investor in several different companies, from Fox Broadcasting to NBC, as well as Microsoft, Ultimate Wrestling Championship and something else, but his financial records are so heavily encrypted I don't know what it is."

"What can you tell me about each company, specifically what shares Bertrand has in each?" Jade asked.

"Just a few thousand dollars, you know," Secundo said. "Wait... it seems he invests with companies when their stock is low and sells when it's high... he's been involved with several companies throughout the United States... but there's something odd. The larger companies he backed folded after he pulled out, mostly around the 2008 recession... except for the Ponzi scheme run by Bernard Madoff where he lost a significant amount of money. And here's the thing... he pulled out exactly three weeks and two days before the financial issues became public, as well as several different investors."

"Contact Dr Wolfe, see if Cerberus had anything to do with it, maybe they let him lose that much money as punishment for something," I said.

"I'm on it, Yelena," Secundo said. "The network grid should be up now."

"So, now we just need to set up a microphone," Jade said.

"Why don't we use a long-distance directional microphone?" I said. "We don't have to put ourselves in trouble from a few guards while bugging the microphone, that's to be sure."

"And the range of our network could make it easier to discover... there's only so much that Ethernet can do."

"Can I ask you something?" I asked Jade.

"...Does this have to do with the 'Dragon Blood' comment?" Jade said, turning to me as I nodded. "Okay, I'll talk. I'm a witch, formerly taught at Innsmouth Academy."

"Innsmouth?" I asked. "You mean..."

"Yeah, _that_ Innsmouth, but believe it or not the 'Deep Ones' are often the delinquents and they're quite helpful, have one on speed-dial," Jade said. "I was expelled from school at the age of 15, had my wand snapped and escorted from the premises. The bitch of a headmistress framed me for a series of crimes where the victims were placed under the Cruciatus curse and made to attack other students. Believe it or not, I was cleared of the attacks after I showed the truth to the Aurors but she refused to accept me back and to return my wand fragments and since she had a lot of connections in the Department of Magic... she got away with it."

"Why couldn't you just buy a new wand?" I asked.

"Wands cost $140 dollars each and in Wizard money that isn't cheap," Jade said. "Solid gold coins... Also, the wand chooses the wizard, you go to replace it and it's always a weaker wand than your first. Of course, the official charges preventing me from getting magical qualifications were lifted and I was able to get some tutoring through the Department. On the Headmistress' expense."

"Lawsuit? Or blackmail?"

"'Blackmail' is such an ugly word..." Jade said with a wicked grin. "I prefer 'forced negotiations' or 'making an ugly cow squeal like the little bitch she is'."

"Must have been really big dirt," I said. "If you still have it, could come in useful."

"The use of a Cruciatus is an Unforgivable Curse so it is strictly illegal and can land the caster a life sentence or a death sentence depending on the country," Jade said. "It's better for the perp in the US, he's thrown into a jail at the bottom of Lake Michigan and believe me, compared to a Turkish jail, you have a toilet seat."

"Nate can attest to that."

"If you're caught in Britain... suicide is the better option."

"...Why?"

"Ever hear of a Dementor?" Jade said. "They're the guards in the British jail, they suck out the positive emotions, expose the convicts to the worst torture just by being near them. The really unlucky ones have their souls sucked out and their bodies placed in a comatose state."

"D:"

"The British aren't very popular with the rest of the magical governments."

A large explosion erupted a few streets away, causing us to jerk away. "What the hell was that? !" I blurted out.

A phone call came through which I picked up on my ARI. -* Whoa... did you see that? *- Zeke said on the other end. -* That was one hell of an explosion! *-

"It looked more like an implosion since a nearby building collapsed into dust on itself," Secundo said. "As if the weight of the world came crashing down upon it."

-* Well, the Militia just ran off but that may have something to do with the Corrupted, *- Zeke said. -* Don't worry, I'm almost... what are you doing? *-

-* WHOO! *- Wait, is that... Tali? -* That was _awesome_! *-

-* Damn... *- Chloe said on the other end. -* Oh, don't mind us, Zeke, we were just... performing emergency detonations. *-

"Holy crap, are you all right?" I shouted into the phone.

-* Elena? *- Liara asked. -* I think... I broke a bone... and I think an eardrum burst... *-

-* No shit we broke a few bones, that was near the gravity on Saturn! *- Chloe shouted.

"H-hold... back up, what was that?" Jade asked.

-* They have structures up to stop conduit powers, *- Liara said. -* Tali just... hacked it. *-

-*I did better than that! *- Tali said. -* Through a combination of being raised from birth to know computers, ships, engineering and electronics and sheer metal-alloy cajones, I have created a forced implosion and blast of air to destroy a weapons stronghold as well as single-handedly start the generators connected to the network and restored power to the entire city! YEAH! *-

-* I swear, I did _NOT_ teach Tali that word! *- Chloe said, frantically.

* * *

><p><strong>Kuo<strong>

"Is she okay?" Matsuda asked as he sat down next to an unconscious Takada.

"Just shock..." Dr Wolfe said. "What happened to her, again?"

"She climbed into a fridge just before an explosion went off," I said. "She pulled an Indy Escape."

"Well, we got that shield up," Pey'j said. "It should stop fast momentum objects like bullets from getting through... but if we make the barrier bigger with more eezo, or more shield devices."

"...Dear god... it felt like I was hit by a truck..."

"Trust me, you don't know what that feels like," Dr Wolfe said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "We think you may be in shock, however."

"Why?" Takada asked. "That bastard Ry-"

"We don't talk about him, remember?" Matsuda said hastily. "How are you?"

"I'm..." Takada began. "I'm fine."

"Well, that's a relief," I said. "You did scare us a bit. But... in that Simpsons episode, didn't Homer put the exploding object into an _oven_?"

"Yeah..." Takada said. "So... wait, is that tabasco sauce?"

"I thought you said you had smelling salts," Matsuda asked.

"I lied," Pey'j said. "It's still strong enough to wake anyone up. I also have some salsa here. It's so spicy it can make you go blind."

"Well, thanks for the... surprising piece of trivia," Takada said. "[Should we steal it and bake it into a cake for Ryuuzaki]?"

Matsuda snorted with laughter as he tried to cover his face. "This is from my own personal store of spices," Pey'j said. "It has every spice known to man... and some only known to dolphins."

[ ಠ _ ಠ ]

Matsuda, just turned to Takada and...

[ ' _ ' O ]

Eventually, he gave up and started laughing heavily in his chair as Takada joined him while Chloe, Liara and Tali came in, the last of which was being carried by Zeke.

"So... awesome..." Tali said as she was set on the couch.

"How?" Zeke asked as he looked at Chloe, who was holding her sides and Liara, whose arm was in a sling.

"We don't know _how_ she managed to start every generator in the city," Liara said quickly. "We just know she _did_!"

"I'm talking about demolishing the building!"

"Oh, that we can explain," Chloe said. "See, the Militia have dark matter towers that cut off conduit powers so Tali took control of the entire town's electricity grid and overloaded the dark matter generator to such an extent that the building was experiencing the level of gravity seen on Jupiter."

"So, when did you plant the bombs?" Matsuda asked.

"OH CRAP!" Chloe shouted before running out of the building.

"You didn't plant any bombs, did you?" Zeke asked.

"Who needs explosives when we have **GRAVITY**!" Tali said with a smile that was beaming through her helmet, it was that obvious. "Shall I try it again?"

"No!" I said quickly. "Not until we get a camera out there. That's going on YouTube... or the Discovery channel."

* * *

><p><strong>Light (Japanese)<strong>

"Damn..." I said as we stood against a waist-high wall looking into the large clearing. "Too many guards and a few missile trucks. We can't just destroy the trucks... maybe we could drive them into the water?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Misa said. "Do you want me to take a few people out?"

"Don't kill them, we'll need to get access codes to shut down the launch pads perma... are those nukes?"

"Well, we can't just disarm them... well, I could but I'd need 200 cups of Mochaccino and a copy of the Exalted rulebook, but we simply don't have the resources to dispose of the nuclear waste," Sayu said. "Do me a flavour and hand me that brass wire sticking out of the wall."

"That's an electrical wire," I said. "I think I saw it explode out of the wall, however... maybe Cole got a little too much energy from the power outlets."

"I don't know..." Misa said. "Wait... that launch terminal looks like the one from Destiny Angel Squad Encore, it simply needs a key. Four keys... we needs four keys to stop them launching."

"How do you know this?" Sayu asked.

"There was a fan of mine working on the movie who was a huge military otaku," Misa said. "Aida-kun was pretty nice, even taught me a pretty useful trick."

"Which was?" I asked.

"I can dislocate my own thumb to break out of handcuffs," Misa said. "Believe it or not, it doesn't actually hurt once you get used to it."

"Teach me," Sayu said bluntly.

"Let's hurry, then," I said. "Misa, knock out some of the guards with Marshal."

"I've been waiting for some exercise," Misa's shadow said as she ran off.

"Sayu, I know you're capable, but if you could, I don't know, avoid flaunting that scythe around with you?"

"You got it," Sayu said as the scythe faded away in a burst of blood.

"How do you do that?"

"Blood magic and alchemy," Sayu said with a smile. "Oh, maybe I can teach Manuela some alchemy if possible!"

"I doubt she'll want to learn it, but you can always ask... in fact, ask everyone," I said. "I think that everyone would like to know how to form blades and armour out of their own blood."

"Back in a while," Sayu said as she ran off. I then snuck around a few warehouse openings to evade the guards. Sneaking behind one completely by accident, I carefully made sure that my heart attack wasn't fatal before I grabbed the guard in a chokehold and knocked him out.

Moving through the warehouse carefully, I carefully grabbed one of the keys from a nearby sleeping guard's pocket as well as his handgun before leaping out of the window before sneaking over to see an unconscious guard lying on the ground... and another cowering from Misa.

"[W-what the hell are you]?" the guard shouted as he tried to drag himself away.

"[I'm a popstar from Japan]," Misa said with a wicked smile. "[I'm also a demon tamer and Marshal wants to PLAY WITH YOU]!" The shadow under her feet then formed into a gigantic demon's head as it flew around her before launching forward and lifting the guard into the air and throwing him into the sea. "[Grab me again and I'll kick your ass]! Oh, Light... You're..."

"I realise," I said as I walked towards her. "I thought you were supposed to try and keep from fighting."

"I got a key!" Misa said happily as she held her hand up. "Oh, and Marshal punched a guy when he grabbed my butt."

"If anyone hurts you, I'll let them have it," Marshal said with a growl.

"... Is that meant as a threat?" I asked.

"Break her heart like that again and you will only know of light by your name," Marshal said as he retreated into Misa's shadow.

"Yeah... I saw you when Matsuda pissed you off," I said. "God, that was bad..."

* * *

><p><strong>2 years ago<strong>

"O-okay, I didn't mean it like that! I just thought-"

"You _just thought_ it would be funny to enter Misa into a _wet T-shirt contest_?" Marshal said as he lifted Matsuda in the air. "She's 17! Give me one reason why I shouldn't tear you apart!"

"It was her idea!" Matsuda shouted. "Wait... 17? Her ID... is a fake, isn't it?"

* * *

><p>"Thanks for saving me," Misa said as she scratched her Forbidden Beast on the head and he rubbed into her side.<p>

"Misa... your chest..."

"Oh," Misa said as she covered up the scar on her upper clothing.

"Well, we have 2 keys, but where's Sayu?"

"You f***ing bastard!" Sayu shouted as we heard her clashing a blade with someone in another warehouse. We instantly ran forward to see Sayu dodging a few blades floating through telekinesis. "What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

"That's no way to say 'hello' to an old friend," the white-haired boy said as he flew the blades closer to him. "Good to see you again, Misa and D-."

"The name's Light, asshole," I said as I drew my gun.

"Light Yagami grabs a gun," he said with a grin. "You were always one for plans. Did my sudden appearance disrupt anything?"

"Well, we'll have to wait and see before I kick your ass over the Atlantic!" Sayu said as she summoned a war-scythe. She then threw two keys at me. "Turn off the launch-pad."

"Sorry, but the Old Man doesn't want you interfering here."

"Too bad," Sayu said as she ran forward.

**SAYU YAGAMI VS TABRIS**

Their blades clashed as Sayu stopped Tabris from grabbing the keys as they flew at me. She forced him back as she readied markings of blood magic on her hand as Tabris got ready to fight her.

**FIGHT THEME: SUFFERING YOU – 16 VOLTS**

"You broke my heart two years ago," Sayu said. "Now, I'm going to bust your balls!"

**HEAVEN OR HELL**

"The perils of young love, unfortunately," Tabris said as his plasma blades formed wings on his back.

**DUEL 1**

"I'm going to enjoy this," Sayu said with a grin.

**LET'S ROCK**

Sayu's blade flicked forward to catch Tabris' leg but he back-flipped out of the way while Misa tried to disarm the launch-pad. I was throwing mines around the nearby street since I knew it was inevitable that reinforcements would be back soon. Tabris sent two blades at Sayu which she deflected by spinning her scythe in her hands before Tabris ran forward and tried to punch her in the face, barely missing.

Guards came gunning as I crouched behind a car and fired a few pot-shots at the coming guards to guide them directly into the mines I had laid, waiting until they set off most if not all of my mines.

"Just as planned," I said as a shotgun and assault rifle landed next to me. "I still got it."

"Yeah, we didn't doubt you for a minute," Misa said. "Heads up, Tabris has back-up."

"Got it," I said as I deployed a gas grenade and ran forward, activating my powers and ghosting into one of Tabris' Kabuki warriors.

"He's using Ghost Powers," Tabris called before Sayu uppercut him with a crouched kick. Passing around the guards quickly and effortlessly, I use the... 'unfortunate' side effect of dizziness to disorientate the cyber-ninjas before returning to normal and knocking them out with the butt of my gun.

"Nice one," Misa said. "Okay, I've got this shut down... now for complete disabling." Misa then called forth Marshal and tore the console to shreds. "More guards, I'll handle this if you help Sayu."

"On it," I said as I ghosted into a nearby car just as Tabris dropped Sayu with a roundhouse kick and landing on the trunk of the car.

"I have to say, Sayu, you're getting better," Tabris said before the trunk he was standing on popped open and Sayu slashed his chest with her blade before kicking him into a wall.

"I really should do more..." Misa said with a frown. "Kick him in the balls!" Misa shouted as she pumped her hand in the air.

Sayu did exactly that as I passed into a nearby parking lot's barrier gate and raising it in Tabris' face as he tried to backflip away.

"Nice!" Sayu said as she rushed forward and raised her leg to- GAH!

**SLASH!**

"God, I felt that," I said as I moved out of the barrier gate and became physical again.

"Okay Kaworu, what are you doing here?" Sayu asked as she held the blade at his throat.

"SEELE," I said. "The New World Order... Cerberus. You're working for the Illusive Man but why do the Old Men want you here?"

"An old friend turned up out of the blue," Kaworu said. "He's _interested_ in Bertrand."

"Why?" Misa asked. "Does this have to do with the Militia?"

"Hm... it has much more to do with these inbred, gun-toting idiots," Nagisa said. "Bertrand is second-generation Cerberus, one of the first recruits after the first members. He's a traitor, however. But we don't need L interfering here."

"Oh, you're just perfect for Bertrand," Sayu said. "He's a creep, you're a dick and you all deserve each other."

"His time's almost up," Nagisa said. "Or it would be..."

"What do you mean?"

"Bertrand is fated to die in a few days' time and we need him to die in the original manner," Kaworu said. "You know about original deaths, right Light? Before you tampered with Death's books."

"I used the Death Note in another timeline," I said. "Do I really need to be complained at for not going insane and killing a lot of people this time?"

"I mean in this timeline," Kaworu said, "not causing death but preventing it." Misa tensed up when she heard that line. "You remember the last time we met, right?"

"You said we had a connection," I repeated.

"We both used a Philosopher's Stone as a price for the Eye Trade," Nagisa said. "We both killed a Shinigami and we both burned a Death Note."

"What?" I asked. "Y... you got a Death Note? I thought that would be perfect for that bastard Lorenz..."

"On the contrary," Nagisa said. "Although... I have to give you credit for cutting off the Shinigami and human worlds. Sorry, but I've got to be places."

Kaworu disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving us all dazed as Sayu dropped her blade. "How did he... how did he know?"

"Light, you actually made the Eye Trade?" Misa asked me in a shocked voice. "But... why did... why did you..."

"If I didn't you would've," Light said. "And it wasn't me who cut off the Shinigami world. It was the person who killed themselves with the Death Note."

"Who?" Sayu asked. "Light, did you prevent their deaths with your ghost powers?"

"Yeah," I said. "It's a long story. We can talk about it... let's just drop it."

"You can't avert a death caused by a Death Note," Misa said. "You prevent them from writing it but it still happens but it destroys the Death Note and kills the Shinigami who collected the years. Who was it?"

"...I can't remember..."

* * *

><p><strong>Naruto<strong>

"Hey, look over there," I said as I crouched down from behind a barrier on the highway. "That thing is big..."

"Giant," Hinata said. "It has around 600 tenketsu points... I can take it out with five or so strikes to the heart but it would be impossible for me to get close."

"Wait, I remember something," Shikamaru said as he clapped his hands. "Back when we were 9, there was this jonin who came in and explained how ninja could channel chakra through items and weapons if they knew how. It starts with wind release."

"Maybe one of us could pass chakra into the bullet, Hinata could turn it into Jyuuken bullets or-" Naruto tried to say as he came up with a plan.

"I could use these alchemical bullets that Zimos gave me," Hinata said. "I pass some chakra through them, letting them carry at a long distance and letting me target the giant's heart at a long range." She then put a clip of glowing bullets into her two guns and holstered one behind her back while prepping the other. "Okay, let's do this."

"Why did Zimos give you those?" Ino asked as she looked at a glowing bullet.

"Well, he just gave me blanks, I charged them with spells by myself," Hinata said while twiddling her fingers. "Just be careful with that, the bullet is a stunner and it will knock you out if it fires in your hand."

"It looks like candy," Shikamaru said, as I took one with a grin and wrapped it in some paper.

"Before you ask, yes, there is a Killing Curse," Hinata said. "No, Zimos won't teach me it and it doesn't work on these bullets."

"Can you store another person's jutsu in here?" Shikamaru asked. "Maybe a Persona?"

"We'll have to fit yours in a bazooka," Ino replied.

"You just channel some of your own jutsu inside the bullet then mold it with hand-seals," Hinata said as Naruto tried it. "Are you placing a Shadow Clone inside?"

"No," I said as I held the gun up and aimed it at Shikamaru. "Uh... these won't hurt when you shoot them, will they?"

"Only the magic is expelled," Hinata said with a nervous look on her face.

"Good," I said before shooting Shikamaru in the face. It didn't hurt him, only caused a minor bit of disorientation and a bit of smoke.

"Naruto, what the hell?" Shikamaru asked as he stood up. "Did you... oh, for the love of..."

"Isn't that...?" Ino started as she looked at Shika-kun.

"...Sexy no Jutsu?" Hinata replied with a deep blush.

"You turned me into a girl!" Shikamaru yelled. "Can you even undo this?"

"It's a simple genjutsu," I replied. "Of course I can."

"... didn't you flunk Genjutsu Defence?" I asked.

"...If you can help me with that..."

"Dammit, Naruto..." Shikamaru replied as Ino looked at his... her chest. "Are you sure you're not a lesbian?"

"You're a Double-D!" Ino shouted in shock. Shikamaru instantly cancelled the genjutsu before stomping over to me and smacking me with his hand over my head.

"Should we stop this?" Ino asked Hinata

"No, let's hurry," Hinata said as I looked down the sight of her gun and fired straight at the giant. "Got it, but now it's disappeared... where did it..."

"OH CRAP!" Shikamaru shouted as he let go of me and let me fall to the ground. "IT'S ON THE BRIDGE!"

"Uh oh..." Ino said as she started to walk away. Instantly, she grabbed an SMG, loaded it with magic bullets and started firing as we all began to run. "It's not working...!"

"I think Zimos said that giants have a high immunity to spells," Hinata said as we ran away. "Although... Naruto, do you happen to have any explosives?"

"No, but I think we could put some matches in a car's gas tank," I said.

"Can anyone throw those?" Shikamaru asked.

"No," everyone else, me included, said.

"Wait, I have a strength buff," Ino said. "Maybe I can use my Persona to buff one of us."

"Shikamaru, your Persona is biggest and it can fly," I said. "Can you get Thunderbird to drop cars on him after I drop a match inside or should I use Agi?"

"You can use fire magic and you didn't figure it out?" Shikamaru asked me.

"Well, Loki won't give me a straight answer, but I think my powers change every time I get into a fight," I replied. "And sometimes, another Persona talks to me, saying it's from Kurama or someone like that."

We all stopped, barely noticing the giant as it fell through the highway.

"Naruto..." Ino said as she looked directly at him. "Did you just say that the Nine Tail Fox Demon_ has a Persona?_"

Naruto tried to make a motion with his mouth, closing it completely before his eyes went wide with horror. "L-let's just focus on taking out the giant," Hinata replied just as the giant reached up and tore the highway where we were standing and tried to shake us off.

"When I say, jump off!" Shikamaru ordered as we slid down to the side just as the giant was about to throw us away. Then we went flying through the air. "NOW!"

We all landed on a nearby building as the giant started climbing it. "Anyone got a plan?" Ino asked as she called her Persona, which embedded itself into the ground, as Hinata readied a gun and Shikamaru his stringed kunai.

"Yeah," I said as I drew my Nocturne and held it over my shoulder, just as the giant got a look at us before I ran forward. Summoning Loki who struck the giant with a powerful fist, I ran towards one of its hands and prepared to strike it. Pulling the hammer on the gun mechanism to lower the blade's weight and make it lighter, I and jumped upward, summoning a crowd of Shadow Clones, each holding a primed blade, before we fell down and pulled the trigger, suddenly increasing the sword's weight... and cutting deep wounds into the giant's arm, causing it to slip. "Are you ready to kick ass?"

"Believe it," Shikamaru said as he ran forward. "Naruto, you dish out physical skills." I could tell what Naruto's current skills were, a strength and defence buff and God Hand. "Ino, buff Naruto. Hinata, you're medic. Only use offence when no-one needs healing."

"On it," Hinata and Ino said. Ino sent buff spells to Naruto who taunted the giant into losing his gripping. Hinata aimed a handgun at the giant, causing it to wince in pain as he fell reached for his face. "It's blind in one eye, but with how large its chakra coils are I doubt it will hold."

"Good," Shikamaru said. "We just need to knock it off."

-* What are you doing? *- Aisha asked as we dodged a swing from the giant. -* That thing is going to kill you! *-

-* Unless you knock it off and manage to cause it to land on that broken lamppost, *- Clank said. -* It should deal enough damage to render the threat level minimal. *-

-* Clank, don't encourage them! *- Aisha reprimanded him as Ino sent out defence buffs.

-* Using security footage and city plans, I don't think they could retreat. *-

-* Pierce, Tobias, where are you? *- Aisha asked. The troll slammed his fist down onto the roof, sending debris at Ino and sending her flying.

"Ino!" Hinata shouted and ran over.

"I'm okay," Ino replied as she sent out spells.

-* Naruto, roll now! *- Aisha shouted at us.

"Okay," I shouted before dodging to the side, before a fist slammed into the location where I used to be. He then darted towards the hand and sliced it badly enough that it was rendered completely rendering the wrist useless. But that wasn't the most unusual.

Aisha shouted at is before the troll even tried to attack.

"Aisha, how did you know that was going to happen?" Shikamaru asked.

-* I... I have no idea... *- Aisha replied. -* Look, just get the hell out of there... What's keeping you Pierce? *-

-* I'm sorry, *- Pierce said sarcastically. -* We're just having trouble with a _dragon_! *-

"Pierce, that's it!" Hinata shouted. "Fly towards us, bait the dragon to the giant and we can get out of here!"

-* What are you doing there, anyway? *- Kinzie asked.

"We had to see if we could help!" Shikamaru shouted as I cut a gash into the giant's face. "Save a few people, fight off our arch-nemeses, you know... usual..."

-* How long can you hold out? *-

"Not long..." Ino shouted before...

"Oh crap."

* * *

><p><strong>Cole<strong>

I'm just walking in the streets now, wearing a hood over my face to hide myself. Bertrand has this whole place in an iron grip and the people are in seriously bad shape. But that isn't what concerns me.

Nix, the weird and powerful oil and napalm conduit is walking beside me and I have no idea if I should be scared or not since she's carrying a skull.

"Um..."

"I've been looking for this for a long time," Nix said as we entered an alleyway. "Notice anything weird about it?"

"Not rea..." I then took a closer look then I realised, "Yeah, this skull is completely different than a normal human's. Where did you get it?"

"A First Sons lab from before they were absorbed into Cerberus," Nix replied. "It seems that the First Sons' leader, a man named Kessler, was experimenting in the chance of having alien conduits for some reason as well as the possibility of conduits going to space. This drew the attention of some higher-up in the Cerberus ranks and the two decided to share resources."

"You know of Kessler?" I asked.

"Know of him?" Nix asked back. "I ended up fighting him."

"! ?"

"Surprised?" Nix said. "Son of a bitch came here shortly after an experiment done by Kessler as well as a Cerberus scientist working here over some stolen sample... promethean something... I can't remember at the minute. The guy got real nervous, it looked like he almost jumped out of his own body."

"Wait was that about fighting him?"

"Who?" Zeke asked as he walked up to us. I just pointed at her, mouth agape.

"Nix," I began. "Fought _Kessler_!"

"How'd it go for you?" Zeke replied.

"He kicked my ass and sent me flying into the swamp," Nix said. Zeke, carefully, walked over to Nix and touched her face, before jumping back in fear, even before she was about to use her powers on him.

"How did you come back from the dead?" Zeke asked.

"What?"

"Did you use a Phoenix Down?" Zeke replied.

"What are you talking about?" Nix replied.

"You _walked out_ of Hell?"

"No," Nix protested. "He didn't kill me, you fool!"

**NIX**

**Bat(shit crazy) out of Hell**

"Wow..." we both said in unison.

"You killed him, though," Nix said to me.

"Yeah, but that was more like his suicide by cop," I replied.

"And here I was, thinking he was immortal or something," Nix said. "But that's not why I'm here."

"You want to get close to Bertrand and kill him?" I asked.

"That too, but I think he's planning something," Nix replied. "Also, there's something I need to show you... I think you'd be the only person who knows what it is?"

"Well, I'll head out with you later, then," I replied. "Let's get in the crowd, it's easier to hide within a group of people."

"Sure it is, Altaïr," Zeke replied. "That is, until people realise why their hair is sticking on end near you."

"Are you messing with my dreads?" Nix asked, as she pulled a hoodie over her head.

"Not yet," I replied, just as someone turned to me.

"You're Cole Mcgrath?" an older man with grey hair and a small amount of hair on his chin said.

"Yeah," I replied. "So?"

Immediately, several people walked over to me, hiding me from passing Militia. One even gave me his hat. "Name's Rosco Laroche," the man said. "We've been fighting against Bertrand since those alien attacks."

"Wait... before?" Zeke asked. "What the hell is he planning?"

"Seceding from the union," Laroche replied. "We found one poor bastard, he said that Bertrand was experimenting on him, something to do with those freaks... uh, powered indi-"

"The term is 'Conduit'," I replied. "Is this what it's like to be black? Look, if you need my help with anything, I'll help you but I need help in return."

"Fine," Laroche said with a smile. "We just need to capture a Militia operative but he's currently onstage working security for Bertrand's big speech."

"Mind if I ask... who is Bertrand?" I asked Laroche. "All I hear is gossip and how much of a dick he is, I can't verify any of it."

"Joseph Bertrand is a local businessman and pastor who has a large shipping business and quite a large congregation in town," Laroche said. "When the aliens invaded he went crazy and got most of the local hicks to fight them off and anyone who tried to stop him. He's quite rich as well but... I have no idea what he's planning... is that Nix?"

"Long time, Rosco," Nix said. "Mind if I kill that fool for you?"

"Go ahead, but wait until after his speech, let their men drop their guard a little," Laroche said. "Anyway, when we found this one guy, said he was from a mercenary group called 'Vermaak 88'... they... did _something_ to him, we're not entirely sure."

"We have a scientist with us who can answer that but we need to get him out of here," I said.

"Dr Wolfe?" Laroche said. "Yeah... Alex mentioned that he tried to stop whatever happened to him..."

"Boss, we're receiving reports of sightings," a man next to Laroche said.

"Alright," he said. "We're getting into position. Some people were recently captured and we need to find them. Two of them... they're my nieces. I don't have anyone else."

"Don't worry, we'll save all of them," Zeke replied just as Laroche and his apparent assistant started to walk off. "One more thing..." Zeke managed to say to stop him. "I work for the UN, a group that hunts rogue conduits. We think that Bertrand may be using his powers to create the Corrupted... those swamp monsters."

"Son of a bitch..." Laroche said as he began to walk off. And that's when I saw him.

"My friends," Bertrand said to the crowd. "Tonight, we face the greatest that this fair city has ever seen. The Devil walks among us! Cole McGrath!"

**BERTRAND**

**Man of God? (No)  
><strong>

"Hail Satan," Sully said as he walked next to me.

"So, should we paint a pentagon in blood on the roofs?" Nate said as he walked over to Zeke.

"I'd prefer it if it was scorched into a mountain with dragon fire if you could, actually," I replied.

"I'll work on it," Nate replied.

"I've always wanted to ride a dragon," Nix said with a smile. "I did try riding a thresher maw, though."

"Our forefathers lived and died in defence of this city!" Bertrand shouted. "When history called for them to stand against the enemy, did they cower? No! They fought to the last man..."

"No, their slaves fought," Lamar said.

"L-Lamar?" Nate nearly shouted. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"It's a long story but Jimmy and Halley are in trouble," Lamar said. "I'm not going to be totally useless. Ezio found a backway into the network of a group called Cerberus... I think I can access a facility in a nearby town."

"Steelport?" I asked.

"No, that's one of them."

"These men," Bertrand said as he motioned to some Militia guards, "these fine, young men are the guardians of this city and they are all that stands between you and the freaks!"

"The ones you are unleashing, you bastard," Lamar said, quietly.

"And as God is my witness..." Bertrand said as he grabbed his podium, "we will hunt them down and destroy them all!"

"Up there," a man in the crowd said as he pointed to an ambushing Corrupted. "Freaks!"

Lamar just ran forward, taking out a gun as he aimed it at the Corrupted before it could attack a man, firing a single shot to the head, killing it. As a Militiaman came over to attack him, he just took out a knife and thrust it straight to his throat.

A full-blown brawl had broken out now, where the Militia and the Corrupted were fighting each other. "Someone get Bertrand," Lamar shouted. "He might know something!"

"On it!" Jack shouted.

"When did you get here?" I asked.

"I've been here for a few f***ing minutes," Jack said.

"You're supposed to be getting a shuttle out of here!"

"Malik's going to be here in 30 minutes but she mentioned a few anti-air guns in the swamps," Jack replied. "Look, we need a map so that we could find a few and tell her to steer clear."

"I'll cover you if needed."

"No, go after Bertrand and find out what the hell he's doing," Jack said.

"Sully, go with her," I said. "Nate, get Lamar."

"On it," he said as he grabbed a dead Militiaman's rifle. "Not used, the safety's still on..." ***BANG*** "And broken, apparently."

"I'll grab Lamar as quickly as I can but it looks like he ran off after one of the guards."

"Zeke, help the rebels, Nix, you're coming with me," I ordered.

"Are you sure about this?" Zeke asked.

"Relax, they think biotics are freaks as well," Nix said. "They won't have any with them."

"You better hurry, Bertrand's getting into a car!" Zeke shouted as he ran off and started fighting, as Nix and I ran off after Bertrand, Nix teleporting ahead and I zoomed along on a rail after her.

"You know we're not going to kill him yet, right?" I told her.

"Hell no, I ain't keeping him alive," Nix said.

"If it helps, you can torture him," I told her.

"Thanks, man," she said with a smile. "Come on, he's getting away!"

* * *

><p><strong>Nate<strong>

"Lamar!" I shouted as I floated after him, dodging bullets by dropping from the air. I'm pretty much immortal as long as my RF reserves don't run out but it still hurts like a bitch.

Lamar, however, was taking fire from all sides, using a handgun to defend himself. As one Militiaman left an opening, Lamar moved to better cover before shooting the man in the head, causing him to fall over, then raised his hand at another Militiaman who immediately shot his friend. As the other man was killed, I fired a shot at the controlled Militia member as Lamar ran over to me with Shadow Eyes activated but they seem to be shifting between his regular brown eyes and purple.

"That was a good shot," Lamar said. "Nate, right? Good timing, man, you gave me a clear shot."

"What were you thinking?" I asked him as I smacked him on the side of the head. "You could've been killed, let alone ran out of ammo."

"I got it covered," Lamar said. "You're nearly as bad as Mom... and I can take care of myself. Used a Blast Core for mind control, understand enemy tactics instantly just by being near them... I even have a Mass Accelerator gun. F***s with my powers while online but still... doesn't need a reload."

"How?"

"I don't know the specifics but a black-market alien merchant said that there's a cube of metal, he didn't say which one," Lamar said. "Shears a bit off with every shot, enough to form a microscopic bullet, and fires it with more force than a conventional earth bullet plus the onboard targeting system helps... doesn't guarantee a shot, though."

"Now, what are you doing here," I asked. "Last I remembered, you were left off in New York... how is it, by the way?"

"Well, I did some work around town and I found some interesting facts," Lamar said. "First off, Blast Cores are growing around New York... near a giant handprint."

"Giant... handprint?"

"Yeah... Jimmy said there are forums filled with pictures of it happening all over the world... I think it could be from a Beast sighting, but that's just wild speculation on my part. As for why I'm here... We helped Ezio hack into some computers, Jimmy and Halley were remote-hacking them. But they got hit with a weasel and tracked by a Cerberus security system. Oh, Cerberus-"

"I know who Cerberus is, mostly," Nate said.

"Anyway, the system showed that Bertrand was working for them," Lamar said. "You know that weird-ass drug, Macht?"

"Yeah... didn't that stuff cause a guy to rip his own head off?"

"Bertrand was experimenting with it... but it's made from a substance called element zero and it messes with powers – conduits, wizards, biotics – but here's the thing; The Illusive Man, the head of Cerberus, told him to stop his experiments. The exact details elude me but it said something about how a drug made from eezo can be used to mess with a conduit, wizard or biotic's powers. But the head of Cerberus said that they had to stop the experiments... The Illusive Man said he didn't want to produce such an unstable drug as Macht due to killing test subjects and being unusable in the field, although the wizard's reaction showed it to be a great power boost... and a powerful love potion slash date-rape drug and it apparently induces sociopathy in children conceived by it, most pregnant test subjects were made to undergo abortions after they got pregnant and the Illusive Man was _not_ happy."

"And... why are you here?"

"We tripped an alarm in their network but Cerberus don't know what we found... but the security system was around here, led to Bertrand, a former member," Lamar said. "And it seems that Bertrand has... sympathisers. Allies. He called them up and... They know Halley was making robotic mechs for the assholes in Belfast and Bertrand... he's definitely in trouble, let alone Jimmy."

"I'm sure he can handle himself," I said.

"You mean you didn't notice?" Lamar asked. "Ezio didn't say?"

"Say what, exactly?"

"Jimmy's legs were paralyzed after he took a bullet for Ezio," Lamar said. "That's how we all met. A dirty cop tried to go vigilante on Ezio, the guy was a real asshole. He got on a train after Ezio and Raphael and threatened them with a gun and Jimmy pushed Ezio out of the way before he could be killed. Mom called him an idiot but while Ezio's family were still living in the US the two were inseperable."

"When was this?" I asked.

"Jimmy and Ezio were 13 at the time, I was 11," Lamar said. "And that was when Ezio's parents were still working for Cerberus so he got pretty f***ed up as a result but that may be due to... no, wait, that record said that the Illusive Man had no knowledge."

"Wait, what was that?"

"Oh, yeah... he only found out in London," Lamar said. "His mom was an operative, surprising due to her weight, and his dad was a scientist."

"Can I ask one thing?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Did you find anything about Bertrand?"

"Former First Son, the group was absorbed by Cerberus shortly after the Empire incident," Lamar said. "He found a way of copying a conduit's powers by extracting their mitochondria... but there's a contradiction in their notes, something about an unauthorised experiment called ICARUS, something that the Illusive Man wouldn't know about, but it was still referred to in a note. Maybe he spies on his own members."

"One last thing before we head back," I said. "When we were investigating a lead about Bertrand and Cerberus, something that Cole said, me mentioned something called project CHIMERA and that the project lead was somewhere in Ireland. Do you happen to know the name?"

"...Not that I can remember but I did find out that Ezio's dad was working on it," Lamar said. "He was taken off the project though. Something about damaging a sample."

Suddenly, a Militiaman leapt at us from a nearby alleyway. Lamar just messed with some watch before a glowing gauntlet with a blade at the end appeared which he used to effortlessly stab the guy in the stomach.

"That's for everyone you hurt, asshole," Lamar said, before pulling the blade out and letting it fold away. "Oh... uh, it's called an omnitool. You had no idea what I had to pay for this thing."

"No but Elena might," I said. "What does it do?"

"Hacks the phone network, satellites and wi-fi for an internet connection, connects to the extranet, galactic network, whenever it can, and is basically an iPhone when not in use. Oh, and it can instantly manufacture devices with the right devkits and software with the omniblade app being simple and cheap."

* * *

><p><strong>Jack<strong>

"There's one of the towers," Sully said.

"Great," I said. "If we take that thing out, we give my friend enough cover to get us in and out. Then, we send as much help as we can."

"Can a street gang really get us the help we need?" Sully asked.

"We got our hands on a VTOL, I think that says a lot about us," I replied. "If you need to, we could get you guys guns, food, tanks and the moral support from Elijah Wood."

"You don't need to be sarcastic," Sully said. "Hold on..." He then took out a grenade and threw it straight at the tower, causing it to explode and taking the main gun out. "Believe me, kid, I've been fighting men even more dangerous than this since I was 20."

"So, did you fight at the Alamo?" I asked.

"How old do you think I am?" Sully asked.

"Too old?"

"I'm 58," he replied. "And I know how to use more weapons than you."

"How about this..." I said, looking through a crate of weapons, "...handgun?"

"Other than the fact that the firing mechanism was replaced with one more accustomed for automatic weapons without fixing the casing expulsion mechanism in such a way that could damage the gun very quick... oh, it uses the wrong barrel as well, it's too big compared to the bullets in the clip and it hasn't even been cleaned in the slightest..."

"Talk to Gat whenever you can, he'll love you," I replied.

"Guards," Sully said as he pulled me over towards a nearby trunk. "There's too many and I don't have any bullets. Is this the only weapon in that box?"

"Yeah, there's a few fireworks," I said. Our eyes met as we both formed an idea. Without even asking, Sully replied with a simple action, taking out his lighter and igniting it. I immediately grabbed a rocket and a stand, fixing up a quick launcher which Sully quickly took and aimed.

"Hit them with whatever those fancy biotics do," Sully said as he lit a bottle rocket and aimed. "What do they do, anyway?"

"Manipulation of dark matter and gravity in a variety of ways but I mainly prefer augmenting my punches and shockwaves," I replied. "I tried learning how to use Singularity but I couldn't quite-"

The bottle rocket shot forward, slamming into a whole crate of fireworks. The explosion was large but it summoned a lot of guards. I got to work sending out shockwaves and finding guns to shoot with, settling with a shotgun. "There's a VTOL coming now," Sully said.

"That's Malik!" I shouted. "Hold on, I'll try and call her." I then whipped out my phone and put it on speaker, before making the call. "Malik-"

-* I can't talk now, *- Malik replied. -* How did they get helicopters? *-

-* I have no idea, *- Ashley replied. -* Hey, Boss. I can see you from here! *-

"Can you cover our asses?" I asked. "I can only use so much biotics and we're being swarmed."

-* Why aren't you at the meeting place? *- Malik asked.

"A lot is going on," I replied. "Look, we've got the help we need but we need to set up a trade route within the day. Also, we're picking up a few people."

-* Do you need to hire out some of Zimos' girls? *- Ashley asked.

"Not yet," I shouted as I shot someone with my gun.

"And get us some guns," Sully asked. "Lots and lots of guns."

-* Who's that? *- Ashley asked.

"And old man who happens to know how to take on mercenaries, apparently," I told her. "Hey, if you're flying past could you give us cover fire?"

-* On it, *- Malik said as several dozen shots zoomed across the swamp. -* Is that it? *-

"Hopefully," I said, falling against a tree. "I'm so tired... and I think we're out of bullets."

-* You're a biotic, right? *- Malik asked. -* You need to get some energy drinks, some high-cal food, something to stop you from burning out. *-

"What?" Sully asked.

-* Biotics burn insane amount of energy, *- Malik said. -* I know at least one person who suffered from certain burnout after about 15 minutes. *-

"I'm fine as long as we don't get attacked," I replied. "See you in about 15 minutes."

-* Got it, *- Malik said before they flew off.

"Okay, let's head back," Sully said.

"Good idea," I replied, just before falling to the ground.

"You really need help," he replied.

"It's just my endurance," I replied. "I can punch a car 50 feet when I'm at my best."

"Well, you're not at your best," Sully replied. "Here, I carry a few protein bars when I'm travelling."

"Thanks," I said as I ate them quickly. "Gah! God, how hot is my amp?"

"What?"

"There's a small piece of metal at the back of my head," I replied. "It's a biotic amp, it makes my powers stronger."

"Holy shit..."

I knew what was coming now.

"What the hell kind of person would get something like that drilled into their head?"

"It wasn't my choice," I replied. "Can we... just get back?"

"Don't worry, I'm loaded," Sully said, just as a Corrupted jumped out at us. He set me down as he aimed with the shotgun, panicking when the weapon clicked instead of fired. The Corrupted jumped but a distant shot caused the creature to fall limp on the ground as someone in an army uniform walked in the swamp.

"Finally, some people," he said as he walked over. "Are you okay?"

"Better than him," I replied as I gestured to the dead creature.

"You are?" Sully asked.

"Lieutenant Commander..." he began before another Corrupted came out. He sighed, before taking out his sidearm and aimed it, then killed the creature with a single shot.

**DAVID ANDERSON**

**Military Man**

"Sorry about that," he said. "Lieutenant Commander David Anderson, US Army. I'm trying to find my way into town."

"We're heading back in there," Sully said.

"Need a hand?" Anderson said.

"Thanks," I replied, as he and Sully carried me out of the swamp.

"That's an amp I saw," Anderson said. "I guess you were using too much biotics?"

"Yeah..." I said.

"When did you get your amp?" Anderson said.

"I don't exactly know," I replied. "I can't remove it to show you..."

"Don't you have a port?" Anderson asked.

"No..."

"Wait... are you one of the Teltin kids?" Anderson asked.

"What the f***?" I asked, "I thought I was the only one?"

"One of the refugees ran, he's been in US military custody since 9," Anderson said. "So, illegal amp and implant installation, so you're not formally trained."

"I can punch a car 50 feet away," I replied.

"What are you doing here?" Sully asked.

"We were sent after a possible terrorist," Anderson said. "US military in conjunction with UN NATO forces. We were separated, however."

"Wait..." Jack said. "Were you working with Kaiden Alenko and Ashley Williams?"

"Where are they?"

"Kaiden's in Steelport..."

"His team must've withdrawn after the ambush," Anderson said.

"And we need to get people as far away from here as possible and get aid to the local rebels, so Ashley is helping extract me and Gat."

"...Johnny Gat?" Anderson asked. "You know Johnny Gat?"

"He was there when I first joined the Saints," I replied with a smile. Anderson then went wide-eyed before turning to Sully.

"You're going to get a lot of weapons and need a lot of medical aid," Anderson said.

"Like I haven't figured that out," Sully replied with a grin.

* * *

><p><strong>Cole<strong>

"Come on, man!" Nix complained as I flew over a building.

"You can teleport, I can't!" I shouted back at her as we followed his limo, but we were losing him. "We just need to... are you serious?"

"Did his car..." Nix began to ask, as she stopped, completely gosmacked.

"Just fly away?" I finished. "Oh, this is bullshit..."

"We need to catch him," Nix shouted at me as she grabbed my arm.

"How do we catch a car flying through the air at 200 miles per hour?" I asked.

"Yeah, good point," Nix replied.

"Well, we know now he isn't going to stay in town so an ambush is out of the question," I said. "We should head back."

"What?" Nix shouted at me. "No, we should look for him!"

"It's nearly dark, it's too dangerous," I said. She tried to storm off before I grabbed her shoulder. "We'll get Bertrand. I promise."

"From my experiences... promises were meant to be broken." Nix disappeared without a trace, somewhere deep into the swamp. I realised she was heading straight to Bertrand, going to get herself killed... but I had to go back.

God dammit...

* * *

><p><strong>Zeke<strong>

"Everyone, get behind cover," Laroche said as he ordered his men around while fighting the Militia. I was helping, providing cover fire as rebels led civilians away. "There's too many of them... how did the Militia get so many members?"

"I... uh, I think I may have an idea," I said as I used a Pyro Blaster to reveal a robot to the crowd. "Lamar and his brother were minding a young conduit who... uh, the Militia used to create robots."

"You're serious," Laroche said as he and his men looked at it. "Shoot the stomachs, that's the weak point!"

"How do you suppose that?" Zeke said before one rebel shot a robot in the stomach before it leaked a cold liquid and burst into flames.

"These robots need a liquid cooling system or else the processors burst melt," Laroche said.

"Oh, how could I have been so stupid?" I responded.

"[What is going on]?" a girl shouted as she ran over to me.

"[Get to somewhere safe]!" I shouted to her, before she kicked a Militiaman in the stomach, took his pistol and shot another Militia robot.

"[The stomach]," I told her, as she aimed again, shooting the bullet into the tank of coolant, then kicking the robot in the head.

"That was..." Laroche began.

"My English isn't very good, but I'll do what you want," the girl said. "Just tell me what to do and I'll do it. My name's Chie."

"Take that gun, get civilians away from the fight," Laroche said before Chie ran off.

"What the hell is going on here?" Claire said as she walked up, calmly, to us and shot a militiaman in the head. She then shot it in the stomach as I just pointed. "Okay, I've fought terrorists, I've fought aliens, I've fought zombies but _redneck robots_?"

"You fought zombies too?" Sully asked her as he got down next to me, dropping Jack to the side as another man started shooting.

"US Army Special Forces," the black man said as he knelt down. "What's the situation?"

"Bertrand, the Militia's leader, held a rally and things got out of hand," Laroche said. "Primary concern is protecting civilians but we are also after some local commanders, about 3 or 4 of them. We're looking to capture them alive, but it doesn't matter if DOA. Militia are using a technological conduit to create robotic forces to bolster their numbers so aim for their stomachs to puncture their coolant system."

"Thanks for being straight with me," the Army man said. "Are you a soldier?"

"Vietnam," Laroche responded. "Most of my first men were military men. The name's Rosco Laroche."

"David Anderson," the military man said. "You've got everything under control from what I can tell. Just tell me what to do."

"We need cover fire, that's what I want," Laroche said.

"I got this," I said before climbing on top of an overturned tram and opened fire with my Magma Combustor into the droves of Militia soldiers and robots, heavily damaging them.

"That's one hell of a weapon," Laroche said. "Where did you get it?"

"I bought it from an alien vendor," I replied, getting behind cover. "Damn, out of ammo, and so is my shard reaper... do you guys think you can cover me so I can attack with a flame thrower?"

"You bought a flame-thrower from a weapons vendor?" Anderson asked. "You do know that is a war crime, right?"

"If I use it on a robot, then it's legal," I replied. "Or would you prefer that I use the disco balls?"

"If you're serious, go for it," Laroche said before taking out a groovitron, causing most of the Militiamen and robots to dance crazily. However, the robots weren't designed for most of this dancing, especially the breakdancing, and they started to break apart. "I want one!"

"You need special currency bolts to buy these," I told him as I got back into cover. "Here, I have only one more so use it to cover me."

I handed it to Laroche as Anderson took my flamethrower. "I'll get closer and let you pick people off, maybe destroy the hardware while we're at it."

"How about a little cheat code?" Lamar said as he got into cover.

"Good to see you again, Lamar," I said. "Got any ideas?"

"Yeah, a kill-word," Nate said as we all crouched down. "We used it to self-destruct most of the robots."

"Something I worked with Halley on," Lamar said. "In case he was ever forced to make weapons, a kill-switch could be added and easily implemented to take down the threat as well as pass on secret intel."

"What is it?" Laroche asked as a swarm of robots walked towards us before Lamar got out from cover and yelled.

"Laputan Machine!"

All the robots were immediately disabled before the rebels quickly took out the Militia soldiers. Lamar jumped out of cover as I took my pyroblaster from Anderson, causing it to disappear into my weapons bracelet. Lamar messed with one of the robots, taking out a microSD card and putting it into his phone and listening to a file.

"Okay, we need to get that out to most of my people," Laroche said.

"Don't, Halley was caught putting that kill-switch in and he couldn't install another one," Lamar said. "He sent us information of a Cerberus lab in the swamps, maybe that's where Bertrand is hiding. Map, co-ordinates, level structure... does anyone know where I can find a PC? This has an encrypted video."

"I can help with that," Claire said as she took the microSD and put it in her PDA. "This is... a document file."

"Change the file ending to .mp4," Lamar said.

"How does that work?" Claire asked.

"It makes the computer think it's the wrong file type," Lamar said. "My brother saw that trick in a fanfic once and he tried it for himself. He used it to pass music through his college's email servers."

"Okay, we need to regroup whenever we can," Cole said. "Zeke, I'll see if I can work with the rebels, get Jack to the transport."

"I'll get you all a blowjob from Shaundi!" Jack said as I carried her away.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Laroche asked.

"I heard that Shaundi is immune to her own STDs," Lamar said, "her blood is acidic, man!"

* * *

><p><strong>Gat<strong>

"Where's Jack?" Angel asked as he got Dr Wolfe into the VTOL as Malik was set down.

"We saw her getting ambushed in the swamp," Ashley said. "I wouldn't worry, Jack's a badass. With the proper training she could easily join the marines."

"Yeah, but didn't she say she use a lot of biotic power?" Malik said. "I know very few biotics but using enough to faint is a bad idea, almost fatal."

"Someone take up a sniper position," I said.

"On it," Ashley said as she took out a sniper rifle and got to the roof of a nearby building.

"Do we have any rations, then?" Dr Wolfe said. "Maybe... this will do."

"That's Red Bull," Manuela said.

"It's also a standard military ration for biotics, especially how their powers work," Dr Wolfe said. "They burn through natural energy in their bodies quickly..."

"So you need an easy way of restoring normal levels of glucose?" Light said.

"That's close... but not entirely accurate. Does this drink have electrolytes?"

"I'm not sure," Angel said. "I hardly use energy drinks... mostly just water."

"You know, it's good to have a few energy drinks if you don't drink too much," Claire said as she took a few vials and put them in a safe compartment. "Are you sure you have those instructions?"

"I know how to make antibodies, Claire," Dr Wolfe said. "As soon as I have enough, I'll send some back to cure the infection."

"And that's why I'm coming with you," Claire said. "Sherry, how's it going at the camp?"

-* Just fine, but most patients are stable, *- a girl said on the other end. -* A tent isn't the best place for them, and we're nearly out of antibodies as it is. We used up the last of the vaccines to prevent the spread of infections but we'll run out in a few days. We need to get these people to a hospital. A _real_ hospital. *-

"Don't worry, we'll save them," Claire said before hanging up.

"Hey, I see them," Ashley said as she looked around. "Zeke, carrying Jack... My god, she looks like hell..."

"I'll provide cover fire," I said as Angel and I jumped down. "Boss, are you OK?"

"Yeah, just a bit tired," she said as we helped her along. "I ran into Manuela... she's staying here, helping with the healing camps."

"Yeah, my friend Sherry said she met her," Claire said. "Don't worry, the medic camp is well protected, but it has a lot of injured."

"Come to think about it, how many people do you think have died?" Angela asked, as she got a sniper rifle ready. "I mean... really?"

"In this town, half the population," Dr Wolfe said. "Globally... well, there were 7 billion humans and the nations of China and North Korea were wiped out."

"Oh, damn," I said, sadly. "My parents defected from North Korea. Sure, most of my extended family are probably trapped in a gulag because of it but... Wait, doesn't China have 1.3 billion people in it?"

"I'm not certain but I think a Cerberus transmission was saying something about... four billion dead."

"F-four billion?" Angel blurted in horror. "That's over... we have to stop this!"

"How?" Malik asked.

"Don't mean to interrupt but we corrupted their AI management systems through hacking their comm network back in Ireland," Zeke said. "They're disoriented but it should let the Alliance co-ordinate for a bit... by the way, there are attack helicopters flying around."

"Not another one..." Jack said as we set her inside, as Dr Wolfe handed her a can of Red Bull.

"Thanks," Angel said. "And as for that-"

"Not here," Light said as he stood around. "Sayu, are you sure you want to stay here?"

"She's capable of taking care of herself," Zeke said as everyone climbed in. "Don't worry, we'll take care of her."

"And besides," Sayu started, "how many other people can use blood magic?"

"Just... don't give people cancer again," Light said as he got inside. "That was a complete nightmare... As for Zeke, you couldn't go hungry at least, either you could smell out food, cook anything from the swamps or we could eat you."

"Don't start what you can't put down," Zeke said. "I know something about you that you'd prefer be kept a secret."

"Like what?" Light said as the doors to the craft started to closebefore Zeke stopped them and whispered something into Light's ear, causing his face to turn blue. When the doors were sealed shut, Sayu turned to him and said something to him, before we couldn't see them while we flew away and helicopters started flying after us.

"Black hawks?" Malik said. "Where the hell did they get black hawks?"

"Don't ask, just let us shoot," Ashley said as she and I took to the turrets on the V-TOL and started shooting while she flew away. "Take this thing to ludicrous speeds if you need to!"

"I'll do better than that," Malik said as she hit a few switches. "Everyone hold on, this is going to _hurt_. Activating co-axial dampeners."

"You're not..." Ashley started.

"Starting up mass effect generator," Malik continued.

"Oh god, she is..."

"Let's see you follow me now," Malik said, before changing the angle of her propeller rockets. "To space!"

"Excuse me?" Jack asked after spitting out the energy drink, as we all felt the force of upper thrust, thankfully dampened, while hurtling forward.

"YOU BITCH!" Angel shouted in shock. "YOU BITCH! YOU BITCH!" Repeatedly.

"I guess this isn't normal, huh?" Angela asked.

"Hell no!" Claire shouted while turning green. "I need a barf bag..."

"Oh, don't tell me you're afraid of heights, now," Malik said as she smiled at us.

"F*** YOU!" Angel shouted.

* * *

><p><strong>Naruto<strong>

"[Well, this has gone horribly wrong]," Ino said as we hid within the building.

"[You think]?" Shikamaru said as we all leant against the wall. "[I think the magic grenade was a bad idea, don't you]?"

"It was worth a try," I said.

"I don't think the giant likes being transsexual," Shikamaru said. "[Hinata, are you okay]?"

"Muh... muh... muh?"

"Naruto, you broke her," Shikamaru said in a deadpan manner. "Apologise."

"Later," he said as he gripped his sword. "[We've stabbed it, impaled it, shot it, slashed it, burnt it, froze it, threw curses at it, now what]?"

"Wait, my phone," Hinata said as she came out of her daze then answered. "Hello? No, it didn't work and I think the car crashed as well..."

* * *

><p>"Well, that was a bad idea," Pierce said as he limped out of the bar that they had crashed through the roof of.<p>

"No shit," Tobias said as he held his side

* * *

><p>"Look, we're in a hardware store and... okay, thanks," she said with a smile. "Wait. Is the next work by any chance 'Tranny'? Yeah... it's an illusion, just... you don't want to know how that happened." She then hung up and turned to us. "[Zimos is getting a distraction ready, there will be a large metallic ring we'll have to run to. It's called a Portkey and it will bring us back to the penthouse]."<p>

"[I guess Aisha is going to completely bitch us out for this]," Shikamaru said. "[Hey, come to think about it... how the hell does that thing even exist]?"

"Aisha?" Ino asked.

"[No, the giant]," Shikamaru said. "Hasn't anyone ever heard of the Square/Cube Law?"

"What's that?" I asked.

"[You know the saying, 'the bigger they are, the harder they fall']?" Shikamaru asked. "[A humanoid giant would die from falling over, let alone it's own weight]."

"Then... how do dragons fly?" Hinata asked. "[Unless they innately use magic to lower their weight or to support it]..."

"Can we discuss this later?" Ino asked. "You know, when there isn't a _giant trying to kill us_?"

"[Yamanaka-san does have a valid concern]."

"Shino?" Shikamaru asked as he turned his head. "[What the hell are you doing here]?"

"[Shopping around, buying groceries, trying not to let the Syndicate capture me]," Shino replied. "[So, what experiments did they do to you guys]?"

"[Well, I have a ghost in my head]," Hinata replied, "[and she's running commentary due to bore- well, do you know how to kill a giant]?"

"[Uh... should I know you]?" I asked.

"[Oh, sorry, Shino-san, but Naruto]..." Ino started, "[has lost most of his memories]."

"[Retrograde amnesia, I presume]," this Shino guy said. "[An inability to remember most past memories due to a concussion or head injury]."

"Uh... right on," Naruto said.

"[It appears that... re-introductions are in order]," he said. "[Shino Aburame. We were in the Academy in the same class]."

"[So this is the joker you were talking about]," a digitized voice said. "[He looks a bit weird. An orange ninja]?"

"[Hush, you]," Shino said to a device clipped to his belt.

"[Oh, be a spoil-sport, then]," the device muttered before Shino put the device back onto his waist line.

"[Sorry]."

"[If that thing is alive, I... wouldn't be surprised, actually]," Shikamaru said.

"[We have to leave]," Shino said. "[That giant is going to probably kill us]."

"Oh, what makes you say that?" Naruto said sarcastically.

"Because it just broke the main support beam," Shino said. "The building will collapse soon."

Soon, there was a loud explosion from outside. "That's our cue," Hinata said as she drew a gun, to which Shino raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" Shino asked.

"[Oh, don't worry, this gun shoots magic]," Hinata said with a smile. "[Did I mention I'm a witch]?"

"[What did Cerberus do to you]?" Shino asked as we ran.

"[Dear god, I have no idea]," Naruto asked. "[Wait, what]?"

"[Cerberus experimented on all 9 of us]," Shino said. "I'm able to, as an extension of my clan techniques, transform into a bug if I have to."

"Okay, just... just run!" Shikamaru said as we all ran for the door, kicking it open and reaching for a large golden ring. We all grabbed onto it as Zimos threw curses to bind the giant.

"Get going!" Zimos shouted as we grabbed the ring, before being pulled by the navel, arriving at the penthouse. We all hesitated to stand up, but the first thing I realised when I came to from my dizziness was that Aisha had hauled us towards the sofa and was standing over us. The cross-armed gaze shook us to our core, especially since the eyepatch added to the effect.

"What were you thinking?" Laura asked as she walked next to Aisha.

"People were in trouble, and we had to help," I said, with a pout on my face but it didn't seem to work. "Besides, we're taught that if civilians were in any danger, we were to assist in any way we could. We were taught that extensively at the academy."

"Well, if you were instructed to jump out of a plane, would you do it?" Aisha asked.

"Uh, bad example," Hinata asked as Shino (who was having a drink of water from the kitchen) raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Ino replied.

"So you thought it was a good idea to just run after _trolls_?" Aisha yelled at us. "You're _children_! You can't take on trolls, let alone a _giant_! It could've killed you!"

"While I assess that you did draw the giant away from a civilian camp," Shino spoke up in English, "it still could've killed you, even with those Stands."

"Stands?" Shikamaru asked.

"This isn't JoJo's Bizarre Adventure," Tobias said as he walked in from the patio, kicking some glass away.

"We, uh... we got the power to summon a manifestation of our psyches," Ino mentioned. "Except for Shikamaru, he can summon more than one."

"[I thought you were lazy, not mad]," Shino said.

"[To be quite frank, the two are mutually exclusive]," Shikamaru said.

"You do know that this can't go unpunished," Aisha said as she stood in front of us. "Except for your friend... I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Shino Aburame," he said.

"Anyway, what would be a suitable punishment...?" Aisha said as she looked around. "Well, I could make Hinata use that repairing spell by herself on the glass..."

"Y-yes, ma'am," Hinata replied, taking out her wand.

"Shikamaru and Naruto have to clean the top 5 floors, without fancy ninja training," Laura said next.

"Should we get started now?" Shikamaru asked.

"Not yet," Aisha said. "Ino, you have to clean all our cars."

"Oh, not the one that can fly, too," Ino replied.

"No, _someone_ crashed it," Elijah said as he walked in from the elevator.

"Elijah Wood?" Shino asked.

"Yeah," Shikamaru replied with a weak smile.

"[If you keep this up, you'll never cease to amaze me]," Shino replied.

"[No, you'll eventually go, 'Of course, I should've known']," I replied. "['They are involved! That gives them an excuse to have weird things happen to them']!"

"Should I get a restraining order for my own safety?" Shino asked.

"Oh, it's far too late for that, now," Ino replied. "You shall be drawn into the madness."

"Well, there is one more part of the punishment," Aisha said with a small grin. "Training."

"Training?" Shikamaru asked.

"Oh, no," I said. "Not that."

"What?" Ino replied. "Wait... oh, no."

"Not that," Shikamaru shouted in horror. "Please, not that!"

"Where would he even get another tiger?" Hinata pondered.

"Hey, it's Angel's problem when he gets back," Laura said with a grin.

"You let them ponder," Tobias replied. "We are all doomed."

"Hey, guys," Kinzie said as she looked over the edge of the building. "That giant is climbing the side of the building."

"What?" Laura asked as she looked as well.

"Oh, this is ridiculous," Pierce said. "It was on the other end of town, right?"

"We were just there, we know that," Shikamaru said.

"Hey," Zimos said as he Apparated next to us. "So, it appears that the giant can teleport..."

"We're doomed," Gatomon said as he looked up. "Hey, is that a shooting star?"

"No, it's a meteor," Laura said.

"Guys, giant attacking?" Aisha said. "Hey, that meteor is... coming straight at us."

"Yeah, I think we should run," Kaiden said.

"Where were you?" Aisha asked.

"I got this," Kaiden said as he lifted up the RPG. "We just need to... RUN LIKE HELL!"

We all dived just at the giant got to the top. However, when it managed to get its head up over us, a ship crashed straight into it, causing the skull to cave in under the force of impact. The object bounced off of the giant before landing in the pool where most of the people got out, including Angel who ran straight for the bathroom.

"What the hell?" the Boss said as she walked over towards us. "I can't leave for a day without you getting into trouble?"

"How were we supposed to know about the giant and the trolls?" Zimos asked. "The giant that you just crashed into."

"My ride!" Malik shouted as she took a look at the V-TOL. "Son of a bitch!"

"Malik, why is this thing rigged for leaving the atmosphere?" Gat asked as he limped towards the penthouse... "AND WHY IS THE PENTHOUSE DESTROYED! ? !"

"A stray rocket flew this way and..."

"Pierce saved us!" Ino shouted. "He grabbed a gun, stared straight at the rocket then shot it while it was only 20 feet away!"

"Remind me to hire a psychologist," an older, black man said to the Boss. "Not for me... for _you!_"

"Yes, dad," the Boss replied.

"I'm sorry, what?" Laura asked.

"He's my stepdad," the Boss replied.

"What?" Laura asked.

"He adopted me."

"What?" the Boss just shook her head and walked into the penthouse.

"My god, he's not that insane," she muttered.

"He is technically a mad scientist," Gat said.

"The drugs weren't messed with, were they?" Shaundi asked. "I just found a dealer!"

"Oh crap!" Ino shouted before running off.

"Uh..." Hinata said as she looked at a cat-like woman who was floating in the water. "Hello?"

"[I think she's dead]," I replied.

"[No, she's very much alive]," Hinata replied. "[How about throwing the toaster into the water]?"

"[Good idea]," I replied as I ran inside. "Hey, Clank!"

"Yes?" the little robot said before Naruto picked him up. "What are you doing?"

"Waking someone up," Naruto said before he threw Clank into the pool, hitting the cat in the back. As Clank swam out of the pool and the cat tried not to choke on the pool water.

"What was that?" Clank asked, in an annoyed tone of voice, to Naruto.

"Clank," the cat said. "Hi."

"Angela," Clank replied. "I would've liked to meet again under... different circumstances." Naruto tried to look as innocent as he could before Shino beamed Naruto with an actual toaster.

"So, I hear you have my friend in cryo-storage," Angela said. "Where is he?"

"Come with me," Kinzie said, before stopping next to Shino. "[Is that a digivice]?"

"[Yes]," Shino replied. "[It appears you have one, also. Of course, I choose to keep my partner in the digivice to avoid Decker attention, but I should feel safe about letting him out now]."

"Anyway..." Kinzie said as she led Angela into the storage room, and the Boss sat down onto a couch.

"Is there anything else I should know?"

"I have Lin's ghost in my head," Hinata replied. The Boss just looked at her before walking over to the bar, grabbing a wine bottle and drinking straight from it.

**Zeke**

* * *

><p>"No one is allowed to know this," Sayu said to me while we were in the swamp. "You have to promise me!"<p>

"I know this is serious, but-"

"Of course it's serious!" Sayu shouted. "Please, please, don't tell anyone about this!"

"But if it's that bad, I won't tell anyone about Light," I replied. "Look, I know how serious this is. Hell, I lived with Cole since Empire City happened, I know how to keep a secret. Although, I could tell you about how I was captured by this one terrorist called Kessler. It's quite funny in retrospect but that's often because he liked to rant at me while drunk."

* * *

><p><strong>Side Story: Kitty has claws!<strong>

Two Death Eaters stood in the snow, hidden under invisibility cloaks. They made sure that they were in an archway, only an idiot would walk around while invisible in the snow, breaking the illusion with their footprints. Both were shivering and wrapped up tight, acting as sentries.

"What did we do to deserve this?" one whispered to the other.

"We didn't stop Carrow from being killed," the other said. "Since we were knocked out... we're lucky Narcissa sent us here... if Voldemort found out..."

"He probably does know," the first said. "Why else would we be waiting at Gringotts? It's not like Potter and his friends are stupid enough to come here."

"Actually, some Order of the Phoenix members are meeting a contact here in a few minutes," the second said. "It could be worse. We could be dead or in Newcastle."

"Why is Newcastle so bad?" the first asked. "I thought it was abandoned? Evacuated to another town?"

"It is," the second said. "It's a ghost town, completely devoid of life... well, except for some creatures that started appearing thanks to that demonologist freak working or the Dark Lord. I think they're a type of demon he released or..."

"We didn't place any of that creep's seals there, did we?" the first asked.

"No," the second said. "I think they may be alien as well. Either way, they just creep me out."

"..."

"..."

A long pause between the two as they looked their own separate ways.

"Did that invisible bastard take your wand as well?"

"Yeah..." the first said. "Damn cat..."

"Wait, you saw him?" the second asked. "And he's a cat? How?"

"Well, my mother taught me how to see under invisibility cloaks when I was younger, a rare form of magic actually. He's actually some form of alien."

"And you didn't think to mention this... Why?"

"Because I hate the Death Eaters."

"...You're a Death Eater."

"My father forced me into it," the first said. "If I didn't, he would've Crucio'd my mother and I to hell and back... then killed me."

"Well, keep your mouth shut," the second said in a bitter manner. "If you don't, a senior Death Eater will definitely kill you. And if you annoy me, I'll report you myself."

"I doubt you would," the first said.

"And why's that?"

"Because that _cat_ is right above you," the first replied. The second just laughed.

"Don't be ridiculous," the second one said.

"He isn't lying," I said from above the two. I then turned off my cloak as I teleported in front of them. "Sorry, can't have you two messing with my plans."

"Give me my wand, you bastard!" the second said as he rushed towards me for a punch. I pushed the arm out of the way before his fist could hit me, before pushing him back.

"You mean this?" I asked, causing his wand to appear in my hand, before effortlessly breaking it in two. "Oops... my bad."

That was a bad idea. He had a knife and very nearly thrust it into my neck. I teleported the blade away, grabbed his shoulder then teleported it a few feet away. He screamed in pain as he fell to the ground.

"Want to try again, asshole?" I said to him, crouching down towards him. I saw him reaching for another knife but I put a stop to that by tearing the other arm off. I then knocked him out with a swift punch. Then I turned to the panicking Death Eater.

"Kid, I could easily take you out and you know it," I said. "I won't tear your limbs off but I will pop a few bones out of place, so don't even try it."

The guy's scared of what the Death Eaters would do if he failed. He's scared of what they'll do if he ran away. So he tried to take me on. A punch that I easily dodged, before I got in closer. Before he could throw the next one, I punched a nerve above the bicep before grabbing the arm, spinning him on the spot before punching his lights out.

"Sorry," I said as I took out a blowtorch and cauterized the wound of the other guy. I then quickly placed them in a charmed garbage disposal, leaving a note for the Aurors. My damn coat was ruined... I have a black one somewhere. I then turned invisible and teleported up to a nearby roof as I saw that psychic... whatever he was, walking in with two people trailing behind in an invisibility cloak.

Only an idiot would walk around while invisible in the snow, breaking the illusion with their footprints.


	47. OL10: Badass Loadout Side 1

**Author's Note**

Hey, guys. I've finally added Commander Shepard into the story and as an added bonus, I threw in Jacob Taylor and James Vega. And thus, the fourth day of the Louisiana arc has begun.

I'm going to do something different here. I'm going to tell three different stories on the same day, sort of like Pulp Fiction or that Simpsons episode with the exploding grammar robot.

Another E3 has come and gone... what was your favourite thing about E3'13? Let me know in the reviews.

Although, there is one thing I've done that I'd never expect I'd ever do... I went to a videogame and anime convention! It was only for the last day, but... hey.

Every year there's a small event thrown in the Queen's University of Belfast called Q-Con and it was pretty good, actually. They had fighting games, hacked games (Super Smash Bros: Project N), a shitload of manga and fan art for sale, stuff for table-top RPGs, anime screenings and some impressive Cosplay as well. And for the guy dressed as DMC4!Dante during the 2013 Q-Con in case you're reading, your costume was pure badass, thanks for doing that 'ready to stab you' pose for the camera, as well as the Squall, Aerith and Sephiroth cosplayers who recreated that oh so famous scene and played it for laughs. Okay, I'm getting a bit distracted, so straight to business...

Should I fork out the money for either a krogan or Garrus outfit or should I just buy an N7 armour and go as Commander Shepard? Also, does anyone know where I would be able to buy one?

I also entered a tournament at a friend's suggestion. I entered a Skullgirls tourney with little experience, mainly due to the fact that they only had 3 entrants due to being booked during the Street Fighter and Injustice tournaments. They only had 3 contestants... well, actually, one was a no-show and my other friend was disqualified due to _**SOMEONE'S**_ bright idea to put the Skullgirls consoles up in the 18+ area. It's 16+ here, guys! And [REDACTED] could've won. I ended up placing 3rd, however, knocking out the guy who made me enter the tournament. I did it by button mashing Ms Fortune and Valentine. **:)** I almost beat the champion... but then he reset his controls to default halfway through the match and kicked my ass with Cerabella.

'Can you get back to the story?'

Would you rather I show the cosplay of your fans, Hermione?

'What are you...' ***Is shown a photograph.*** 'WHAAAAT!?'

I fought you knew, Ms Granger... "Slutty Hogwarts Girl" has a very big fan movement. And she looks just like you...

'You will never show anymore Schoolgirl outfits of Hogwarts that you have taken pictures of again.'

Of course I won't.

'Very well. Hopefully, no one else will be-'

I didn't take this picture. I downloaded it from Facebook. ***Sonic boom*** Wow... look at her go... This is going to bite me in the ass.

* * *

><p>"What can you tell me about London?" a man said as he sat in his open office.<p>

-* London is contained, although the Death Eater threat could complicate things, *- another man said. -* We have, surprisingly, located three requested assets, Gerard and Patricia O'Malley's sons and the son of Operative Richards. We can't confirm their exact location but that's because we believe that they are involved with three Wizard survivors from Belfast. One of which... was Harry Potter. *-

"I assume that Albus Dumbledore is involved," the first man said.

-* Presumably, *- the second man said. -* Although, most surprising is who is helping. Someone you should know. *-

"I am fully aware of Miranda being in London," the first man said. "She parted on good terms."

-* Are you aware that she was in Belfast shortly beforehand? *- the second said. -* That she had taken two golems with her immediately after the drophyd attack? That she left for London shortly after the assets? Or that she had- *-

"Petrovsky, I know exactly what she's doing," the first replied. "I did plan it."

-* This is going to blow up in your face, you do know that, right? *-

"Just continue with the report."

-* Europe is still standing but had suffered serious casualties, Dublin had been suitably protected and has an abnormally large conduit population which we are looking into, only a few operatives have managed to survive in Asia and are looking for survivors who could possibly become assets of Cerberus, with the populations of Thailand and Japan being suitably preserved. North America is taking a suitable blunt of the punishment and Australia's managed to fight off quite a few attacks... South America... South America... *-

"I understand," the first said. "How did Tachyon find us?"

-* Kirtash's contacts found a lead that was followed up on by Berrik's contacts. We have undeniable proof that the information was sold by the Shadow Broker through an agent named Selin, a batarian working on Omega. *-

"Kill him and 50 of the Broker's most known crucial men except for Barla Von. He's still useful to us and a close ally."

-* I'll see to it immediately. *-

"How is the situation on Omega?"

-* I won't lie to you, most of my men are deeply distressed about the attack on Earth. My assistant is on suicide watch... she had family in Beijing. *-

"Send her to Lazarus Station if you feel it is the most necessary." The first man then took a swig of bourbon before standing up. "Oleg, if possible, have Kirtash and Berrik take their forces to Earth. This is now a Code White."

-* Words I wish I wouldn't hear, *- Oleg said. -* They'll think I'm joking. *-

"I'm sending 2 files to you," the first said. "If needed, show them these files, but only as a last resort."

-* Of course, *- Oleg said. -* This is going to be the ultimate test for us all, isn't it? *-

"If we can't convince the council to help, we are all dead," the first said. "As well as the four billion already killed." Oleg went pale when he heard this, before the Illusive Man hung up and walked over towards the burning star that his station overlooked. "How long have you been there, Orvus?"

"Long enough," I replied. "Jack, if I could've helped stop it-"

"You've done enough to help blunt the damage," Jack said. "If you hadn't warned us about... well, we would've been wiped out by now." He then put his head in his hands, as I floated next to him. "I know I'm the bad guy but... this is what I never wanted to happen."

"We can never plan everything, from a small detail to a major catastrophe," I replied. "You've saved billions already."

"It wasn't enough," Jack replied. "I should've saved more."

"Then save the people who have survived," I told him. "Organise sabotage ops, hire mercenaries, get whatever you can to stop the drophyds."

"That's easy for you to say," Jack replied. "You didn't sell out your own species to the Reapers in another universe."

"If it helps, the Protheans took the Reaper threat with them when they were wiped out in this universe," I told him. "I made sure of that."

"And yet, we're still fated to be wiped out," Jack said.

"No, there's a possibility," Orvus said. "And the first few pieces have been moved. But will you choose to move the King... or Queen, perhaps?"

* * *

><p>-* It is confirmed, 4 billion people have died, *- Eliza Cassan said on the news. -* The official body count has been released by the United Nations in the wake of the alien attack. *-<p>

"Well, the necrophiliacs must be delighted," the paraplegic said as he listened to the news from the television.

* * *

><p><strong>Operation Louisiana Chapter : Badass Loadout Side 1.<strong>

* * *

><p>"Jeffry!" the younger girl said as she gasped in horror.<p>

"I can't try and lift the mood?" the man said in defence. "If we lose all hope, the last three billion might as well follow. Hey, as I recall, Comedy is Tragedy plus Time."

"I think it's funnier when Time isn't in single digits," a black man, a soldier, said as he sat in a chair. "It was funny but you should give it a few months, at least."

"I suppose I should refrain from my 'Magical Troll' jokes?"

"Oh, please, don't..." he said as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I was thinking of getting a few bright colored wigs, though. That would be really nice."

"Your name's Jeff, right?" another soldier asked. "Are you loco?"

"No, just sick."

* * *

><p><strong>Yesterday<strong>

"Damn, Taylor, what do we do?" the Hispanic-American soldier said as he knelt down to a wall.

"Well, I'm no expert but I have an idea," Jacob said as he drew out a gun. "The legs are well protected by thick skin that can't be penetrated by bullets and we don't have any bullets, larger animals need thicker bones so... I recommend sniping the heart."

"With what, a cannon?" the Hispanic asked in disarray.

"Calm down, Vega," the leader said as he stepped forward, holding a sniper rifle forward. "I got a clear shot..."

"Shepard, are you sure about this?" James asked as he looked hesitantly at his superior officer before noticing the gun. "Whoa... what is that?"

"It's a Megacorp Pulse Rifle Mk. II V1.0 with an X-Ray scope mod and a Digistruct module to convert bullets into small explosive devices shortly after piercing through or narrowly missing an enemy, taken from a Torque handgun," Shepard said as he carefully stroked the gun, causing his two subordinates to stare at him. "It's a gun that shoots plasma, modified to convert shots into small bombs within the body. I use it to fight alien monsters that are dumped on Earth."

"Ah, yes, the Black Ops," James asked. "So, what's with Area 51, anyway?"

"Who said it was in Area 51?" Shepard responded. "The place I investigated weird monsters was in Oklahoma."

"...Oklahoma," James asked.

"Wait... that giant worm story was real?" Jacob asked. "I... I thought that was a hoax."

"If someone did their job properly, you wouldn't even know it was there," Shepard replied. "You... you may want to stand back..."

"Wait... Torque?" James asked. "As in..."

"Yeah, Gearbox leased the name," Shepard said just before firing the gun. The troll hardly noticed the wound near his heart but he did feel a bit sick from the sudden explosion in his chest.

**SHEPARD as the Infiltrator**

"Damn, I wanted to see a fountain." The two subordinates just stared at him. "Oh, I'm a bad person."

"Yeah... I think you're definitely insane," James said to Shepard as he looked at the collapsed troll.

"You want to try it out?" Shepard said.

"Oh, yes!" James replied.

"Hell Yeah!" was Jacob's.

"Flip a coin," Shepard replied. He then took out a gold coin and was ready to flip it.

"A Canadian Dollar?" Jacob asked.

"I have dual US-Canadian citizenship," Shepard explained. "Dad's Canadian, Mom's American. Heads or Tails?"

"Tails," Jacob said. Shepard looked at the coin, then handed Jacob the rifle.

"Okay... should I shoot the leg or the nose?" Jacob asked.

"Nose," was the mutual reply. Jacob lined up the sight as he saw the troll moving towards a car with a family trapped inside. Slowly squeezing the trigger, looking down the scope, Jacob saw a flash of plasma release from the barrel, straight up the troll's nose. The troll was only a little stoned by the shot entering his nostril before the blood shot out from the nose cavity, causing everyone to wince.

**JACOB TAYLOR as the Corsair**

"Okay, we are _so_ getting charged with war crimes if anyone ever finds out about this," Jacob said as he handed James the rifle. "Vega, there are a group of children sneaking past a troll, 35 degrees clockwise from my shot. A blue haired girl with white eyes so I think she's blind."

"Fine, Pandejo," Vega said as he lined up the shot. "I don't have a killing blow... but I could distract him..."

"Where are you aiming..." Shepard said as he looked into his binoculars. "Oh... you aren't going to..." It was already too late, Vega took the shot, hitting straight where he aimed it, drawing the troll's attention away from the kids... as it screamed bloody murder and grabbed its read end.

**JAMES VEGA as the Soldier**

"What?" Jacob asked. "What did I miss?"

"Well, you saw the burst of methane flames," Vega said with a wince.

"You didn't," Taylor said.

"I did..." Vega said. "Right in the ass..."

"Well, at least it exploded," Jacob said as Shepard started shaking his head. "It _did_ explode, right?"

The [[A/N: What happened next was of such vulgar and graphic content that Hermione has forbidden me from writing it down. Of course, if you know what is liable to happen, or suffer from 2 specific illnesses, you've probably figured it out by now...]] as Shepard awkwardly pocketed the rifle. "OK, we will have to castrate ourselves before we mention that again."

"Agreed," Jacob and James said as the three walked away. Of course, the smell had attracted a nearby troll to their location.

* * *

><p><strong>2 hours later<strong>

"That was a bad idea!" Jacob said as they climbed out of the water. "At least we're cleaned... Shepard, why do you _have_ that thing?"

"Well, normally I hunt Thresher Maws in Arizona," Shepard said.

"What are Thresher Maws?" Jacob asked.

"Let's just say that... if you ever see a giant worm stick his head out of the ground, use a tank's main gun to kill it. If you're on foot... you're already dead and you should kill yourself."

"Can we focus on the trolls?" James screamed at the others as they walked away.

"It seems they're retreating," Shepard said. "Wait..." He then turned to Jacob and looked straight at him. "Did you use Warp on the troll's leg?"

"Damn, I hoped you wouldn't see that," Jacob said.

"Hey, relax," Shepard said. "I already know about the US Biotic program."

"Biotic?" James asked.

"Ever hear of Roswell?" Jacob said. "Long story short, alien spaceship warp drive exploded in the atmosphere, I absorbed an element from it in the womb and now I have cybernetic enhanced telekinesis."

"You're a cyborg psychic, Shepard's insane," James replied. "It really says a _lot_ when a drunk Spaniard with daddy issues is normal."

"You too?" Jacob asked.

"Have you ever seen a Danny Trejo movie?" Shepard asked. "Although, I'm a biotic too, I just prefer a sniper rifle."

"Okay, I need to become one of those conduits," James said.

Suddenly, a loud crash came from behind them. "I think this is the one you shot in the ass," Jacob said as he started running.

"Can we please shut up about that?" James said as the three started shooting. They got into cover as they ran into a back alley, in which the troll got stuck. "Why are there trolls in America? Isn't that a European myth?"

"Maybe they're imported," Shepard shouted.

"Got any ideas?" James asked.

"Jacob, use biotics on the legs," Shepard said. "James, you have slugs, right? Shoot while they're down."

"What about you?" Jacob asked.

"I've got an idea," Shepard said as he took out an SMG. He fiddled with a sudden holographic interface, before disappearing.

"What the hell?" James shouted in shock.

"I got this!" Shepard said. "Just get me a distraction!"

Jacob pulled on a troll's leg to get it to fall over. Jacob slid a solid slug into his shotgun and shot the troll in the knee, causing it to fall over.

During this time, Shepard was moving around, climbing from windowsill to windowsill, moving silently up a building. Like his skin and the special combat fatigues, his hands had minor augmentations but while his skin had general purpose Octo-Camo, his hands were augmented to use the Van der Waals force to grip effortlessly, allowing him to shoot along the building quickly. He got to a fire escape ledge just high enough to look over the troll and climb onto it, sneaking carefully so that his boots didn't cause any noise, that's why he didn't climb the ladder. He got to the edge and waited for James' shot to disable him.

Shepard leapt from the ledge and grabbed the troll by the head. He turned visible before unloading with an SMG into it's head, causing the troll to fall backwards, clutching its bleeding face as Shepard vaulted over a wall into cover.

"Okay, it's blind, what now?" Shepard asked.

"Well, the skin is quite thick... if you can pepper spray it again, I've got an idea," James said. The troll flayed about wildly, destroying the fire escape as Shepard looked around. "Well, there goes that idea."

"Not actually," Jacob shouted. "Shepard, if I trip it up again, what would you bet you could get you could get onto his head again?"

"Got it," Shepard said before turning invisible. Jacob pulled on the troll again before James fired at its leg, causing it to collapse. Shepard was already jumping along ledges before he wall ran towards the troll and kicked it in the head. The troll fell over, screaming and trying to push everything away before James loaded another slug into his gun and ran towards the troll. With a simple aim and a squeezed trigger, the solid slug flew through the air, straight at the troll's head, causing the troll to fall limp and collapse on the ground.

"Hey, do you guys think it's dead?" Jacob said as he walked forward.

"No idea," Jacob said as he cautiously stepped back. "I wouldn't go near it though." Shepard already climbed on top to get a better look. "Are you crazy?"

"Yeah," Shepard said as he took a good, hard look at the troll. "That's weird... he's augmented."

"Augmented?" Jacob asked. "Are you saying we just killed a cyborg troll?"

"No, he's just unconscious," Shepard said as he took a few pictures with a weird wrist computer. "We can take a better look later, let's get out of here before he wakes up."

"Hey," a girl said to us as she opened a nearby building's door. "If you aren't going to report me to the gangs, I can get you guys shelter."

"Don't worry, we're US military," James said as he walked over to her. "Except for the Caucasian, he's with the Men in Black."

"Then follow me," she said, carefully putting away a knife she had.

* * *

><p><strong>Shepard<strong>

And that's how we met Hillary and Jeff Moreau, who were hiding in an apartment building's basement. Hillary went out into the field and Joker used a computer to provide her with field support.

"You do know that there's a good chance that the gangs would find you, right?" Jeff said. "You're flagged on the ctOS so you're pretty much in deep if you get seen on camera."

"ctOS?" Shepard asked.

"The local crime syndicate have something called a 'Central Operating System' which is basically a way of saying that they have access to every computer, security camera and traffic system in the city," Hillary said. "That's how I found you, I have one of their phones so I have access."

"I'll try and keep you from being flagged but that's not guaranteed," Jeff said. "It's actually an experimental crime monitoring system made by DARPA. It will use social networking and crime databases to search for potential crimes and report them to the cops so..." Jeff paused as he turned to his beeping computer before he leant to a microphone. "Hey, dispatch? It's me."

-* Joker? *- a woman asked. -* What do you see? *-

"I've got a potential violent crime in Loren Square, sending the address to you-"

-* Sorry, but there's a big fight breaking out elsewhere, *- the woman said. -* You can access one of our squad cars? *-

"On it," Jeff said before he hacked into the local radio signal. "APB, we have a 245 in progress outside 35 Loren Square."

-* Wait... you're not dispatch! *- the officer on the radio said.

"No, I'm the new guy, I volunteered to help deal with the carnage," Jeff said. "Like I said, 245 in progress."

-* Uh... 10-4, *- the officer said before hanging up.

"Okay, thanks for saving us, by the way," Shepard said. "Look, is there any way you can help us?"

"Yeah, but we need help as well," Hillary asked as she sat down. "Can you get some painkillers for Joker here?"

"Hey, my leg isn't that bad," 'Joker' replied.

"Wait, are you injured?" Jacob asked.

"Nah, just a fracture," Joker said.

"I told you to be careful," Hillary said in annoyance. "We can't get to a hospital at the time!"

"Hey, it's not my fault my bones break like glass," Joker said, before suddenly getting a worried look on his face. "I... shouldn't have said that..."

"Are you seriously injured?" Jacob asked.

"No," Joker replied. "I... have Vrolik's Syndrome. My bones are extremely weak and I... broke my leg."

"It's unknown what causes it, whether it's genetic or... whatever," Hillary said.

"Yeah, my bones were breaking in the womb, it's a miracle I'm still alive," Joker replied. "Look, I need to get some medication but the hospital doesn't have it, you have to go to my apartment. Of course, my medication happens to include a steroid cream and... long story short, watch out for Mexican wrestlers."

"I can do that easily," Hillary said as she pocketed a switchblade. "Look, can you loot a Friendly Fire gun store for us?"

"Wait, the gun store is called Friendly Fire?" Jacob asked.

"Yeah, I think it's something about this town," Hillary said. "The local restaurant is called 'Tits and Grits'."

"I'll head with Hillary, just to keep her safe," James said as the two left.

"Okay, so we head to Friendly Fire?" Jacob asked.

"Are you okay by yourself?" I asked Joker.

"Sure, I'll help you through the ctOS," Joker said. "Though... could you pick up my subscription from a local magazine store?"

"If we have time," Shepard said.

* * *

><p><strong>James<strong>

"So..." I tried to start up a conversation with Hillary while we ran in the street. Luckily, we switched out of our fatigues so Shepard, Jacob and I wouldn't be recognized unless we wanted to be.

"I'm 16," she replied.

"Hey, I'm not hitting on you or anything," I told her quickly. "How are you surviving?"

"Well, there are conduits who insta-grow fruit and vegetables and there's a rogue mad scientist who's providing cloned chicken tissue," Hillary said. "So, you're in the army?"

"Yeah, joined at 18," I told her. "Mom was kind of upset, though."

"So, how old are you?" Hillary asked.

"33," I replied. "What about you? Do you have any family?"

"My folks back in Ohio," Hillary said. "We contacted them yesterday and their safe at their farm."

"Oh, that's bad," I replied.

"What?"

"A pair of adults living on a rural farm during an alien invasion?" I asked her, causing her eyes to go wide. "If they get abducted, we'd be lucky if we save them."

"Oh, crap..." she said. "L-let's focus on getting those meds. Jeff's apartment is just in here."

We ran into the building, heading straight for the stairs. The lights were out so I took out a small torch and attached it to my gun. "I'll go first," I said.

"Okay, on the fourth floor," she said. "I suppose you want the key?"

"Not really," I replied. We ran along a hallway, me at point, before Hillary ran forward and unlocked the door.

"It should be fine, but just be careful when in here," Hillary said. "Look for supplies while you're at it."

"Like, instant ramen, water...?"

"Yeah, the fridge should still be working," Hillary said as she ran into the bathroom. I grabbed a bag and placed as much food and bottled water into it as I could, mostly ramen and instant food. "Okay, I got the creams."

"Why is the fridge working and everything else isn't?" I asked.

"Apparently, the fridges are on a separate back-up generator," Hillary said. "Same for the central AC. Me and Jeff were hiding out here... before the Luchadores came."

"The Luchadores?"

"They're part of the local crime syndicate, made up of the Morningstar, Deckers and Luchadores," Hillary said. "The Luchadores are the muscle and are trying to strong-arm people into camps that they control. They also steal medical supplies... and the town officials can't do anything about it."

"If we hit the Luchadores, would that help?"

"No, there's this gang that recently moved in so they could deal with the Syndicate for us," Hillary said before she suddenly looked worried. "Did you hear that?" she whispered.

I listened carefully, hearing soft echoes in the stairway, as I carefully pushed the door closed. "We have company," I said. "Head for the fire escape and get out of here. If I don't get out of here, don't come back for me."

"What?" she whispered in a worried voice.

"I'm a marine with multiple tours under my belt, I can handle myself," I told her. She went wide-eyed as she took our backpack of supplies and snuck into a nearby room.

Taking the safety off of my handgun, I moved to behind the local counter to get a better position. "[Did you find anything]?" a man said in Spanish.

"[No]," another said while the door was pushed open. "[Hey, I think someone was in here. This door was locked yesterday]."

"[Well, check it out]," the first said. His compatriot moved through the apartment, moving closer to the door that Hillary went through. I began to panic before he turned away, moving into another bedroom. I followed him carefully and snuck behind him while he tried to move to a nearby bathroom.

I could tell he used steroids as he had the needle scars. He also had weight problems, shrunken cajones and, from what I could tell, was an injured arm.

I wasted no time in reaching around his neck and putting him in a choke hold. He tried to break out of it but I kicked his leg out from under him and kept him from fighting back. He soon went limp, unconscious, before I carefully put him into the bath and took his assault rifle, ammo and grenade.

"[Hey, are you in here]?" the other gangster said as he walked into the apartment. "[Are you in the damn bathroom again]?" Oh, damn. "[What have I told you, steroid suppositories just don't]- Ack!"

A sudden 'dong' noise and the Luchador fell into the room. "Well, that was easier than I expected."

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"Saving your ass," Hillary said. "Come on, I got a ride."

"Where?" I asked, as she took out a pair of car keys from the knocked out Luchador. "Good one."

"Let's go, now," she said before we ran for the fire escape. I went down first, kicking the ladder down and waiting for Hillary. "You want to drive?"

"Sure, let's..." I said before I saw the car. "We can't ride this."

"Why not?" Hillary asked.

"Do you _see_ this car?" I said. "It's too high-profile. If the Luchadores go looking for us, they can see this car and know where we are."

"We can dump it a block away," Hillary said. "No, bad idea. Let's walk it."

* * *

><p><strong>Shepard<strong>

"According to Joker's instructions, Friendly Fire is just around the corner," Jacob said.

"Slow down," I said. "See those guys in the suits?"

"Concealed weapons," Jacob replied as he slowed down. "Good call. Hopefully we don't telegraph what we're doing."

"So, what about the 5-day rule?" I asked.

"Well, we could always raid it or say it's for our own safety," I said. "I doubt that they'll keep us unarmed, and we can use our army tags to get weapons."

"If they have weapons," Jacob said as we walked inside.

"... and I was really hoping if you could help us get guns to the rebels in New Marais," a Japanese man said as he talked to the man in the counter before taking out a letter. "Oh, uh... Rosco Laroche asked to pass this on to you."

"Let me say that," the store manager said. "Hm... so, the rumors are true? Swamp monsters and... that business with Bertrand?"

"From what I can tell, yes."

"Okay, it will take a while but... come back later, I'll have that ready for you."

"There's no hurry, we're still trying to set up an aid route."

"Fine then, but... what was that about buying weapons?"

"I'm waiting for a friend who can help," the Japanese man said as he looked around.

"So, we can't get any guns, then?" I asked.

"It depends," the store clerk said. "I can see your dog-tags under your shirt, mind if I get a look?"

"Sure," I said as we threw our tags at him.

"Commander Jack... Shepard?" he said. "Wait... are you related to Navy Vice Admiral Hannah Shepard?"

"That's the one," I said. "You knew her?"

"Yeah, back when I served with her," he said as he threw our tags at us. I handed Jacob's back to him. "I was discharged for a leg injury, but I still keep in contact."

"Well, if you talked to her since the aliens attacked, you've spoken to her more recently than I have."

"I was just talking to her yesterday," he said. "Name's Wolfgang Ashfire but you can call me Jinx."

Jinx was about 50-60 years old, wearing a vest with ammo belt and handgun holstered, the leggings of a bomb disposal outfit and thick, bomb disposal boots. He had blonde hair tied into a ponytail and with some serious stubble and a cigar in his hand. He also spoke in a think Bronx accent.

"Nice name," Jacob said.

"Wait... Ashfire?" I asked. "Holy crap, you're my godfather?"

"Hell yeah!" he said. "So, what can I do for you?"

Jacob and I looked at each other. We then turned to Jinx. "Guns."

"Well, you came to the right place but I suspect you don't have cash," Jinx said. "Although... could you guys do me a favour?" He then gestured for us to move into the back of the store. We followed him discreetly and I closed the door behind us.

"Do you see that Japanese guy out there?" he gestured to the door. "This card he gave us was a signal between an acquaintance of mine, called Laroche. Something is happening in New Marais, a nearby town."

"Actually..." I spoke up. "We came here to... investigate the town. In particular a guy named Bertrand."

"So the rumors are true," Jinx said. "Look, he asked for a shipment of weapons that I don't have. Because I sold them to Bertrand."

"Oh, god," Jacob said.

"Look, there's still hope," Jinx said. "There's a nearby port where Bertrand's security officer picks up the shipment. If you get out there and take out the Militia, I'll send a friend over later when you take care of it and I'll get you some good gear. Standard earth guns but with all kinds of weird mods."

"Like Torque weapons?" I blurted out before realizing what I said.

"Oh, you're into krogan weapons, aren't ya?" he asked. "Look, here's my car keys, some SMGs and the address of the pick-up. Do this job and you can take as much guns and ammo as you need from the shipment."

"We'll be quick," Jacob said as we headed for the backdoor.

"You have an hour," Jinx shouted. We ran through the door, heading into the truck as Jacob loaded the guns.

"Here's yours," Jacob said as I loaded mine into the digistruct module. "We should've taken shotguns."

"Thanks, I didn't take mine," I replied as I took out a shotgun. "This is yours."

"Okay, I have got to get one of those," Jacob said. "Uh... what's a krogan?"

"Long story short, don't get into a fight with one," I said. "One gentle backhand could break your neck, I have minor augments but they could take on a full-blown cyborg."

"Minor?" He asked as we turned a corner. "You can turn invisible!"

"It's just small eezo wires in my skin that reflect light," I said. "Believe it or not, when I awaken as a conduit I can still use my powers as long as I'm not invisible and I... may have to remove by biotic implants before they kill me."

"Well, I'm sort of augmented due to my implants," Jacob said. "Who made yours?"

"Sarif Industries," I said.

"Tai Yong Medical," Jacob said. "I'm calling Joker, let him know we may need him." He then took out his phone and put it on speaker. "Hey, Joker, you there?"

-* Jacob, what's up? *- Joker asked.

"We need you to help us, tell us how many people are at this address..." Jacob then gave the address as I turned the corner, before parking the door.

-* Right, I see the ship... you're looking for the 'Bloody Mary', *- Joker said. -* You need to walk psat two boats from your position. There are 13 guys, including people at the dock. Hold on... two of them are on the phone, I'll see if I can... cracked it. *-

-* Stall them! *- Jinx said into the phone. -* Luke, just say that there was an issue with payment but do not let the Militia take those guns until two guys come to you! They're names are Shepard and Taylor, they have dog tags! *-

-* What's up, Jinx? *- the first man asked.

-* They're using them on Laroche, *- Jinx said. -* We can't let them have that shipment, we need to send them to Laroche... just show your guns and let them wait. *-

-* Whatever you say. *-

-* Wow, this is bad, *- Joker said.

"Jacob, you go over and get them ready to attack," I said. "I'll jump aboard and distract them."

"Good call," he said. I turned invisible as he opened door, leaving it open enough for me to jump out. He walked forward as I jumped onto the back of the boat pulling in. I climbed onboard just as I turned invisible in view of Jacob, who gripped his shotgun to let him know that he was ready. He talked to the two men, showing off his dog tag to get their attention.

"Alright, load the crates onto the boat," one of the men said as I took out the SMG. "We got to get back quick."

"Hold on," one of Jinx's men said as he showed off his gun. "We've got a problem with the payment. It was blocked."

"What?"

I acted quickly, bandit shooting several men at once. Jinx's men shot at a few men at the same time as Jacob as he jumped aboard to shoot with his shotgun. We were able to get behind cover before a few people, shooting from the boat's access door.

"Shoot out the window," I said to Jacob, who shot out at the cockpit. "I'm heading in."

"That's risky," Jacob said as he glanced a crate. "Hold on, I have a smoke grenade." He then threw it into the window, causing smoke to pour into the boat and cause a suitable distraction. I turned invisible and ran forward, jumping through the window and started shooting at the people at the bottom of the boat's staircase, causing them to pour out... straight into the viewpoint of Jinx's men.

"Good job," Jacob shouted as he got out of cover.

"That's great," I said as I walked out of the boat's inner workings. "I found an omnitool, if you want it."

"What's an omnitool?" Jacob asked.

"It's like a wearable PDA-slash-weapon," I said. "I'm surprised you haven't heard of it."

"Hm... maybe Joker would like it," Jacob said. "Or James. Or Hillary."

"Luckily, it also has the input gloves," I said as we jumped from the boat. "Hey, sorry for getting you into this."

"Hey, if they pissed Jinx off, they deserved it," one of them said. "I'm Luke, this is Gabe."

"I'm Jacob, this is Shepard," he said. "Hey, we made a deal with Jinx..."

"Load as many guns, grenades and boxes of ammo as you want," Gabe said. "I recommend the EMP ones."

"Should we take those?" Jacob asked me.

"We should, but I doubt that I'll use them," I said.

"Hey, Jinx said something about..." a woman said as she walked up to us. "Shepard? Taylor? What are you doing here?"

"Uh... hey Ashley," Jacob said. "We, uh... we just got in town yesterday..."

"You took out the Militia?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, do you need these?" I asked.

"I don't but I'm going to get these down to New Marais," Ashley said. "Okay, Toby, help me load these onto the boat, then we get these to Laroche and Anderson."

"Anderson's alive?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said. "He's down in New Marais, helping to take on this son of a bitch called Bertrand. Alenko and I are... helping another group."

"Yeah, Vega's safe too," I said. "We're helping an injured man and his sister."

"If you need to, we can get them somewhere safe," a man with dreadlocks said as he walked over to the crate.

"Hey, mind if we-" Jacob began.

"Jinx mentioned," Ashley said. "Go ahead, but he said 'meet back at the shop when you can' or something like it. He had a run-in with a man in a mask."

"Let's get the guns and hurry," Jacob said. "I saw him walking with a limp so he might be in trouble."

"I'll help," Ashley said.

* * *

><p><strong>James<strong>

"We're back," Hillary said as we walked into the basement.

"Hey, Hillary, can you do me a favour and smack a luchador on camera?" Joker asked. "I know it's dangerous but the GIF I made just seems incomplete."

"We love you too," I said as I looked at the screens. "What did you find?"

"I just hacked into the US military website," he said.

"What did you find?" I asked.

"That you're a conduit from Empire," Joker said. "You can control any metal that you have touched and have super-strength. And considering your weight, that's got to be dangerous."

"Why didn't you do it earlier?" Hillary asked.

"Hey, any metal I've touched," I responded. "Well, is there anything else you need?"

"Can you get the TV working?" Joker asked. "Not for any particular reason, all they're showing is news and Sesame Street. Well, that and Brazilian kids shows."

"Damn it..." Hillary said as I got to work on the TV. All I had to do was plug in the Digital TV box into the TV and plug the two in. I simply turned on the screen and...

-* Clockwise, *- the woman on screen said. -* Anti-clockwise. *-

"Gozongas..." Joker blurted out before Hillary grabbed the remote. "Oh, come on."

"W***er," she said as she sat down.

"Oh, crap," I shouted. "It's USTV!"

-* The recent sightings of an alien ship crashlanding in the pier of Steelport has led to a group of people attempting to investigate the inner workings, *- the newscaster said as she read the story. -* The local authorities have decried the incident as unsafe and potentially dangerous. However, Phillipe Loren, the local French businessman, has led several locals to help seize the technology for possible means to fend against the extra-terrestrial threat. In other news, rumors of a fascist group in the small town of New Marais called the Militia kidnapping and executing locals believed to be conduits, super-powered individuals who are displaying powers en masse, have also been reported. One witness, identified only as Nicole, has posted pictures and videos onto YouTube, which we have yet to verify. In an official statement posted onto the internet by Joseph Bertrand, founder of the Militia, has given this official statement. *-

-* 'I rallied the Militia in order to protect the locals from a possibly extra-terrestrial threat. Creatures have begun attacking the town and looters were vandalising businesses. The police, who had formerly sworn to Protect and Serve, had abandoned their role which these brave men have proudly sworn to uptake in their cowardly absence. I am proud of these boys and proudly co-ordinate their efforts.' *-

-* We have attempted to contact Mr Bertrand for an interview but we would like to... hold on... Are you serious? I-I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen but we have received pictures of these creatures and... we have undoubted proof that the creatures in New Marais are similar to reported monsters in Orlando, an incident that was confirmed to have occurred by the UN organisation NEXUS. Also... my honest mistake but Philippe Loren is Belgian. *-

"Wait... Mom was serious?" I blurted out.

"About what?" Hillary asked.

"There were... monsters in Disneyworld," I said.

"Dude..." Joker said in a horrified voice. "That would be _sooo_ funny."

And that's when the thought of the monsters shown on the news riding 'It's a Small World After All,' with the one from Monsters Inc. suddenly went through my head.

"Hey, your phone's ringing," Joker said while laughing. I tried to answer it while laughing heavily.

"H-hello-o-oh!"

-* Are... are you laughing? *- Jacob asked. -* Look, that Friendly Fire store we headed to? Can you meet us there? Something's up. *-

"Okay, I'll be right there," I said.

* * *

><p><strong>Shepard<strong>

"Don't go in, wait for us outside," Jacob said. "We'll wait for you there if we're first."

"Are you sure you can handle this?" Ashley said as she loaded the boxes of grenades into the back of the truck.

"We're good," I said. "Hey, when you're free, do you and Jacob want to meet up later?"

"Sure, maybe a nearby bar," Ashley said. "If James brings that tequila, that would be real..."

Ashley was cut off by a convertible driving down the road, with a screaming kid inside and Animal Control following in several vans.

"Was that... was that a bear?" I asked.

"Goddammit, Angel," Ashley said. "Sorry, I've got to deal with some damn idiot..."

"We don't blame you," Jacob said as he handed her a shotgun.

"I don't need this, but I sure as hell _want_ it," Ashley said before she ran off.

"Come on, let's go," I said, getting into the passenger's seat. "We'd better hurry, this could get ugly."

"It's weird seeing Ashley again, but did you recognise that guy she was with?" Jacob asked. "He's a Saint."

"A Third Street Saint?" I asked. "What's she doing with him?"

"I don't know but is she could be forced to work with them to survive," Jacob said. "I mean... not in the 'Do-as-I-say-or-you're-dead' kind of way."

"We're here," I said. "I'm taking a Hand Cannon, what do you want?"

"Shotgun, duh," he said as he took out a gun. "There's James."

"Hey," James said before a man flew through the door due to the force of an explosion. "What the hell?"

We ran out of the car and ran inside before we saw Jinx sitting in a chair with his feet on the counter, with a single gun on the counter. "What up, Jacky Boy?"

"We heard you were in trouble," I said.

"No, just a daily Luchador protection racket," Jinx said. "That wasn't why I asked for Ashley to send you here."

"Is that a Torque pistol?" I asked.

"Oh, crap," Jacob said as he walked to a door.

"Too bad, it's the only one I have and you can't have it," Jinx said. "Although... I do have a Torque shot-"

"No," Jacob said to us.

"Yes!" James shouted as he tried to run to the counter.

Jacob slapped him over the head. "Let them near it and I will kill you!"

"Fine, how about a few sets of armor?" Jinx asked. "Look, a friend of mine got her hands on some medical supplies and she wants to deliver them to the camps. Unfortunately, she may have pissed off the Morningstar who have a monopoly on healing supplies."

"They're war profiteering?" I asked. "That's... that's low."

"Here's her address, her name's Chloe Michel, she's a French doctor," Jinx said as she handed me a piece of paper. "Here's where she's keeping her supplies. Take my truck again, it's on the other end of town."

"Okay, we'll head right over," James said as we walked out. "Man, that guy is cool..."

"That's my godfather, by the way," I said.

"Oh, at least we can trust him," James said. "So, do we know anything about this Chloe?"

"She's a doctor and she's French," Jacob said. "We don't know anything else."

"Call Joker then," I said.

"Okay," Jacob said as he reached for his phone. "Hey, Joker..."

-* What's up? *- he replied.

"What can you tell me about a Dr Chloe Michel?" Jacob asked.

-* Wait, is she in trouble? *- Joker asked.

"We don't know yet," I replied as we climbed into the truck.

-*She runs a local clinic in the Upper North of New Calvin island, you're just leaving the bottom of Downtown, *- Joker said. -* She's also the doctor who helps treat my fractures. *-

"Is she hot?" James muttered.

-* She's a well-respected and hard working woman who cares for her patients, *- Joker said. -* She's also a keen practitioner of medicine and regularly provides charity aid. *-

"Your sister's right there, isn't she?" James asked.

-* Yes, *- Hillary said.

"Well, you're okay in my books," I said to her. I could just feel her blushing.

-* Well, I... uh... I have to... help fix the AC, *- she said as we heard her walking away.

"The AC's working fine," James said from the back seat. "I don't think she likes compliments."

-* Yeah, since that scumbag... *- Joker whispered. -* Uh, I'd recommend hurrying, I can't find any Morningstar and that's their territory. *-

"Thanks," Jacob said as he hung up. "So, what do you think about Joker and Hillary?"

"Joker's an okay guy but that 'Necrophile' joke was a little bit too much," James said.

"It may be his defence mechanism," Jacob said. "You know, pushing the tragedy away and trying to have a laugh. But I think he's an okay guy who's worried about everything and trying to do what he can."

"Yeah, that Vrolik's syndrome must really limit him," James said. "As for Hillary... when I tried to start a conversation with her, she immediately pointed out that she was underage."

"Not that weird, actually," I said. "Although, the way she reacted to such an innocent compliment..."

"And she's badass, too," James said. "I told her to head back to Joker and she came back, smacking a Luchador in the head with a frying pan."

"Well, she obviously knows how to fight," Jacob said. "So, got any family?"

"Mom and uncle," James said. "They're in LA, I just hope they're okay."

"Dude... rhyme," I blurted out.

"Sorry," James said. "What about you?"

"Dad died while working on this ship, the Hugo Gernsback, when it was lost at sea," Jacob said. "Mom died 3 years before... I have a girlfriend and I haven't gotten into contact with her."

"Dad's a member of the Canadian Navy, Mom's with the US navy, I joined the US Army," I said. "I have a sister but... we haven't spoken for a while."

"Damn..." James said. "At the end of the day, we have to make some calls."

"You're right," I said. "Mom's probably worried sick."

"Yeah, mine too, and my uncle," James said.

"Worse... my girl wanted to talk about something," Jacob said. "I was hoping that she was talking about marriage."

"Well, this is a bad time," James said.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "A wedding would be good to help keep people's hopes up. And when we're talking about it, perhaps you could be the first couple married in space."

"Yeah, don't bet on it," Jacob said.

"We're here," I said as I pulled over. "Just be cool as we head inside."

"Yes sir," the others said as we walked towards the local warehouse. Carefully, I took point and got up to the wall while James with a shotgun and Jacob with an assault rifle walked behind me. I carefully opened the door, before walking in, keeping my handgun by my side as we walked inside.

"Dog tags," a woman said from around the corner. I didn't raise my gun as I got a good look at her. She had hair just lower than her ear with part of it draped over her right eye. She was wearing a medical scrub that was covered in some blood with simple white trainers on her feet. She also had a gun aimed straight at me. I could tell that the safety was on, however. "I said, hand me your dog tags!"

"Here," I said as I threw mine towards her. "Are you Chloe?"

"Yes," she said as she handed my tags back to me. "I'm sorry, I had to make sure..."

"I understand," I said. "Jack Shepard, this is Jacob Taylor and James Vega."

"Look, I don't need much," she said. "I can easily deliver these medical supplies, I just need a distraction."

"What kind of distraction?" James asked.

"Can you drive an empty ambulance down the street and get the Morningstar to come after you?" Chloe asked. "You don't need to do it for long, just until I can get them to Stanfield."

"One of us should go with her," James said.

"Jacob?"

"On it," Jacob said as he walked over to her.

"Give me a 5 minute head start," Chloe said. "If you do this, I'll provide medical care for you when you need it."

"We hope you're OK," James said as we walked towards the lure ambulance. "She's hot."

"Can you please turn off your penis?" I asked.

"I can help with that," Chloe said as she held up a scalpel.

"Turning off..." James said as we got into the ambulance. "Can I drive?"

"What?" I asked.

"Hey, I was chatting to Jacob, you've always drove."

"Let me see your license," I told him.

"Let me see yours," James asked.

"...F***," I said as I moved out of the seat.

"No," James called to Jacob. Jacob responded by walking over and taking $5 from James.

"Let's just go," I said. "I won't shoot until after Jacob and Chloe arrive."

James drove out of the warehouse, causing several cars to follow us. He hit the gas, drifting onto the highway before up to 8 cars were following and shooting at us. "Don't worry, I've had plenty of experience."

"What experience?" I asked.

"Burnout," James said.

"This is going to be bad," I said.

"Hey, I _have_ a driver's license," James said.

"It's not that I don't have one, it's not valid outside of Quebec," I said.

"Hold on," James said before he rammed the ambulance into the barrier, crushing a smaller car. "Sorry, you were saying?"

"Keep up the good work," I shouted while I strapped myself into a seat. "So, got any idea on how long they'll be?"

"Don't know, but I hope this ends soon," Jacob said. "Ambulances aren't necessarily built for vehicular combat."

"Well, we might as well..." I said before I saw a truck heading for us. "What the f*** is that?"

"What?"

"There's a huge ass guy I the back of one of these trucks!" I shouted.

"Well, shoot him!"

"HE'S COVERED IN METAL ARMOR! !" I shouted back.

"Hold on," James said as he grabbed the door of the ambulance. Spikes formed around the entire van, particularly on the back. "This is going to hurt..." he said with a grin before slamming on the breaks. The car impaled the one behind him, just missing the drivers. "Shepard, grab the wheel!"

"On it," I said as I got to the front and took over. "What was that about?"

"I really need to concentrate..." James said before taking a deep breath. The metal from the car behind us and the armor of the huge ass guy in the back slowly drained towards our van, melding with it and converting the car into a roving battle tank.

"This... is awesome," I said.

"Thanks, because... be..." James fainted at the wheel. I began to panic before I managed to put his seat in recline. I jumped over him, squatting to fit into the small space while also carefully moving the unconscious James to clear some room.

"Come on, come on... please be over soon!"

-* We've arrived, *- Jacob said over the radio. -* How about you? *-

"James just fainted at the wheel!" I shouted into the ambulance's radio. "I can't hold out much longer!"

-* Okay, I'll think of something... *- Jacob said. -* Where are you? *-

"Shit..." I said.

-* Shepard? *-

"I'm in a rolling hunk of spiked metal! *- I shouted. "Does that help? !"

-* I see you! *- Jacob said. -* Take the next right and park next to the gym. *-

"I hope this works..." I said as I left the highway.

Several cars just halted behind me. When I took a look from the mirror, I saw several barriers were raised, with one car flying over. -* Oh, did I do that? *- Joker asked on the radio. -* Don't worry, there are a few tricks built into this city. I can help more than just being a watchdog. *-

-* What did you do, Joker? *- Jacob asked.

-* I just raised a traffic barrier that the police use to catch street racers, that's all, *- Joker said. -* You should be clear from the highway. Jacob, get ready. *-

-* Don't worry, *- Jacob said. -* Shepard, leave the highway now. *-

"On it," I said as I turned off to the right. Getting off the highway was easy, but the truck chasing me now had another of those big guys... "Either they're twins or Cerberus have been pulling a Dolly the Sheep again."

I barely saw the rocket hit the truck but by then the bigger guy was on top. -* I should've shot sooner... Shepard, can you shoot at your roof? *-

"Negative, the metal sheets are too thick," I said.

-* Then take the next left, *- Jacob said. -* I'll handle this. *-

Following Jacob's instructions, I took a hard turn while trying to throw the huge man from on top off. Of course, he just punched into the armor and tore a hole off. I just aimed an SMG upward, shooting him in the face several times and causing him to recoil back.

"Get over here!" I heard Jacob say. -* You can pull over now. *-

"Thanks," I said as I hit the brakes. I then jumped out of the car before Dr Michel ran over and looked over James. "God, what just happened?"

"He's a conduit," Dr Michel said. "He's just unconscious. It happens when weaker conduits push themselves too far. I've seen it from a few people at the camps. I can help his endurance, but you'll need to carry him."

"Jesus..." Jacob said. "His arm is turning metallic."

"Metal elemental," Dr Michel said as we lifted Jacob onto a near gurney. "Don't worry, I can fix this quite easily. I just need something..." she then took out her phone and made a quick call. "Leona, can you bring me some rayacite fragments? I'll be in medical tent 2."

-* On it, *- a voice said before we helped move James into a tent.

"So... what's Rayacite?" I asked.

"I'll be frank, I've been involved with conduits before," Dr Michel said. "I used to work in Empire city before moving down to New Marais, and I was out of town when Joseph Bertrand took control of the town. Well, when a bomb went off in Empire, conduits started awakening and... well, fallout of the bomb caused the formation of rayicite or blast shards."

"So, they're metal or rock with radiation poisoning?" Jacob asked.

"A good idea," Dr Michel said. "The radiation is safe for biotics who are unaffected or conduits, they are made stronger. It increases the amount of RF energy a conduit stores when they touch it, absorbing the RF energy of the blast shard."

"What about non-biotics and conduits?" I asked.

"Well... let's just say that we would need element zero to treat the radiation sickness," Dr Michel said. "Speaking of... I have a shipment... I'll get someone else to help."

"Hey, can we ask a favour?" I asked. "We have a friend who needs medical attention. It's not major but... do you know a man named Jeff Moreau?"

"Oh, don't tell me Joker hurt himself again," Dr Michel said. "Joker knows where my clinic is, have him come to me in 2 days."

"Shepard, one of us should head back to the hideout and make sure that Joker and Hillary are safe," Jacob said.

"Are you fine waiting here with James?" I asked.

"I'll help around the camps as well," Jacob said. "You head back, keep them safe."

"I intend to," I said as I walked away.

Walking down the road, seeing several tents of injured people... seeing doctors working with what they could, people helping each other... and the local goons were willing to try and take those supplies.

I mean, I understand the criminals, they're worried and scared just like everyone else and are more organized...

"Shepard?" a voice called from across the street. "Holy... what are you doing here?"

"Emily Wong?" I asked. "It's been 14 years, hasn't it?"

"God, it _has_ been a long time," Emily said. "What are you doing in Louisiana?"

"Uh... mostly work," I said.

"Didn't you plan on joining the Army?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm with the army, that's why I'm here," I said. "What about you?"

"I, uh, came here for work," Emily said. "I'm a reporter now. I was here for a press conference about a new factory being opened by a medical research company called Sarif Industries."

"My squad have tested some of their military equipment," I said. "So, you're doing a report on a job boom?"

"Well, not anymore," Emily said. "I just found proof that one of their prototypes was stolen by a local business run by Philippe Loren, violently. I wanted to get proof of the theft but the building is too well-protected."

"So, you keep getting involved in searching for the truth?" I asked as we walked down the road. "Remember when you did that in middle school?"

"Hey, that was one murder and I got the guy to confess," Emily protested. "And I wouldn't have solved it if it weren't for Ka... oh, uh-"

"It's fine," I said to her. "If you need help getting in, I can get some people I know to help and we have weapons."

"Then meet me at 10 tomorrow near Loren Square," Emily said. I turned to walk away from her, with a smile on my face.

A ringing from my phone, which I quickly answered. "Hello?"

-* So, is she an old friend? *- Joker asked.

"She was a friend of my sister in high school," I said. "We dated for a while."

-* What about your sister? *- Joker asked.

"...i don't know," I told him.

-* Crap, *- Joker said. -* Well, I heard what Dr Michel said, and what that Emily woman said. Do you want me to contact Jacob? *-

"Ah, just send a text," I said. "I'll be over whenever I can and it should be soon."

-* Sure, but I'd recommend turning to the right into the alleyway, *- Joker said. Several cars with Morningstar goons in them drove past me while I held my head down. Luckily, my training allowed me to easily pretend to be a 'civilian' should the need arise. That and I played a lot of Assassin's Creed 2.

"Thanks," I said as I cut through the backend. "See you in a while."

Walking towards the end of the street, I ran across the street before turning towards the end of the block... where I ran into some angry chick with a shaved head and a shitload of tattoos.

"Hey!" she shouted. "Watch it, you f***!"

"Sorry," I said as I walked away. "Honest mistake."

"Yeah..." she said, weakly.

I just kept walking down the streets, watching as the rain began to pour. It felt good as the sweat and dirt was washed from my body. I could just stand here all night... but there was one thing I had to do.

'Just to let you know, I'm alive. If & when you can, text me.' I just wrote it into my phone and keyed in Mom's personal number before sending it. I just walked the rest of the way.

* * *

><p><strong>Jacob<strong>

"So, Vega's going to... absorb those things?" I asked the doctor.

"Yes," Dr Michel said. "He's estimated as a class D capacity but a class B power."

"So, what was that about Empire?" I asked.

"I was a doctor in a hospital in the Neon District," Dr Michel said. "I was working the emergency department when the Ray Sphere, a new age nuclear bomb went off. I lost dozens of friends and hundreds of patients to the blast and radiation. And I won't let it happen again."

"So, do you need element zero?" I asked.

"Yes, and I know where it is," the doctor said as she grabbed a car battery and jumper cables. "Can you help make a circuit? I can tell you're a biotic and your ME fields would prevent the shards from becoming conductive."

"Most are already connected..." I said as I generated a small dark matter barrier. "How may are there?"

"50 but those are from shards I stole from Empire and the FBI, I have access to thousands in locked storage," Dr Michel said. "It should increase his power by 3 RF Units. As for the eezo... do you see that big tower?"

I turned around to see a large building with guns on top, coloured pink by flood lights. Helicopters, wizards and monsters were flying around. Monsters on the ground with tanks and luchadores and sentries along the side of the building. That looked fun.

"The Syndicate have a shipment of element zero in there," Dr Michel said. "They were also due to receive an experimental device for experimentation on their conduits with the eezo being used in case something went wrong. A simple 3.3V, 13A current and a conduit is completely nullified."

"So you need us to steal element zero..."

"Because I heard talks about blast shard bombs and I thought that the dark matter would limit where the explosives would be detonated," Dr Michel said. "You can stop using your powers now."

"Fine," I said, before lowering my biotics. In response, a voltmeter on the circuit started beeping as a weird glow illuminated from the stack of shards. After a flash of light, Jacob shot upwards as the shards dissolved into dust onto the ground below.

"Welcome to the land of the living," I said to him. "What power let you turn an ambulance into a roaming death machine?"

"I impaled a truck chasing us and stripped most of the plates and engines to make our car more durable," James said. "Wait, where's Shepard? Is he-"

"Checking on Joker and Hillary," I said as my cell vibrated. "You fainted at the wheel so take it easy. As for tomorrow, it seems we have plans... at Loren Square."

"Well, that's lucky," Dr Michel said. "But if you can get element zero-"

"Not if," I said with a smile. "_When_!"

"Thank you," Dr Michel said. "But maybe it's too early, I can't be too optimistic. It would make my eventual meltdown worse. However, I wouldn't recommend you two leaving just yet, I still need to assess James' condition and... we could use the manpower, however little."

"Do you mind if I take a 5 minute break?" I asked. Dr Michel waved at me before I walked to the outskirts of the camp and took out a cell.

'It's Jacob. I'm fine, but what about you? Do you still want to talk?' I sent the message as I saw the rain start to fall. "Oh..."

I ran back into the camps, straight for the tent where James was being kept. He was just looking at his now metallic arm.

"If it helps, it looks pretty cool," I said.

"It's not..." James began. "It's not that my arm being metallic is... is scary... but what I can do." To demonstrate, the metal of his arm melted into a tentacle, then morphed to a spike.

"So you're a Terminator, so what?" I said. "Hey, can you turn that into a shield or something?

"Hm..." James' arm became flat as he held his arm upward. The now flat object sticking out from his arm allowed him to hide behind it effortlessly. "Well, at least I can make a riot shield on an instant's notice. "Damn..."

"Do you need a moment? Because I could help around..."

"I just need to send a message," James said. "And... ah, forget it."

"'Kay," I said as I walked away.

* * *

><p><strong>James<strong>

"Ah, crap..." I said as I looked at my arm. My left arm that was now a flat and sturdy shield... funny, since left is 'Sinister' in Latin...

Damn it... I knew for months that I was a conduit but that my powers were too weak to use my powers practically. And the one time it mattered... I just passed out like a bitch. I should've done better.

I just transformed my arm back into a normal limb and saw how far it went. All the way to just below my shoulder. I then reached for my cell...

'Mom, Emilio, it's James. I'm alive, just text me to LMK you're OK.'

I sent the message as I saw the rain pour outside. Huh... maybe this means that things are turning point... it's the only time I've seen it rain since the aliens attacked. Water is the source of all life, right? Well... I just hope this is a good sign.

* * *

><p><strong>Shepard<strong>

"So, Jacob is staying as a patient and Jacob's ready to shoot things if they get too close and you're guarding me and my sister for the night," Joker said with a smile on his face. "Of course, I think Hillary owes an apology, right?"

"Uh... I'm... I'm sorry..."

"Hey, it's fine," I said as I rubbed your head. "But... dear god, you could kill Satan with that frying pan."

"I'm... I'm..."

"Don't sweat it," I said as I sat down on a chair. "Let's... do we have anything to eat?"

"Mostly just ramen," Joker said. "Go ahead and make some, we've eaten."

"Thanks," I said as I rubbed my head. "Do you have any ice packs?"

"We have ice," Joker said. "Hey, want to watch the news?"

"What channel?"

"Picus," Hillary said. "Some girl is trapped in a local Fox building and is broadcasting news from tweets and facebook."

"Put it on," I said. Hillary changed the channel to show a girl with a simple top and buttoned shirt sitting by a desk.

-* -thank you for all of the tweets, and now for a recap, *- the girl said. -* North Korean survivors have been found within the ruined country and taken to South Korea, they are said to be safe and secure. French soldiers have captured a drophyd ship with no casualties, all were handed over to NEXUS for questioning. Pope Benedict XVI has been found dead by poisoning with several guards killed by stabbing, his assassin was identified by a survivor as a Chinese man. *-

'Holy shit, it better not be him,' I thought. I almost blurted it out before I realized what I was about to do.

-* Weird environmental damage in the shape of hand and footprints are appearing across the world, some believe it is related to the creature that attacked and destroyed Empire City. Sudden overgrowth has taken to the Amazon rainforest, repairing years of logging to the area. A shooting in the safe haven of Miami, previously claimed to be in self-defence of mugging has been deemed racially motivated, the victim, Trayvon Martin, was found dead shortly after gunshots were fired, the unnamed suspect has been arrested for interrogation with charges pending. *-

(A/N: Yes, I know that Martin was murdered months after the current timeframe, but people do stupid things in a crisis. As for why the suspect is 'unnamed' this is partly due to unforeseen circumstances and while it is very unlikely that the man on trial as of posting is innocent I don't want to be in trouble for badmouthing an innocent person as well as 'innocent until proven guilty' even when that interview tape with the police was played in court. Although I have to admit that the defence's joke was a bit funny...)

-* A Brazilian TV station which has played pornographic parodies of children's TV shows has been disabled after a large explosion. No one was killed although several drug cartel members were injured. *-

"NOOOOOOO!" Joker yelled out. We just looked at him with wide eyes and open mouths.

-* And finally, the CIA have been forced to disavow one of their agents due to the agent's personal vendettas placing several people in danger. The agent was found to have attempted to shoot a young man who he has been stalking for 5 years. The agent has had his cover blown... after being trapped in a gay brothel. *-

"Who would do such a thing...?" Hillary asked.

-* This is Eliza Cassan, more news in 1 hour. *-

"So, she's basically doing this by herself," I said.

"Yeah, I even sent her some news about the Luchadores," Hillary said. "They had been rationing food with drugs to make them more controllable. We dumped the entire supply into the river and they've been pissed at us ever since."

"Whoa..." I whispered. "You're just a regular action girl, aren't you?"

"Yeah..." she said as she began to blush. Joker, on the other hand, was mouthing 'If you hurt her...' "Actually, it was spur of the moment."

"So, do you know if any of your friends are okay?" I asked.

"Don't have any... and my ex was sent to jail," Hillary said. "Bastard can rot for all I care."

"So, you broke up on bad terms?" I asked. Joker just went wide eyed and that was when I realised I walked into something serious.

"Actually..." Hillary began. "Actually... he's in jail... because-"

"Which one of you is Jeff Moreau? !" A brown haired girl with wavy hair shouted as she barged into the room.

"Hermione, what are you doing?" a man said as he tried to pull her away. "Don't break the narrative!"

"Oh shit!"

"I'll teach you to post slutty fan pictures of me!"

"Cut the camera, Akihiko! CUT THE F***ING CAMERA!"


	48. Raphael Profile

Well, I managed to stop Hermione from killing Joker... dreadfully sorry about that. And I'm working on the next chapter but I'm posting something else in the meantime, Raphael's character page. And thanks to some of my new subscribers such as Hellzion1001 and Challenge King for the favourite story, just to name some of my most recent. I'd really appreciate feedback as well.

Oh, and just a quick shout out to Justin Bieber, why the hell did you think it was a good idea to pee in a mop bucket? And before I receive hate mail from Beliebers, 1) I admired the kid when he was younger for becoming a big star on talent alone but now he's an annoying little diva, 2) no matter what you idiots tweeted to the Thursday 11th episode of This Morning which were 'Justin Bieber is amazing so shut your mouth' and 'that cleaner should be happy since she could sell Justin's pee on eBay', telling the hosts of the most popular daily magazine show to shut their mouths only makes you look terrible and no, you can't sell urine on eBay, I've checked and 3) there is no excuse for those pants and you look like the biggest idiot I've ever met. So, maybe he'll have an unfortunate run-in with a Mr Arterius...

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><p><strong>Raphael O'Malley<strong>

A skilled and fit sports enthusiast and engineering graduate before the invasion and a demon who you shouldn't trifle with in a fight, Raphael is a skilled hand-to-hand brawler and can use most items typical of an urban environment as a weapon to disorientate his opponents. The elder of the children of Gerard and Maria, he takes the stoic approach when it comes to Ezio's enthusiasm and Liz's mild insanity.

Appearance and stats

Full Name: Raphael Malachi O'Malley

Date of Birth: 25th December, 1989

Species: Demon (formerly human)

Age: 21

Nationality: Irish

Power set: Demonic magic (formerly Conduit (Physical))

Height: 5ft 10in (1.79m) as base human state and non-Devil Trigger, 7ft 6in (2.29m) as conduit, between 6ft (1.83m) and 12ft 6in (3.85m) in demon form.

Weight: 260lb (117.9kg) as base human state and non-Devil Trigger, 550lbs (249.5kg) as conduit, between 400lb (181.4kg) and 1.2 short-tons (1088.6kg) in demon form.

Shoe size and type: UK10 as base human, UK16 as conduit, not applicable in Devil Trigger form (shoes and other articles of clothing are vanished during this state), football boots, running shoes, hiking and walking boots.

Skin colour: mild olive (human), dark blue with bright blue shining crystals over his body and head (demon).

Hair color: Dirty blonde as human, white as demon.

Eye colour: Green (human), glowing dark blue with black sclera.

Description: A fit and active young man, Raphael had well defined musculature that showed his keen interest in sports. Standing a head taller than his brother, he often wore T-shirts or buttoned shirts with jeans or a tracksuit when he was jogging and working out. Keeps his hair cut short. As a conduit, he was significantly taller and more physically developed. In a demonic form, he is slightly taller and heavier, but not that different when using base strength, but the more tails he has means the more power he is releasing, causing his body to become larger and more bestial in appearance, growing larger horns and wings. The location of the mark where the sample that turned him into a demon was injected into his body has a small black and veiny mole. It is located on his upper right arm. Has a minor scar on his temple hidden by his hair as well as an imprint of a crucifix between his pectorals.

Biography:

Raphael was born in Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland and finished his primary education there and moved to New York at the age of 12 in 2002, attending X Middle School until moving onto an inner-city high school. He stayed with family friends (the Shaws, the eldest son, Jimmy, had taken a bullet for him and Ezio) before attending MIT and studying engineering. He moved out to stay in local dorms and discovered he was bisexual when he fell for his one of his male neighbours after an on-again-off-again relationship with his girlfriend. Both his parents knew and accepted it even if he hadn't told them. The relationship turned sour before they broke up at graduation.

Raphael had always been into various sports and played rugby, Gaelic football, soccer and hurling while living in the UK then getting involved in American Football and wrestling in the US. Raphael almost got a chance to play for college league football and then the NFL but was rejected after he exposed the scout, who subsequently had him blackballed, as a sexual voyeur. He graduated in an engineering course with top honours and was visiting his family before taking a job with a car manufacturing firm before the drophyd invasion occurred.

After being forcibly turned into a demon, he is studying under Sparda to learn how to control his demonic powers as well as learning demonic magic. He is working for NERV in designing new vehicles using mass effect to reduce air friction as well as increasing hull strength and applying weapons systems. It is unknown whether or not anyone at the Alliance, NEXUS or NERV knows about his demonic powers.

Powers:

As a conduit-:

Range: C-Class – Raphael could use enhanced speed and, theoretically, his super strength to jump and travel great distances. However, flying conduits, Apparators and teleporters would easily travel out of his range, thus leaving him unable to catch them.

Store: S-Class – From local analysis using satellites to analyse RF energy shows that Raphael, before turning into a demon, was producing enough RF energy to become self-efficient of local RF energy. Specific analysis shows that his powers allowed him to replenish this energy in all conduits within 15 metres without poisoning non-conduits. Raphael retains this power but combines this with his demonic magic while also having a 'Friend of Foe' mutation that absorbs RF energy from conduits that Raphael believes to be the enemy. Even if on friendly terms with a person, should Raphael become tricked that they are an enemy the draw effect takes effect.

Usage: A-Class – While only a conduit for a short while, Raphael has shown a great method of using his powers for both crowd control and identifying threats. If he were ever able to perform field work with his former conduit self he would be able to take on highly dangerous criminals or monsters. Had we already been an active member of the Citadel Raphael would be a possible nomination for SPECTRE status.

He has all powers of his conduit form in his demon form but is slightly weaker at 4 tails or weaker.

Specifics:

-Super Strength – Was capable of punching a lump of ice at 10 feet (h) by 6 feet (w) by 18 feet (l) dimensions into pieces shortly after awakening to his powers. Other feats include killing a troll by shattering its spine. As a demon, he is quite strong and was shown to be strong enough to decimate weaker demons with little effort. While he only reaches his level of strength after 3 tails are released he is physically stronger

-Enhanced Endurance – Can take a large amount of punishment with little to no damage to his body or skin. Bullets do sting him as a demon so he has learnt to block them with a weak demonic charm. He is also impervious to attacks completely at 8 tails released.

-Super speed – Can move quickly and easily and has enhanced reflexes to support his fast speed. Note that his enhanced reflexes are exclusively to movement. If he notices an action that he must react to by half a millisecond he will be hit by it. As he grows bigger both as a conduit and a demon he becomes slower. At 10 tails he is extremely slow and is incapable of running.

-Enhanced physique and height – The more his powers are enhanced by blast cores as a conduit, the larger he grows. However, the build his body was growing into, similar to that of a bodybuilder, was a severe weakness: It is easier to throw him off his weight due to his streamlining. Should his musculature evolved for sheer size and his bones becoming thicker and heavier than they did instead of how he turned out he would be a physical powerhouse. It seems that his superspeed was actually throwing off the evolution of his powers.

-Demonic Essence – Due to Agnus' experiments (we have determined up to 230 other subjects of an experiment to replicate the Ascension – whether his dissolve to madness or the loss of a crucial step is what caused his past experiment to fail is uncertain but is being looked into) Raphael can perform demonic magic without the need of a contract or seal. He, unlike other demons, has no instinctual knowledge of magic spell using as similar to a half-demon so requires the study of magic from a demon. He can also control his own essence in such a way using multiple tails under his control that he can enter different states of Devil Trigger: level 5 is similar to a half-demon's normal devil trigger, 1 tail is indistinguishable a normal demon and 10 tails could be a match for Dante but not Sparda. The more tails he releases the stronger, larger and durable he is also slower and more bestial in terms of both physique and mind, being incapable of speech after 8 tails. Strangely, when not in danger he is like a young kitten as he is playful and energetic. Only the contact of a powerful healer or his brother Ezio can allow him to retain his mind. Also, after 5 tails he is expending his demonic magic more than he can regenerate it. If he doesn't transform back into a human form he will do so but under severe pain that could be fatal but a healer and Ezio seem to counteract this effect so a healer must be within him at all times when Ezio is not available.

-Demonic Dialect – Raphael is able to instinctively understand demonic text but not the actual pronunciation. He can read it like a first language but can't actually understand the spoken word. Despite this, he refuses a high paying job in translating demonic text under the justification of: 'Are you f***ing insane! ? Anyone could cause a disaster through the translations!' While NERV wishes to force him into this, the request was denied by the UN parliament.

-Flight – While he has wings in all demon forms they are only useful after 4 tails released, and only after 7 tails is he able to effortlessly fly.

-Prehensile tails – all 10 of his tails, when released, are shown to be capable of supporting a human each. They are 10 feet each and are quite thin but are also sharp and deadly, each capable of stabbing a man to death.

-Devil Arm – Raphael is Ezio's Devil Arm (Dante was not happy being beaten to the punch and Ezio's taunting didn't help. Note: Dante can send people a distance of 18 feet with a backhand) but can allow himself to be wielded by anyone in the form of a broadsword. He can also be used to grab creatures and either hold them in place or pulls them towards the weilder. Due to Ezio's CHIMERA nature, he is able to shift forms based on Ezio's current species but all have some sort of gauntlet/holster believed to be the 'true' Devil Arm for Ezio due to the skull appearing on it and moving when Raphael speaks. As shown:

- Human: He takes the form of a 4 foot long katana with an armguard in a similar form to one of his tails. The gauntlet appears on Ezio's offhand (left hand).

-Lombax: A pair of 1.5-foot long daggers with holsters like the ends of Raphael's tails. Ezio has 2 gauntlets and can infuse his conduit powers with his blades.

-Salarian: A pair of holsters that holds several needles such as senbon and hollow needles. Each holster has a small spot where Ezio can deposit a poison or acid which then coats any needles he throws. While senbon are covered by the substance the hollow needles are both coated and filled: should they penetrate the effects are devastating. Each holster has spikes on the side that can be used to inject a substance at close range.

-Turian: A pair of spiked gauntlets that end with sharper talons. Both gauntlets also have a mini crossbow launcher that can be used in conjunction to Ezio's aiming powers.

-Krogan: A war hammer with spiked head that enhances Ezio's earth control and channels dark magic. Oddly seems to have a calming effect and negates the effects of blood rage in all nearby krogan. When separated or segregated from affected krogan the effect lasts up to 6 hours.

-Telepathy – Raphael is now part of a permanent telepathic bond with Ezio which affects his no matter the species although whether this is due to being a Devil Arm or simply being brothers is unknown (Sparda is baffled by it). This bond is exclusive between the two of them and the effect is mutual and seems to transcend dimensions. The connection can be blocked by either member for any reason such as privacy or an argument but strong emotions can force the connection open. This has happened to both of them such as a sudden fright from Raphael or severe distress from Ezio.

-Demonic Resonance – Oddly similar to a Wicked Weave like an Umbra Witch, as a Devil Arm he absorbs stray spiritual energy from potions or by attacking other creatures although demons and angels show the best deposit. After accumulating enough anyone wielding him, such as Ezio, can grab a nearby creature. When grabbed, Raphael can assume his strongest form and instantly kill or incapacitate these creatures.

Personality:

Raphael is level headed and always cautious, preferring to use his mind to fight, calm and collected and well meaning. He is intelligent with a hint of sarcastic as well as some jock tendencies such as ribbing his friends and younger brother and showing a great support for team roles and co-operation. Of course, he is also fiercely loyal to his family, mischievous and will use force when pushed enough.

While Ezio and Raphael are shown to have a frequent prank war Raphael is very protective of Ezio and there are certain pranks he would never do including fire, clown or height gags. He has also defended his brother from bullying by his own teammates and other students. When, at the age of 14, he caught a teammate stealing from his brother he got into a fight during practice that the school coach had to break up. Attacks on either parent often results in the aggressor being pranked, often with pigeon droppings.

Raphael has a low tolerance on bullies and has befriended several people to keep them safe from their tormentors and has formed several odd relationships. When he discovers a teacher ignoring or encouraging bullying he is not above directly confronting the teacher in question and will refuse to drop the subject manner at all until he receives a response. He has, most notably, done so to a teacher that knowingly taunted a girl with self-harming issues.

He has a poor view on racists of any kind but is especially hateful towards homophobes even before he came out of the closet himself: a former, first and very close friend of his named Samantha was outed by a scorned crush on social networking sites. It got so bad for her that she had to transfer and change contact details. While the student was suspended then expelled for it Raphael was particularly upset about this.

Raphael takes great pride in his engineering skills and pranks for being either well designed and constructed and simple and devastating respectively. He often considers Ezio's more theatrical and spectacle pranks to be too much of an embarrassment to be involved in but the two are known to co-operate on a common enemy (a bully or teacher who has earned their wrath or just their father) as well as using each other's pranks (Ezio was the first to come up with the Flour Keg prank that Raphael used during one of his hacks at MIT while the Smurf was first performed by Raphael on his former teammate addressed above). While Ezio prefers software, Raphael prefers the hardware.

As mentioned above, Raphael is gay or to be specific bisexual but chooses not to base the relationship on sex. While mentally sound, homosexuality does run an increased chance of mental illness so a routine review into his psychological condition would be a good countermeasure for possible illnesses. As of his lovers, 4 were female (1 from Middle School, 1 from High School and 2 from college) and 1 was male. He has great charisma and attitude but hates basing the relationship on a sexual affair.

Despite turning into a demon being a possibly traumatic experience he is shown to be quite well adjusted to it and shows no real issue about it.

Relationships:

Ezio: Mutual competitive nature and protective with Raphael being the more protective although Ezio has protected his brother from a Vatican exorcist that had tried to harm Raphael with holy water. Both are engaged in a prank war that started over a Christmas gift exchange and is a crucial part of their relationship as well as a means to relieve boredom. Raphael is the calmer of the two.

Raphael tends to look out for his brother even when Ezio prefers him not to, such as informing Colonel Campbell about Ezio's conflicts with depression and mental illness. He takes joking about his friends as well as their jokes in good humour but tells people off if they go too far as in the case of the following joke that his brother made in front of Pope John Paul II:

Ezio: 'Hold on, it appears we have a streaker. No, one of the altar boys has escaped from the vestry.'

Is also annoyed with his brother about the fight with Alastor Moody.

Elizabeth: Raphael respects his brother's fiancée and gets along well with her and even tries to calm down her more extreme tendencies. He silently keeps her away from cigarettes as a result and tries to get her to discuss some of her feelings. He has also recruited her in some of his pranks such as the 'Noodle Incident' at her school.

NOTE: We have asked Raphael to elaborate on this Noodle Incident out of curiosity. As he revealed...

'Oh... please don't make me explain that. (...) Okay, Ezio was attending school near the end of May. He was annoyed that the teacher had cancelled a school break, a national holiday where all the students were allowed the day of. Hey, I was annoyed too, I came all the way from the US after classes had finished for the year and our first plans were completely ruined. He had detention as well as the rest of his ICT class due to a virus that changed all the screensavers to a shocksite picture. I know what you're thinking, Ezio would never do something like that: too many 'innocents' affected.' He refused to identify the site. 'I did manage to talk to Liz, his girlfriend and... we got planning.'

'We realised there was a window of opportunity for us on a Friday when she would be discussing with the board of governors and having lunch in the same canteen as the 4th years and up. When asked how I could prank her without trespassing, she revealed a tree that had a spot with a good view of the canteen from just outside the fence so I set up a camera and waited until go time. Liz, she smuggled the tools inside since she had a free period before either lunch break so she placed a flying drone behind the vending machines but not before attaching a small stuffed Hobbes toy, my calling card from my MIT hacks, and a beachball. She then used a small inner-ear radio to let me know when the target was inside.'

'Then, it was go time. She arrived and 5 mnutes after, a small drone carrying a stuffed toy and beachball flew through the air to the sound of 'Rise of the Valkyries' on the tannoy. During it, the school caretakers tried to get it down before the principal got mad and attempted to stop it herself. Then, I set off a small explosive gas balloon in the ball to cover her with confetti. Of course, Liz had messed up a little. When we were discussing the plan, she thought I said 'Spaghetti'. (interviewers start laughing) I know. I was wondering why it was so hard to control but then I realised it was a weight issue! After, Liz realised her mistake and attempted to apologise until I said it was funnier than what I had planned.' *

Gerard: Raphael is extremely proud of him and takes any insults aimed at his father very seriously but is very upset about his father's involvement with Cerberus. His father worked hard at both his work and family life even if it led to sleep deprivation and Raphael was grateful that he was a good father for both of them. Gerard got Raphael involved in fitness and sports and frequently played rugby and other games with him.

Maria: Maria pushed Raphael towards education as much as she could as well as taught him Italian from a young age and was overjoyed that he had gotten into MIT (she would've preferred Harvard but realised that a graduation from that university was pretentious). However, she was quick to punish them when their behaviour got out of hand and some of her traits such as skirting the rules were inherited by her sons.

Jonathan Richards: Met through his brother's fiancée and have become amicable towards each other. Raphael helps him co-ordinate the refugees at the London camps.

Zeke Dunbar: Discussed different mechanical skills and even shared ideas. Raphael hopes he survives.

Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher: He's grateful for them getting him medical attention when he was close to death and is in their debt.

Chloe Frazer: Flirted with her casually, doesn't have a chance of a serious relationship.

Victor Sullivan: Surprisingly, he gets on quite well with the old pervert. They managed to have a good talk over beer.

Shaw Family: He boarded with them while in the US, gets on quite well with them and is considered one of the family. He has protected Lamar from a gang member. Incident resulted in 13 gang members being hospitalised.

Extended family (father's side): Except for one aunt he has disowned his father's extended family. When his grandfather offered him a place in his will if he moved back to Ireland became an active member of the DUP (Democratic Unionist Party) political party his response was simple dismissal and ignorance.

Extended family (mother's side): Is sensitive in case anyone discovers his extended family's criminal practices but nonetheless is willing to help with their legitimate fronts. Rarely calls in favours unless he can pay for them or in case of an emergency but gets on quite well with them. Raphael has asked one of his uncles to watch out for the Shaw family as a personal favour.

Order of the Phoenix: Works well with other members but seems to get on the best with Charlie Weasley (due to conduit powers affecting height) and Remus Lupin (due to their calm personalities and, after transformation, inhuman natures). Works fine with Alastor Moody but is still annoyed about the fight he got into with Ezio. Sirius has added him on (Ezio doesn't even know his account details). Takes part in Order poker games and cheats with/against Ezio.

Weasley family: Has discussed engineering with Authur and helped with repairs to his car as well as helping with charms and explaining specific things (Authur still doesn't know the function of a rubber duck). Shows great respect for Mrs Weasley and helps her around the house. Speaks casually with Bill when they meet. As mentioned above, gets along with Charlie the best due to similar powers and now helps Charlie with learning how to fly. Since getting a job with NEXUS, Raphael spends half his time reprimanding Fred and George and doing business with them, although the reprimanding is for several reasons: While their pranks are in good nature everything they do around London is within NEXUS jurisdiction and he has to clean it up, it's to save face with Mrs Weasley, they're too high profile (how do they expect to improve when everyone knows how they operate) and a lot of people know their MO, which Raphael considers inexcusable. Raphael gets along quite well with Ron (he recognises that Rom has inferiority issues) and has taught him how to play different form of cards. He also helps Ginny by training her with her powers (thanks to him, Ginny can now double jump!). Raphael has ran into Percy once or twice around London while Percy was trailing Umbridge and, while acting out a role of indifference, passes SD cards to pass information between NEXUS and Percy.

Jack and Finn: While mainly working as an engineer, the two cover for him when fixing broken down vehicles in high risk zones. They're now drinking buddies. Both know about him being a demon now and tried to prank him with holy water. They don't do it anymore (it seriously injured Raphael) since Raphael discovered the Weasley's new product: U-No-Poo!

SOS Brigade: Gets on well with Kyon and Nagato, better with Itsuki although did end up in an embarrassing situation with him and protective to Mikuru as well, even when she shows skill with her time powers (with the Zoni's help). NEXUS now has a special order whenever Haruhi is around him since she discovered Devil Arms until new orders are obtained: Shoot to disable (although this is completely reasonable. Haruhi is technically a god but it is unknown whether this is due to sheer power, she's Holy or a fraction of the deader-than-dead YHWH with the last two being potentially dangerous: she could cause an explosion of magic at any time if she attempts to wield a Devil Arm).

Sparda: The older demon is teaching him how to use his demonic magic and to control his own powers so Raphael is helping him get to grips with the modern era (it was a _bad_ idea letting Sparda near a PC with World of Warcraft and Netflix running for which Dante would never forgive him). Sparda is now helping with exorcising demons from Hogwarts and throughout the UK.

Dante: Dante really wanted to try out Raphael as a Devil Arm since he became a demon and was angry that Ezio beat him to the punch. The two discuss demonic abilities and the weirder things they've seen such as movies and comic books.

* Senior Management note: Who the hell put the interview transcripts into the file?

[A/N: Can I just say it's funny that the villains of the new inFamous game are known as the DUP? That's going to cause a few people where I live a good chuckle]


	49. Liz and Apollo Profile

I recently watched the pilot for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great characterization and a feel like Buffy (I've never seen Joss Whedon's other works), and I hardly care for the Marvel movies but now I'm interested.

Ah, who am I fucking kidding. **WHOOOO! BEST SHOW EVAH!** Coulson, you da man!

'I'm actually quite surprised by the joke about me, really. Fitz does look like me... or was it Simmons.

"Yes."

Legion, you're not supposed to be in this fic yet... anyway, I decided that I'd just post Liz and Apollo's profiles now. I am working on Louisiana chapter 11, and I am bringing Ratchet into this chapter in an instory day or 2. Just want to ask...

What power should he have? Magic or conduit?

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><p><strong>Note: Psychological reports as written by Dr Chambers added post-addendum to normal records. Not sure how one was altered between transmission, but Dr Chambers' blush speaks volumes.<br>**

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><p><strong>Elizabeth Richards<strong>

A girl with a past that she would rather forget, she wishes to heal and protect others. Just don't piss her off. No, really, don't.

Appearance and stats:

Real name: Elizabeth Tsukiyomi Richards

Date of Birth:

Species: Human witch, with Kitsune descent on her mother's side.

Nationality: Northern Ireland (1 month onward), formerly Kiragakure (born)

Powerset: Conduit (healer), witch (inherited, stunted development), exorcism, ninjutsu (simple training not recognised by any Hidden Village)

Height: 5ft 7in

Weight: Too afraid to ask (it's 140lbs)

Shoe size and type: UK7, pumps, trainers, boots, high heels

Skin colour: Caucasian.

Hair colour: black, with a single skunk stripe

Eye colour: Green

Description: A slender and physically fit young woman with a preference for tight fitting clothing but will wear heavy clothes in winter. She has a few minor cuts on her body typical of children but also has a clan tattoo which is in fact a seal for a kekkei genkai as well as the symbol of Kiragakure cut onto her thigh by an assassin which has healed up due to her conduit powers. Formerly had scars on her stomach which showed injury and surgery to her lower stomach, embarrassed to talk about it.

Biography:

Liz is actually related to at least one Shinobi clan but her mother, a Japanese woman, refuses to associate with their typical business despite having good relation with her extended family (if her mother's home village ever find out she's alive, they'll send ANBU after her). As such, she grew up within Ireland and prefers the traditional culture as compared to her local area's Unionist leanings towards Britain. Her hobbies include traditional Irish dancing, singing and practicing her black-belt Judo and spear martial arts.

Elizabeth is formerly from Belfast but her parents moved to a rural area within the county of Down in order to escape from civil unrest in the area. Elizabeth personally hates the Unionist/Nationalist conflict in the area and has assaulted those who have shown extremism on both ends of the argument.

Growing up with a few friends, Liz is most notable for her dating history due to a former boyfriend accusing her of being a slut. She doesn't particularly mind the reputation but has confronted the slanderer due to claims that she is HIV-Positive, which led to a 3 day suspension.

Met her boyfriend, and later fiancé, shortly into her fourth year of High School and started dating him from the end of that year's second semester onward, after he angrily fought her slanderer in the cafeteria of their school. However, Raphael warned her of his previous issues but she decided to pursue him anyway.

Her father is a known Cerberus agent so she is to be closely monitored. At some point a senior agent, either believed to be the Illusive Man himself or another high ranker in the organisation, ordered a hit on him. Liz's reaction and the perceived cover story (a sectarian act of violence) has led to a violent confrontation. Note, that it is unknown if she could be swayed into joining the organisation so she is to be closely monitored.

At one point at the age of 17, she suffered an injury that led to severe abdominal trauma and the required removal of her uterus which she seems very unwilling to talk about. From known reports into the matter, it was an attempt at the Ship's Mast stunt that went horribly wrong when someone tried to run the car involved off the road and she landed into a ditch with a broken bottle. It is unknown if her healing powers can or will fix the damage. Under Commander Ikari's command, a cloned tissue sample can be transplanted if it ensures her loyalty.

Her relationship with her brother is pretty normal, although like any who are close with her, she isn't afraid of hurting him when he doesn't take care of himself.

Currently learning medical care through NEXUS Doctor's Corps while using her powers to care for patients, currently serving under Medical Officer Chakwas.

Powers:

Elizabeth is a Class-B Healing conduit, able to perform feats such as healing multiple individuals at once and to regrow limbs onto a subject's body, able to perfectly replicate it's state (fat, muscle, veins, bone structure) within a span of 10-30 minutes. Other feats include saving a human from brain death and recovering from a curse that causes advanced aging. There are side effects, however. She can feel the physical pain of anyone else nearby and experiences it in a similar form to what is experiencing the pain, even if the physical form is entirely different (reports from being near a canine with an amputated tail feel like she's missing a part of her spine while a drophyd with an injured dorsal fin feel like a cut on her back).

Liz isn't a miracle worker and needs rest. Despite NERV Section 2's orders or information leaked to the public, she can't heal an entire hospital of people and trying to do so may tax her powers, resulting in death! Attempts to

Attempting to fight her is a bad idea due to her fighting and healing skill but also her response skill which causes a similar injury to appear on her opponent. A shot to her arm would cause a similar wound on her opponent. She has to be focusing on this, however and stealth can render this ability useless.

Liz is also a late awakening witch with little to no formal training. She is learning how to use her magic for charms and healing spells, as well as some formal duelling from a NEXUS-affiliated Auror.

She also has some above normal chakra reserves, not enough to perform full ninjutsu, and skill in manipulating her chakra in order to use banishment rituals.

Liz has managed to make a pact with a demon and now wields the Devil Arm Phantom which appears as a spear with a scorpion's stinger in its weapon form, able to switch between spear and whip state to bring enemies closer to her. She is able to command phantom to use fire spells and to act as a Lavagun. When not fighting, Phantom appears in a miniature form as her familiar.

Liz's known Limit Breaks include Salvation which instantly heals her allies and Mega Phantom which causes her familiar to attack at full strength alongside her.

Personality:

Caring for those under her care but is not above restraining patients who are problematic and a danger to themselves and others from what I have assessed from her work routines. She has threatened patients who try to leave bed even with serious injury like multiple fractures with the petrifying charm _petrificus totalus_, such as Zeke Dunbar. While reprimanded, she has only used it once on a patient who has constantly tried to leave due to no faith in the doctors and tried to seek out a faith seeker. Liz... petrified him, explained why she needed toe patient to rest and... made her watch a show about a hypnotist who had a random man pretend to be a faith healer in criticism of the practice. She has also helped subdue violent individuals who harass staff through either spells or martial arts, often asking beforehand if they have any insurance.

She is more likely to become much more caring under the proper tutor, which is why I recommend Dr Chakwas for field medicine training. Note that she also cares for her family and friends and is unlikely to ally with Cerberus due to past confrontations so her loyalty to NEXUS is at least guaranteed.

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><p><strong>Apollo 'Gandor'<strong>

All that is known about this lombax are few facts. He's a conduit with powerful teleportation powers, he's a skilled doctor and pissing him off isn't a very good idea.

Appearance and stats:

Real name: Unknown (Apollo is confirmed to be his real name but the surname is fake. For whatever reason, he's using a name associated with a known Mafia group)

Date of birth: Unknown date, est. 1987

Species: lombax

Age: 23

Nationality: Lunapolis, Andromeda galaxy

Power set: Conduit (ability)

Height: 6ft, at least (1.83m)

Weight: Unknown

Shoe size and type: Large? Various boots

Skin colour: N/A

Hair colour: Grey hair with white stripe patterns on various parts of his body.

Eye colour: Gold

Description: A fit and active lombax with toned body and well-kept fur, with large ears and eyes, exact measurements unknown, est. 15in by 3in. Tail length is ankle-length, ending in thin brush-like tail. Scarring of the mid-section carefully hidden through fur but is evident through close-up observations.

Biography:

Apollo was 4 years old when Tachyon launched his genocide on the lombaxes. His mother wasn't able to get the two of them to the dimensionator access point in time but his powers suddenly activated, causing him to teleport to the Andromeda galaxy. The trauma of the incident had caused Apollo to suppress his powers for most of his life as well as cause frequent nightmares. It is unknown what happened to his father, although his mother said he was a Praetorian Guard.

Growing up on Lunapolis, however, Apollo was always a sweet and easy going kid, always getting told that he was stupid because he wouldn't put enough effort into his work. On the day he decided to show everyone his true intellect, an IQ test was issued to every student in his school, scoring an IQ of 280 (local system, his IQ on Earth is higher). Although initially questioned as to how he cheated, it was eventually discovered that he was genuinely a genius, although he chose to hide his true intellect in fear of bullying and because he hated the workload that intelligent children were forced into due to the local education system. He was able to successfully pursue a career as a doctor on his stepfather's suggestion, focusing on research and diagnosis of illnesses and injuries at the age of 17 before becoming a paediatrician and diagnostician.

However, his medical license fully allows and under Andromeda law _requires_ Apollo to perform surgical procedures often in case a doctor is stationed to a colony world, with a minimum limit of 20 operations a year except for A&E under certain circumstances. For example, a day of A&E work is only worth one operation unless a seriously injured or sick patient that requires extensive surgery. Also, a surgeon can't perform all of their operations in a single short space of time as this is often the cause of several incidents where the operation being performed incorrectly or leaving equipment behind inside a patient. Also, surgery is only performed on severe injuries that nanotech can't be used to treat.

Apollo has an encyclopaedic knowledge of illnesses, diseases and symptoms over a total of 600 different space-faring sentient life which he uses in his day-to-day job, only counting a small amount of knowledge when it comes to humans due to limited interaction.

During an outbreak of chicken pox on his home world which resulted in severe symptoms on all infected individuals (it's far worse in non-human species), only being able to create the vaccine to treat the illness and prevent outbreaks on other planets with the assistance of Dr Yui, a human who was residing in the Andromeda galaxy at the time. While he was able to save most of the native population, a colony of fungoids who had broken off from the main government and his mother had died as a result of the illness. While studying Patient Zero (the first confirmed patient), he was able to confirm two things. The first was that the spread of the virus was deliberate.

The other was that Tachyon had found him and wanted him dead.

Only around this time did he rediscover his conduit powers as well as several other people he knew had become conduits. He was able to drive off most of the attackers, although his stepfather was gravely wounded and placed into medical care as a result. While experimenting with his powers, Apollo discovered his powers to teleport across worlds and dimensions, leaving the corpse of a dead cragmite for Tachyon's spies as revenge for his dead colleagues, friends and mother.

It was around this time he met Alister Azimuth, a meeting that wasn't on pleasant terms due to paranoia and gunfire. The two did manage to strike up a form of relationship.

The reason the Planetary Defence Centre was offline was due to active sabotage by a spy working for Tachyon to hunt down any traitors as well as those of lombax descent, while the Andromeda Network Government's Navy (the Andromeda Galaxy's military army) were given false readings as a result, only fighting to protect the fringe colony when they suspected something to be wrong, fighting off the Empire's army without regret. Andromeda and the Tachyon Empire have been at war ever since with Apollo supporting the Polaris Republic as a spy.

At some point his stepdad went missing. Apollo was devastated by this news and sunk into a depression that Azimuth helped him overcome. He has since been looking for answers about his race, past and the whereabouts of his fathers. For whatever reason, that quest has led him to Earth.

Powers:

Apollo is a strength conduit with above average strength, easily able to break a bone without much effort. Due to his medical knowledge and martial arts training, he knows what bones to break to disable and kill opponents and other weak points. At least one death linked to him has been due to cutting his opponent's bronchial artery with one of his feet's claws. It isn't estimated that his strength level is too extreme but he has reportedly kicked a car into a wrecked state by accident. He also seems to know how to wield some guns but not very well, once shooting himself by accident. He prefers melee combat.

Apollo is an exceptional teleporter, able to cross galaxies and even dimensions easily. His skills are so good that he baffles even known Apparation study due to it defying the basic laws of the art. Compared to a wizard's apparition, where the practitioner breaks their body and mind into packets of materials that is moved to a target location via a smoky vapour and reassembles it when they arrive, Apollo seems to either completely replace the material where he is moving an object to with the object in question or moves into a pocket dimension and travels back into a different location. Due to his cross-dimensional travel this is the most likely solution. Other feats include apparently deliberate splinching of opponents and... 'The Sun Spot', the mention of which causes Messers Finnegan and Longbottom to wince.

There are limits to his travel, however. Travelling to the Andromeda galaxy from Earth is a considerable distance even if you take into account a hypermetric warpdriveTM. Apollo does need rest after this feat since it tires him out. Due to the shorter distance between the Solana, Bogon, Polaris and Andromeda galaxies, Apollo can easily travel between these locations with less stress, but also travel between planets by himself.

Note: Hypermetric Warpdrives are trademarked to Ratchet Engineering Technologies, creators of Stunderwear.

A fully-trained doctor with a wide variety of illnesses, Apollo is also capable of surgery suggesting a high amount of dexterity.

Personality:

Brilliant but lazy. He's a brilliant doctor and surgeon and can easily treat several different ailments but has a particular hatred of his colleagues which he does not disclose to others. Playful when off-duty, serious when he is but is highly compassionate to his patients. He thus mainly works in paediatrics.

The only things he takes serious are patient treatment and safety, the safety of those close to him and his own physical condition. He's quite fit, actually and frequents the gym when he's free, doing a variety of exercises but mostly cardio, although he does like to use minor abuse of his powers to move weights and teleport in the bathrooms. [NOTE ADDED AFTER: And Kelly seems to really like seeing me do push-ups! :D]

Only really excels when he wants to over-show someone who he feels deserves it, especially if it puts an unrelated party at risk, and can go into a depressed state when he fails to accomplish this. For example, performing research that proves that a colleague's experimental treatment could have worse consequences for the patient was a frequent reason he wrote his thesis papers in University. When his research was invalidated and a doctor who had little regard for a patient's safety was proven right about an invasive and traumatising surgery required the patient to be conscious for success.

To those he knows, he is loyal but quick to question their ideas and plans. For those who hurt or insult his friends, he shows no mercy. He also seems to be quite social, even speaking to me while helping NEXUS and allowing me to fully assess him. He only found out soon after I was ready with my notes, but seems not to mind too much.


	50. Codex 5: Alliance & PMCs

Sorry guys, I've been trying to write chapters 11 AND 12 of this arc, but I've had severe writer's block. I hope this suffices.

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><p><strong>Codex 5: Alliance, Blackwatch and Mercenaries<br>**

**Editor's Note:** Due to popular demand, the UNE (United Nations of Earth), the parliament of the Sol system and the Systems Alliance has agreed to disclose some information about the organisations that made up the Alliance forces. The ICW has not cleared any more information about themselves, however, and I may be facing charges due to my previous article about the BMoM - Andy.

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><p><strong>United Nations<strong>

The United Nations of Earth is the main collective governing body of Alliance Space. Currently based on Earth, the UNE primarily situates itself out of the United Nations building in New Your City of the United States of America where it is considered a separate state. However, new legislation and the possibility of expelling the United States of America as a member nation may lead to the UNE being situated out of the European Union in Luxemburg. It is similar to the older International Confederation of Wizards which has officially been absorbed by the UN.

The United Nations, prior to Second Contact, is an intergovernmental organisation was established in 1945, in the wake of the Second World War, with the aims of promoting and facilitating co-operation in international law and security, economic development, social progress, human rights, civil rights and liberties, political freedoms, democracy and the achievement of lasting world peace. It was founded to replace the League of Nations.

Founded by 53 member states, there are now 191 member states (formerly 193, with the inclusion of the People's Republic of China, North and South Korea are now one state) not counting colonies off-world. Prior to Second Contact, known as the Drophyd invasion, the UN were an ambassadorial organisation where representatives from each government sent a representative to the main headquarters where the General Assembly holds deliberative assembly among ambassadors, and on occasions, the leaders of some nations. Once a year, over a 2-week period, all members can address the assembly. Traditionally, the Secretary-General makes the first statement, followed by the president of the assembly.

There are 6 main branches, each with several roles. The UN General Assembly, as mentioned, has the duties of resolving non-compulsory recommendations to states or suggestions to the UN Security Council, decides on the admissions of new member states on proposal of the UN Security Council, adopts the budget and elects the non-permanent members of the UN Security Council all members of the Economic and Security Council, the Secretary General and the 15 judges of the International Court of Judges. These are similar roles to the Citadel Assembly, and like the Citadel Assembly each state gets one vote. Since Second Contact, the organisation also actively punishes member states for breaking international treaties, violation of war crimes on and off Earth and abusing loopholes and electing the CA or Citadel Ambassador as well as maintaining ambassadors within non-human space.

The UN Secretariat is the administrative force of the UN and collectively supports the other bodies by organising conferences, writing reports and studies and the preparation of the budget-plan. The organisation also helps with the translation of both documents and speeches, even in real-time. The UN Secretary General is the chairperson of the UNS and is elected for a 5-year mandate and is the most important representative of the UN within local politics. The organisation also aids the intergalactic ambassadors as secretaries or aides as well as general office work for Alliance Branches. Outside the UN headquarters in New York, the UNS also maintains offices in the cities of Geneva in Switzerland, Nairobi in Kenya and Vienna in Austria.

The International Court of Justice is the UN's universal court for international law, with its main courthouses being stationed in The Hague in the Netherlands. The 15 judges, as elected by the UNGA, serve for 9 years, decides judgement by relative majority such as disputes between states that recognize its jurisdiction and creating legal opinion. Due to officially merging with the International Criminal Court, all member states are forced to recognize the decisions of the ICC which is used for prosecuting war criminals. This infamously led to the investigation of 2 major American politicians, one of which was serving Senator George Sears, and the arrest of 30 active and former CIA and KGB operatives and nearly led to the forced expulsion of the USA and Russia when they wouldn't comply with the ICC's judgement of these individuals.

The UN Security Council, now known as Systems Alliance Navy (SAN) is responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as deciding compulsory legislation and resolution that all member states must follow. It is dedicated to keeping and enforcing the peace of several states as well as the protection of Alliance Space. There are 5 main members of the council – 5 permanent members with veto powers and 10 elected officials. It currently maintain SA military, NEXUS agencies across space, NERV facilities across systems and Auror agencies across the world, as well as maintaining legal response to Private Military Companies and contractors from both on- and off-world.

The UN Economic and Social Council is responsible for co-operation between states on economic and social factors such as the standard of living, economic issues, social and health problems, the promotion of human rights, culture and education and humanitarian aid. It also coordinates the co-operation of specialised agencies in the UN. The 54 members, chosen by the Secretary-General, serve staggered 3-year mandates in office.

The UN Trusteeship Council, now inactive, was designed to manage colonial possessions that were earlier LoN mandates. It has been inactive since 1994 with Palau attaining independence. It is currently being discussed about whether to reopen the council to maintain colonial interests in space.

Currently, the UN is being completely restructured so that the Systems Alliance moniker would apply through the entire organisation.

*NOTE: 'Human Rights' is a term used to describe mandates in laws to protect human beings from the violation of the basic rights. The term is now used to describe non-humans such as aliens and beings.

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><p><strong>Systems Alliance<strong>

The Systems Alliance Navy is the official military force of the Sol System that encompasses Earth, human colonies and member species. It is dedicated to protecting human colonies, space stations and mass relays in SA space. It maintains fleets around mass relays as choke points in the event of an invasion and has garrisons guarding colonies.

While there are only 2 fleets, the SA maintains contracts to Private Military Companies such as Megacorp Commandos ltd and Nova Space Security LLC, both of which are Bogon-based companies. Contractors such as krogans, salarians, turians, kerchu, volus, asari and other species are also known to work for SA for several terms, such as payment, citizenship within Alliance space and other negotiable terms. Due to a deal with the quarian people, all quarians can work in Alliance space as part of training or on pilgrimage. This greatly bolsters military power while getting a reputation of a mercenary world.

The First Fleet is based at Arcturus Station, the space station just beyond the relay leading to Earth and protects the next 3 clusters connected to that station. The Second Fleet is dedicated to protecting the first colony settlements within worlds offered by the Citadel Council, and mainly tours Alliance space with PMC-affricated ships.

The garrisons are squads of soldiers stationed across SA space, and are made up of all kinds of skill-based fighters. All members must take firearm training with 2 guns, including the basic handgun and a firearm of the soldiers' choosing, either SMG, LMG, shotgun, assault rifle, RPG or sniper rifle. Squads can have either magic users, conduits, biotics, cyborgs or unpowered individuals with specially assigned squads having some specific needs that must be accomplished. Garrisons do not have gender, race or species segregation or limits, thus allowing a human, demon, turian, asari and centaur to all have stations in the same garrison.

Within the alliance, there are specific ranks that are taken into account:

ENLISTED:

Serviceman 3rd Class/ENLISTED

Serviceman 3rd Class/Private 2nd Class

Serviceman 2nd Class/Private 1st Class

Serviceman 1st Class/Corporal

NCOs:

Service Chief

Gunnery Chief

Operations Chief

OFFICERS:

2nd Lieutenant

1st Lieutenant

Staff Lieutenant

Lieutenant Commander

Staff Commander

Captain/Major

Rear Admiral/General

Admiral

Fleet Admiral

The Alliance Military Vocational Code system classifies the career path of all personnel. It consists of one letter and one number. It measures proficiency, not rank. The letter notes career path, with A being law enforcement, D being Engineers and N being Special Forces personnel, while the number show skill at a job with 1 being the basic and 7 being mastery. Despite the name, the MVC encompasses all branches covered by the UNSC including NEXUS law enforcement (A), NERV (J) and the Aurors (M).

There are means to punish soldiers for unruly behaviour including demotion if not outright expulsion from the Alliance Navy and imprisonment. For contractors, this includes their contract becoming null and void. 2 soldiers were demoted after partaking in offensive and derogatory behaviour on the Citadel with one vandalising a wall with a Swastika. The pair were dishonourably discharged and expelled from the Citadel by C-Sec.

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><p><strong>Blackwatch<strong>

Blackwatch is the secretive black operations squad operated by the Turian Hierarchy. Originally believed to only accept the best of the best, Blackwatch was recently revealed to be the standard wizarding military program of the Hierarchy's military power.

Turians who show the ability to use magic are recruited into Blackwatch at the age of 10-11 and trained for an additional 5 years of active service which consists of the recruits learning how to use their magic, thus, all Blackwatch candidates are considered second-tier citizens from the age of 11 as well as slightly advanced education compared to their peers. Until the age of 15, candidates receive a highly advanced OWL-level education before they serve their standard boot camp years during an apprenticeship to a number of skilled mages which teaches a number of skills past standard training.

Candidates, upon the end of their military careers, have several possible choices: officially join Blackwatch as commissioned officers, join rank-and-file soldiers to perform a number of covert missions among these soldiers, becoming masters of specific trades and accept apprentices or becoming normal civilians.

There are rules after graduation: no-one is allowed to know about the truth of Blackwatch and no member is allowed to join the Spectres. Due to wards placed on each candidate, they will have their magic violently locked away, if they don't go to the Master of the program and have their magic sealed peacefully.

This is all information currently disclosed as of now.

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><p><strong>Non-Human Citizenship Act<strong>

The Non-Human Citizenship Act is a law that allows for non-human individuals from off-world to seek citizenship and become a legal citizen of Earth alongside their citizenship of origin. It is similar to a green card, a legal document stating that one human from a country outside the USA can permanently hold residence within the country for a number of reasons. The legal identification that a non-human individual would like to obtain is known as a United Nations Lawful Permanent Residency, although the less-formal name of the Green Card is used as well.

There are several conditions for seeking a Green Card: the holder must pay legal taxes in the UN state they wish to live in, which also must be considered for prospective citizens. Should a non-human move to a member state, such as Australia, they must obey local laws or else face a sentence within jail. The same applies to colony worlds. You can't apply for a green card if you have a prior conviction in Citadel Space and the Solana and Bogon galaxies.

To obtain a Green Card, you must both have a skillset that you can use to obtain work as well as either an employer who wishes to hire you and is willing to help you obtain citizenship or enough demand that your services can be used to provide for yourself or your family, you wish to marry a human or you are a sanctuary seeking asylum.

Alternatively, a temporary visa can be sought for either vacations or for temporary stays in Alliance space. Certain colonies do not require a green card to settle in.

NOTE FROM ANDY: I didn't write this, UNE's advertising offices did. If any batarian refugees wish to apply for asylum, please contact any embassy, not just the human one on the Citadel.

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><p><strong>Military Contract Act and Non-Human Service Act<strong>

The Military Contract Act is a law passed by the UNE that allows for the hiring of Private Military Companies and contractors for the purpose of protecting colony worlds and serving tours alongside the Alliance Navy. With this law, various mercenary outfits can act under the authority of the Systems Alliance. The first PMC to work for the Alliance under this law was Maverick Security Consulting, Incorporated.

The Non-Human Service Act allows for aliens to come to Earth and apply for military service with either the Alliance or a member state, thus obtaining a green card to settle in Alliance Space. With the two combined laws, PMCs from off-world such as Nova Space Security can be hired by Alliance representatives to aid the Alliance Military. It can also be used to obtain a green card for individuals.

This has not been met without controversy. The main reason the bills were passed was due to the severe population decline caused by the Drophyd Invasion. Even with conscription, the number of humans and military power would not be enough to protect the human homeworld, let alone colonies, in the long run. However, xenophobic groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and Humanity First have attacked the bills for allowing filth to join the armed services. Some governments in Citadel Space are even trying to pass laws that would persecute those who join the Alliance Navy, even charging citizens with high treason. So far, only the batarian Hegemony has passed these laws. Some have also complained that non-human PMCs were excluded but this isn't true. Some PMCs, including Academi (aka Blackwater) and Desperado, which are exclusively human, are banned under the clause that no PMC can perform a war crime under Alliance command or have committed a war crime in the past. This also excludes the asari Eclipse, the krogan Blood Pack and the Blue Suns.


End file.
